AXA Winterthur is Switzerland’s leading insurer for comprehensive financial protection, responsible for offering coverage to more than 40% of the companies in Switzerland, with a portfolio of close to 1.9 million customers.

As an entity, AXA Winterthur controls two separate corporate entities in Switzerland: AXA Insurance Ltd, which represents a 13.1% market share, and AXA Life Ltd, which represents a 28.3% market share as of 2014.

In 2015, AXA Winterthur generated a business volume of CHF 11.1 billion (approx. £7.96bn, €10.21bn, $11.1bn) and has become a GRESB (Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark) sector leader.

AXA Winterthur is the only Swiss insurance company that maintains an in-house accident research centre, AXA Accident Research, which has conducted more than one thousand crash tests and produced numerous in-depth risk assessment reports. The centre also promotes road safety.

The data thus generated has encouraged a profundity of research into preventative road-safety measures from leading experts, such as Alessandro Finicelli who leveraged the findings contained in AXA Wintherthur’s reports for his presentation at the last Automechanika in Dubai, one of the world’s leading trade shows.

The most effective approaches to sustainability are the ones that target causality; better road-safety means less life insurance and road claims which, in turn, translates to improved profit margins for the insurer, a safer life for the insured, and a less waste-driven economy.

The focus for AXA Winterthur in 2016-2020 is The Future of Energy – a commitment to energy efficiency and renewable energy sources. By 2020, AXA Winterthur expects to have tripled its sustainable investments to over €3 billion. Initiatives such as the partnership with the national Energy Challenge 2016 campaign – a renewable and energy efficiency road show which challenges the population to reduce consumption and provide solutions – are a testament to AXA Winterthur’s innovative, profitable, yet sustainable business model.

The Energy Challenge 2016 is also offered as a free app which encourages the public by offering real rewards whilst helping the company to record valuable energy-driven data.

Despite the challenging market environment, AXA Winterthur maintains a strong solvency ratio, which denotes the company’s ability to meet current and future obligations. Due to the company’s proven ability to balance creative innovation and science-based research within its sustainable approach to insurance, the CFI.co judging panel considers AXA Winterthur a worthy winner of the 2016 Most Outstanding Contribution to Sustainable Insurance Switzerland Award.


HSBC: Best Global Research Team Banking

This year, HSBC celebrates its 150th anniversary. The bank was established in 1865 with the express purpose of financing trade between Europe and Asia. This aim has remained unchanged throughout the years: HSBC still sees its role as one of connecting customers to opportunities, although now the bank’s raison d’être is applied on a global scale.

After last year’s slightly more difficult final quarter, HSBC Holdings is expecting a good run in 2015 with Q1 profits already up by 4% to $6.8bn. The bank excels at providing clients with solid advice and innovative ideas that combine local insights with global connectivity.

HSBC has gained a reputation for being quite opinionated and for calling phenomena by their proper name, not mincing words or engaging in doublespeak. This works brilliantly to the advantage of HSBC clients who benefit from frank assessments and clear messages.

The bank employs a wide range of platforms and formats to help clients make sense of volatile financial markets that are often near-impossible to gauge. The HSBC research team rightly considers itself strong in spotting promising investment opportunities, reporting on new developments as they unfold, and analysing the profit potential of specific events. HSBC aspires to be topical, relevant, and insightful – and succeeds brilliantly at this.

Reports produced by HSCB tend to set both the tome and the agenda. In recent times, the bank has published papers on the world as it might look in 2050, on south-south trade, and on the convertibility of the Chinese renminbi and its chances of becoming a reserve currency.

With such a highly diverse customer base, and in order to meet the expectations of all stakeholders, HSCB looks for diversity of backgrounds, business approaches, and opinions in its staff members. Employees are effectively empowered to add value to the services the bank offers its clients.

The judging panel is unanimous in its verdict that HSCB fully merits the 2015 Best Global Research Team Banking Award.


Ernst & Young: Best Tax Team Argentina

For all its well-documented troubles, Argentina’s economy remains the third largest in Latin America. It is, however, in desperate need of a boost. All contenders for the country’s presidency solemnly promise to deliver the goods necessary for an economic revival, should the voters elevate them into the Casa Rosada – and power – come October 25 when elections are set to take place.

