EUROPE – Denmark´s ATP has been named overall Best European Pension Fund in 2005 at the annual IPE Awards in Berlin. It was also named Best European Public Pension Fund as well as scooping the top award for Denmark and risk management.

It was praised for not only defining its investments, pensions management structure and overall objectives and risk tolerance, but also for establishing and managing interdependence of these areas.

The judges hailed its comprehensive investment policy and pensions strategy – the single most important decision being to hedge the interest rate risks against liabilities in 2001. This was followed by a dynamic asset allocation strategy in 2003 which linked investment risks to reserves and risk constraints.

Koen de Ryck of Pragma Consulting won the Outstanding Industry Award for 2005 at the ceremony attended by more than 550 pension industry figures in the German capital. “He could well be described as the ‘constant gardener’ of European pension,” was one remark.

The Silver Award for Best Corporate Pension Fund went to Barclays, while PGGM was named Best Industry-wide Pension Fund. The Small Pension Fund Award went to Croatia’s Raiffeisen Mandatory Pension Fund.

The Country Awards:

Austria – VBV Pensionskasse
Belgium – Suez Tractebel
Denmark – ATP
Finland – The State Pension Fund
France – Corem
Germany – WPV
Iceland – Gildi
Ireland – AIB Group DC scheme
Italy – Inarcassa
Netherlands – PME
Portugal – BPI Valorizacao
Spain – Cepsa/Fonditel RedActiva
Swede – Lansforsakringar
Switzerland – Pensionskasse Media Markt
UK – Barclays UK Retirement Fund
Central & Eastern Europe – ING NN Poland

Themed Awards:

DB/DC restructuring/strategies – Frjálso
Equities – Industriens Pension
Fixed Income – VBV Pensionskasse
Hedge Funds – BVK
Innovation – Pensioenfonds Horeca & Catering
Liability-driven investments – ATP
Member services – PKA
Portfolio construction/management – Inarcassa
Real estate – Nordrheinische Ärzteversorgung
Risk management – ATP
SRI – Environment Agency

Topics