The Swedish Fund Selection Agency (FTN) was named European Pension Fund of the Year at tonight’s IPE Awards 2025 ceremony in Seville.
In addition, the fund also won awards for leading public pension fund in Europe as well as leading pension fund in Sweden.
The judges selected FTN due to its outstanding combination of operational efficiency, investment performance, and innovative governance. By successfully reducing administrative costs by 50%, the fund has demonstrated a clear commitment to delivering value for money to participants in the funded component of the Swedish first-pillar pension system.
This efficiency, coupled with excellent investment returns, positions FTN as a model of financial stewardship and long-term sustainability. The 2024 reshaping of Sweden’s first-pillar system reflects a forward-thinking approach, combining sound oversight with participants’ involvement through an independently operated, state-procured defined contribution (DC) fund platform.
Moreover, the fund’s robust and rigorous selection process for external managers exemplifies best practice in fiduciary responsibility and governance. Overall, FTN demonstrates how strategic management, cost discipline, and innovation can strengthen public pension systems.
| Silver Awards | Winner |
|---|---|
| Active Management | AP6 (Sixth Swedish National Pension Fund) |
| Passive Management | PenSam |
| Corporate Pension Fund | Bosch Pensionsfonds AG |
| Corporate Pension Fund | Shell Pension Netherlands |
| Multi-employer/Professional Pension Fund | SEB Life and Pension Baltic SE group |
| Multi-employer/Professional Pension Fund | Swedbank Fund 1975–1981 |
| Public Pension Fund | The Swedish Fund Selection Agency |
| Small Pension Fund | Euroclear Pension Fund OFP |
Diego Valero is this year’s winner of the Outstanding Industry Contribution award. He is one of Europe’s most influential and forward-thinking pensions experts. Over more than four decades, he has combined rigorous academic insight with practical innovation to reshape how retirement systems are designed, governed and communicated in Spain and internationally.
As co-founder and president of Novaster and a long-serving academic with roles at the University of Barcelona, IE University (a private university in Spain) and at the London School of Economics, Valero has championed evidence-based pension reform.
His work bridges actuarial science, behavioural economics and public policy, offering implementable solutions to the challenges of ageing societies. Few practitioners have contributed so extensively across both public and occupational pension frameworks.
| Gold Awards | Winner |
|---|---|
| Young Pensions Professional of the Year | Ana Nachkebia |
| Commitment to Diversity | AG2R La Mondiale |
| Long-Term Investment Strategy | AP6 (Sixth Swedish National Pension Fund) |
| Outstanding Industry Contribution | Diego Valero |
| European Pension Fund of the Year | The Swedish Fund Selection Agency |
The 2025 IPE Awards attracted more than 450 entries across 41 categories representing 24 countries, with participating investors managing €1.77trn in assets. Some 88 judges were involved in assessing entries, each bringing specialist expertise or knowledge in a particular category.
Among the 463 overall delegates, there were 272 executives from asset owners and 45 consultants.
Find out about all the winners in IPE’s dedicated Awards winners report.
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