The incumbent Cristina Fernández, the widow of former president Néstor Kirchner, has presided over two debt defaults, a number of economic meltdowns, and a long series of scandals and affaires. She is constitutionally barred from seeking a third term in office.

President Fernández has repeatedly clashed with hedge fund managers – known locally as “vultures” – who are widely considered, and indeed are, the bane of the country. Billionaire investor Paul Singer, without doubt the top vulture, is suing Argentina over the non-payment of sovereign debt and trying to seize Argentinian assets with help of US courts. Mr Singer bought non-performing Argentinian bonds for pennies on the dollar and is now holding out for full repayment – seeking to make a killing of epic proportions in the process.

However, Argentina also holds great promise as emphasised by Brevan Howard in Europe and Bienville Capital Management in the US. Both are touting Argentina as offering outstanding investment opportunities in the run-up to the coming change of the guard. In early June, bond prices already indicated a boost in investor confidence.

No doubt the challenging economic realities Argentina now battles will persist for some time to come. That also holds true for the vagaries of the country’s rather Byzantine legal and regulatory environment. Still, opportunity beckons. In order to seize the moment, investors stand in need of top notch advisory services.

The CFI.co judging panel has long been impressed by Ernst & Young’s Argentinian member firm Pistrelli, Henry Martin y Asociados. The judges were pleased to see this award nomination come through for 2015. This year Pistrelli, Henry Martin y Asociados was appointed independent auditor to the world’s largest McDonalds restaurant franchisee, Arcos Dorados Holdings operating in twenty countries across Latin America and the Caribbean.

The partners in Ernst & Young Argentina boasts vast international experience and bring like amounts of expertise to the table. The firm has worked diligently to illuminate and navigate the recent changes to the Argentinian tax code. The judges were very impressed with this winner’s tax advisory work. The CFI.co judging panel is pleased to confirm Ernst & Young as the winner of the 2015 Best Tax Team Argentina Award.


Credicorp Capital: Best Securities Brokerage MILA

It takes both expertise and passion to become one of Latin America’s most trusted financial services companies. Operating in the highly competitive and exceptionally dynamic economies of the Andean countries – Chile, Peru, and Colombia – Credicorp Capital is a full-service investment bank with a customer-centric equity trading division. The firm is noted for its ability to execute large-volume transactions in illiquid markets promptly and efficiently, using state-of-the-art technology and boasting a highly experienced team of professionals.

Credicorp Capital’s operational footprint extends across the Integrated Latin America Market (Mercado Integrado Latinoamericano – MILA), an initiative that since late 2010 unifies the stock markets of Chile, Colombia, and Peru. More recently, Mexico joined the programme as part of the Pacific Alliance trade block which the four countries established in 2012.

With Mexico’s accession, MILA now boasts a market capitalisation of well over $1.25tn with 798 listed companies. It trumps the Brazilian BM&F Bovespa to become the largest exchange in Latin America, albeit by a slim margin. Thoroughly at home on this fast-paced and fast-growing market, Credicorp Capital is well poised to offer both investors and issuers world class services and top notch research.

The firm regularly tips high-growth stocks based on the exhaustive research conducted by its experienced professionals. Mindful of its human capital, Credicorp Capital has over the years assembled a best-in-class team that is now the envy of the industry. The firm is moderately bullish on the regional economic outlook and recently concluded that the MILA stock market still has plenty room for growth.

Credicorp Capital offers its client a full suite of brokerage services. The firm aims to build long-term relationships with its corporate and institutional clients, considering the consistent building of value requires an integrated approach based on mutual trust and an unwavering dedication to quality in all aspects of the brokerage business.

The CFI.co judging panel is particularly pleased with the passion displayed by Credicorp Capital in its relentless pursuit of operational excellence. The company has a firm grip on risk analysis and containment, adheres to strict standards of corporate governance, and advances as a tightly knit team to reach new heights. The judges have no hesitation in naming Credicorp Capital the winner of the 2015 Best Securities Brokerage MILA Award.


Bansefi: Best Social Impact Bank Mexico

Banks can – and do – make a big impact on their surroundings. In Mexico, Bansefi proves that point with an all-inclusive approach that underwrites the nation’s development drive by empowering businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises that all too often struggle in gaining access to premier financial services.

