Austria’s APK pension fund was more than delighted to learn that it had won the IPE investment strategy award for the second year running.
“Winning this award again is a strong acknowledgement from Europe’s pension fund industry of our professionalism and leadership and it places substantial weight behind our general image in the market,” says Gunther Schiendl at the Vienna-based fund.
Schiendl says other than confirming the fund’s position as the leading pension fund in Austria in terms of both investment process and results, it also acts as a strong source of motivation for the fund’s personnel and investment managers to take the fund to higher levels.
“Not only does the award further enhance our motivation to improve the fund’s structure, investment processes and performance, but it is a clear reflection of our commitment to remain a market leader and innovator. We had always wanted to be seen as a market leader and I think winning the IPE award for two consecutive years is clearly helping us to achieve that objective,” Schiendl comments.
Schiendl confirms that the awards form part of the fund’s central communications strategy and are an important tool in new business development. “The awards will help prospective clients to appreciate our careful, comprehensive and proactive approach to investment management. They will benefit not only from the efficiency of our monitoring and decision-making processes but also from the dedication of our internal and external management teams,” he says.
Overall there is a sense of pride and honour at APK, as it feels few funds can boast winning the award two years in a row.
“We are very proud to win again. There can’t be three or four other pension funds around Europe that can say the same. It shows how dedicated everyone at the fund is and acknowledges the hard work they put in. It puts us in a great position to go even further,” says Schiendl.