Though the judges awarded the IPE investment strategy prize for Denmark to Industriens Pension because of its clever outsourcing of asset management, the deliberate balance between internal and external managers and its use of new asset classes, Jan Oestergaard, the head of investments at the Copenhagen based fund, feels that its long term approach to risk diversification would also have been a key factor.
“We are delighted to have won the investment strategy award. We adopt a very long-term view here at Industriens, which means we employ a philosophy as much as an actual strategy. Developing both a philosophy and a strategy takes up a lot of resources, both human and financial. Winning the award proves we have got it right,” he comments.
Oestergaard says the award is the second the fund has received this year, having already won an award from the Association of Danish Financial Analysts, a non-profit organisation covering the whole financial spectrum, not just pension funds. “Both this and the IPE Award show that the financial community not only recognises the hard-work put in by the team here, and I stress it is a team-effort, but places great value on what we are striving for.”
Oestergaard says the IPE Award has the added significance of exposing Industriens to its peers around Europe. “Both the award itself and the event ceremony in Amsterdam provide a perfect forum for us to meet and communicate with our European counterparts,” he explains.
At the fund itself, the news that it had won was greeted with pride and honour. “It really is a team effort here and everyone can feel proud of their input. Though it may not act as useful marketing tool with prospective new clients as we don’t compete with other funds for our business, it is the perfect motivator,” says Oestergaard.
Clever outsourcing of investment management with a deliberate balance between internal and external management; early use of new asset classes such as emerging market bonds, high yields; open and educated information policy, strong internal expertise and – not least – good results.

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