Bansefi – Banco de Ahorro Nacional y Servicios Financieros (National Savings and Financial Services Bank) – maintains a sharp focus on communities ignored or underserved by commercial banks. The bank maintains a network of close to 430 branches that reaches into the farthest corner of the country and which serves over eleven million customers.

Bansefi pioneered a number of programmes aimed at extending banking services to people of modest means. Already in 2002, the bank introduced L@Red de la Gente (The People’s Network) that provides easy access to both domestic and international money transfers, insurance products, and payment services. The network is present in over a thousand towns and rural localities with more than 2,700 outlets.

By bridging the banking gap, Bansefi has given literally millions of Mexicans convenient access to formal and high-quality financial services. As such, the bank has been instrumental in helping fight poverty and social exclusion. Bansefi also operates and supports a number of initiatives that promote financial literacy. Thus far, over a million people have partaken in workshops and comprehensive courses that impart the tools and knowledge necessary to escape the poverty trap and avoid costly mistakes while doing so. The bank expects seven million people to attend its workshop by the middle of 2017.

Bansefi was an early adopter of technology to broaden its institutional footprint. The bank develops and maintains a fully scalable high-tech platform that forms the backbone of its vast network. As a social development bank, Bansefi offers microloans to subsistence farmers and small traders and businesspeople that enable people to break the cycle of poverty and get ahead under their own power.

The CFI.co judging panel is impressed by the way Bansefi fulfils its corporate mandate. With a solid infrastructure, a dedicated and highly professional management and support team, and a nation-building mission, Bansefi transcends the financial world as it binds and unites Mexican society. The judges are honoured to offer Bansefi the 2016 Best Social Impact Bank Mexico Award.


Cisco Capital: Best Captive Technology Finance Team Global 2015

Staying up to date with technology is not so much a drain on the bottom line as it is an opportunity for improving efficiencies and expanding operations. Rather than a corporate expense, IT adds value and delivers the means that allow organisations to embrace ever-changing business dynamics.

Corporations that keep ahead of the curve and allow for shorter IT lifecycles typically fare better than those waiting for obsolescence to extract its toll, only to ultimately impose the inevitable upgrades. Keeping the IT initiative is key to enduring success. With that lesson borne out of corporate experience in mind, Cisco Capital has developed its Lifecycle Financing facility which recognises that how businesses acquire technology is every bit as important as what is being acquired.

The approach allows corporations to dovetail their IT policies with business plans and initiatives. Lifecycle Financing also stretches budgets while shortening deployment times and offers build-in flexibility that enables companies to adjust work styles and flows in response to shifting market conditions.

Cisco Capital offers its bespoke Lifecycle Financing facility in over one hundred countries to businesses of all sizes. The company leverages its intimate knowledge of clients’ operations – gathered during the IT system design phase – to put in place customised financing solutions that take into account not just present IT requirements, but fine-tune system scalability to match corporate strategy.

As a result, Cisco Capital is able to go where conventional lenders often dare not tread, maintaining non-performance risk ratios that are the envy of the industry. Familiarity with the creditor’s business operations and managerial expertise allows Cisco Capital to effectively underwrite IT projects in emerging markets where corporate growth is usually hampered by a lack of affordable financing options.

The CFI.co judging panel finds the integrated approach to IT financing pioneered by Cisco Capital refreshing. The judges fully agree that businesses aspiring to gain, or keep, their competitive advantage need to bring IT investments forward. Cisco’s Lifecycle Financing significantly shortens IT lifecycles without adding pressure to budgets. Always charmed by innovative business models, the judges have no hesitation in extending the 2015 Best Captive Technology Finance Team Global Award to Cisco Capital.


Dunlop: Best ESG Corporate Citizen United States

Dunlop Tyres, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company’s high-end household brand, is becoming well-known for something other than tyres: it has now established a well-earned reputation for championing environmental causes and for excellence in social governance.

Dunlop Tyres’ eco-strategy begins with its products. New materials are being developed, and existing ones improved, for better sustainability while supply chains are closely monitored for the same reason. Dunlop optimised its tyres with a view to decreasing their lifetime carbon footprint and increase fuel efficiency. Tyres now also more durable, requiring less frequent changes.

