Institutional Connect Awards
About the Awards:
The Canadian institutional investment industry is evolving in the areas of macro investment environment, organizational culture and approaches to investments. Institutional Connect Awards recognizes and celebrates leading pension funds and investment managers, both at the organizational and individual levels, for their forward-thinking strategies, unwavering commitment to their fiduciary responsibilities, and approaches to
challenge the status-quo.
Each organization is at a different stage in their journey towards excellence. Emphasis of the awards will be placed on the achievements organizations and individuals have attained based on the status they have been in.
For Pension Funds and Institutional Investors
This award recognizes a firm that has made demonstrable progress in the approach towards climate change goals.
Criteria:
- Clear identification and communication of climate change objectives and description of targeted outcomes;
- Actionable strategies set by management and integrated into the responsibilities of the relevant teams;
- Processes that have been developed to achieve set objectives and progress made to date;
- Alignment of climate strategy with investment goals and fiduciary duty to stakeholders.
This award recognizes a team of investment professionals who have been collaborating on innovative approaches to investments. Examples include (but are not limited to): introducing/assessing new asset classes or new markets; refining asset mix based on the market conditions, etc.
Criteria:
- Successful collaboration within team members towards a set goal;
- Demonstrated approaches to innovation;
- Impacts and results to the organization brought by the approach.
This award recognizes a firm that has demonstrated outstanding and authentic leadership in their diversity, equity and inclusion practices, within the organization and / or in their engagements with external partners. Emphasis will be placed on actions from the firm that reflects commitments to DEI.
Criteria:
- Clear identification and communication of DEI objectives and description of targeted outcomes within the organization’s human capital management, investment ownership practices and / or inclusion as a key lens in the allocation of capital;
- Actionable strategies set by management and integrated into the responsibilities of the relevant teams;
- Demonstrated achievements related to organizational goals;
- Examples of engaging internal colleagues and/or external partners are encouraged to share best practices;
This award recognizes an individual or a team that has/have conducted thorough due diligence for their desired investment activities.
Criteria:
- Level of thoroughness that the individual/team conducted due diligence;
- How the individual/team advise investment team members on potential risks of the investment transaction(s) and/or mitigated them
This award recognizes an individual [specify level or years of experience] who, during her/his career path, has demonstrated consistent leadership and resiliency in various challenging environments. This individual has been able to contribute to successful outcomes across a variety of lenses – team leadership, the investment organization and / or the broader industry.
Criteria:
- Identifiable examples for leadership and resilience, noting the individual’s responsibilities and outcomes / impact delivered under changing investment environment;
- How the individual motivates and leads her/his team to attain outstanding results
- Why the individual’s achievements are notable and less frequently observed; what combination of skills and commitment led to the leadership that is being celebrated
This award recognizes an institutional investor firm that has delivered outstanding fiduciary duties to their clients through achieving desired investment objectives, clear communication with their members and clients, and having an effective governance system.
Criteria:
- Achievements of investment objectives;
- Examples of governance system at work to support successful outcomes;
- Regular and effective communication with members and/or clients
For Investment Management Firms:
This award recognizes an investment management firm that has delivered outstanding results to their institutional clients, and helped its clients through a complex market environment.
Criteria:
- Source of innovation to achieve results given the market conditions
- How the firm demonstrated its commitments towards the best outcome for its clients
- How the solution / approach achieved its desired objectives
- Clear identification and communication of climate change objectives and description of targeted outcomes;
- Measurable progress towards targeted goals;
- Consistent stewardship with portfolio companies in achieving objectives;
- Alignment of climate strategy with client and industry targets
This award recognizes one or a team of portfolio manager(s) who have demonstrated outstanding results in managing a portfolio of investments on behalf of their organization.
Criteria:
- How well the portfolio outperformed its benchmark;
- How the portfolio Manager(s) manage the risks associated with the portfolio;
- How the portfolio manager(s) integrated organizational ESG / climate goals with the portfolio and underwriting approach in a way that is repeatable and sustainable