The company’s manufacturing facilities are also closely monitored in order to comply with the company’s global environmental, social, and governance (ESG) policies which include zero solvent use and a zero waste-to-landfill provision. Since 2009, Dunlop Tyres has achieved an astonishing 92% reduction in its environmental impact.

Dunlop Tyres has also stayed on-target with its plans to reduce water and energy usage by 15%. The company’s new headquarters in Akron, Ohio, opened in May 2013, and promptly earned the prestigious Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) accreditation from the US Green Building Council.

Akron is also home to some of Dunlop Tyres’ biggest community projects. The company is fully engaged in the promotion of local STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education initiatives which it supports with both grants and employee volunteers. Some 300 Dunlop Tyres employees help plan the annual STEM Career Day which offers $40,000 in grants and scholarships to participating students.

The CFI.co judging panel wishes to express its collective admiration for the environmental and social initiatives undertaken by Dunlop Tyres. The judges consider the company a true pioneer in these fields and a model for others to follow. For its exemplary corporate citizenship, Dunlop Tyres is granted the 2016 Best ESG Corporate Citizen United States Award.


Ford Motor Co: Best Mobility Innovation – United States

Ford Motor Company has innovation tightly woven into its corporate fabric. Henry Ford’s invention and perfection of the assembly line ushered in mass production and the Second Industrial Revolution. However, the latest innovations coming out of Dearborn, Michigan, go even deeper.

Mobility innovation is no longer just a question of producing transportation networks; it is also about tackling traffic congestion as the global population rises. By 2030, around 630 million people are expected live in cities with a population exceeding ten million inhabitants or more. The projections for 2050 are even more unsettling. With the earth’s population set to rise at least nine billion – and with increased prosperity levels, the number of vehicles in circulation is projected to double to two billion or more.

The issue stretches beyond that of productivity or the environment. Ford’s focus, some pun intended, remains on bringing viable and affordable transport to the masses. This is the business model at the root of the company’s enduring success.

Amongst its many projects, Ford is now working towards lowering the affordability threshold of smart public transportation and autonomous vehicles cars, a venture which involves connecting roads, cars, parking, and most challenging of all – pedestrians. Experts predict that meeting these challenges presents a $130 billion business opportunity for the automotive industry. Ford is clearly in the running for the prize.

In 2015, Ford opened a new research and innovation centre in Palo Alto, California, right in the heart of Silicon Valley. The facility is dedicated to find radical solutions that improve connectivity, mobility, and the performance of autonomous vehicles. It has since become one of the largest automotive manufacturer research centres in the valley with a staff of more than one hundred researchers, engineers, scientists, and out-of-the-box thinkers.

The CFI.co judging panel is awed by Ford’s sensible forward-thinking approach to the future of mobility. As an experienced innovator, the company has claimed its rightful place at the leading edge of innovation. The judges are delighted to offer Ford Motor Company the 2016 Best Mobility Innovation United States Award.


Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX): Most Innovative Exchange GCC

After securing its place on the influential MCSI Emerging Market Index in 2014, 1,158 foreign institutional investors opened accounts to trade on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange. Now, a number of regulatory changes are in the works that will facilitate the creation of new financial instruments, adding liquidity to the market and helping the exchange integrate more closely into the global marketplace.

Established in 2000, the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange has already established a well-earned reputation as a premier venue for investors aiming to catch a ride on the buoyant UAE economies. The exchange has proved resilient in the face of low oil prices and other setbacks. Earlier this year, the exchange entered into discussions with two financial institutions to act as market makers. The National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) is currently the only ADX market maker.

The exchange is proactively pursuing new listings from large and mid-sized companies for both its main board and the secondary market. Though the number of IPOs has been small, it is widely expected that 2016 will see privately-held companies reawaken to the many benefits a public listing can bring.

With 71 listed securities (66 public joint stock companies, 2 private joint stock companies, 1 ETF, 1 convertible bond, and 1 Abu Dhabi Government bond), the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange represents most major sectors of the UAE economy and, as such, offers investors a unique – and well-diversified – picture of the local business scene. The CFI.co judging panel commends the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange for its stalwart dedication to not just excellence in the delivery of investor services, but also to innovation. Serving investors with state-of-the art tools and platforms, the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange is declared winner of the 2015 Most Innovative Exchange GCC Award.

ADX Most Notable Achievements

Launch of Smart Kiosk (SAHMI). The Kiosk offers an array of electronic services that include the issuance of a new investor number, modification of existing investors’ details, obtaining financial reports and investment statements….etc (first in MENA)

Adoption of XBRL (first in GCC)

Implement automatic monitoring system (Smart System) which can monitor and record automatically transactions and other trading activities on the Exchange (first in GCC).

Disclose, on ADX website, of names of shareholders owning 5% or more of the share capital of any listed company (first in GCC)

Listing of Shares of Private Joint Stock Companies (first in GCC)

Listing of ETF (first in GCC)

Being Upgraded to Emerging Market status by MSCI (first, with Qatar, in world since Emerging Market status was established by MSCI in 2007)


King Abdullah Economic City wins CFI.co Award: Best Infrastructure Development for Economic Growth in The Middle East

This prize comes in recognition of KAEC’s bold investment strategy, the outstanding accomplishments of the organisation to date and the sterling development work now taking place.

CFI.co believes that the necessary steps have been taken by KAEC to create the appropriate infrastructure by building this important new destination in the Middle East on solid, world-class foundations. This will truly be a new Saudi city for the world and a new world city for Saudi Arabia. The master developer of KAEC is Emaar Properties, a real estate development company headquartered in the UAE with a presence in 36 markets throughout the world.

Rowan Kelly from KAEC received the award from CFI.co on behalf of Fahd Al Rasheed (CEO), whose outstanding leadership is bringing to life this amazingly ambitious smart city project that will certainly set new standards in sustainability, economic well-being and quality lifestyle.


Bankfácil: Best Secured Consumer Lending Bank Brazil 2016

BankFácil is not just an online lending start-up; it is a moderniser of Brazil’s notoriously tedious lending process and a digital underwriting platform that acts as correspondent bank to facilitate the loans hiring process.

So far, more than R$100 million (€23.9m) has been borrowed from BankFácil. The company’s rapid rise to success is easily attributed to its dipping into the previously untapped market of secured consumer loans combined with a dependable risk-assessment platform.

Due to the out-dated and timeconsuming processes most Brazilian banks use, loans carry on average eight to nine times the interest had the customer been able use assets such as cars or homes as collateral. The current offers in terms of asset-secured personal loans is either not openly advertised or difficult to secure.

By creating a large volume of asset-secured loans and offering them at far lower interest rates, BankFácil has been able to capture a large clientele and enjoy massive growth. With a focus on providing clear information, transparency, and offering sensibly structured loans – as well as a more recent foray into credit cards – BankFácil is a digital start-up that has already become a household name in Brazil. Creating a system of trust has been essential to the new banking culture that BankFácil aims to build. The CFI.co judging panel applauds BankFácil on its modernised and ethical approach to lending and its keen sense of opportunity.

The online bank’s launch of novel services suggest that the company is merely in its first stages of corporate evolution. As it moulds and grows to suits its customers’ needs, BankFácil is sure to become a Brazilian giant in even more walks of life. For its achievements, the judges have decided to grant BankFácil the 2016 Best Secured Consumer Lending Bank Brazil Award.


Concord International Investments Group: Best Asset Manager Egypt 2016

Even amidst at times turbulent conditions, Egypt has started to flourish since President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s election in June 2014 and the launch of the well-received Egypt The Future initiative. For securities and investments, developments things are racing forwards – and the solidly-established Concord International Managements group is well ahead of the game.

The Concord Group has been present in Egypt since 1994. The company has been a pioneer in Egyptian investment ever since. It was the first firm to establish both closed-ended and open-ended country funds and remains the only UCITS (undertaking for collective investments in transferable securities) fund invested in Egyptian securities.

Headquartered in New York, the group manages approximately $1.4 billion. Most of those funds are currently invested in Egyptian equities. Concord Group has shown an unrivalled mastery of Egyptian markets. Over the past year, investment flows from public and private sector banks, multilateral institutions, development groups, and high-net-worth individuals have increased significantly. Concord Group serves that demand with up-to-date advice on asset management, real estate investment, and corporate finance.

A secret to the group’s success is its global approach. The Egyptian division maintains a sharp focus on the local market and attracts the most talented and experienced professionals, including a large number of former CEOs of major corporations. However, to avoid any bias, the Egyptian team’s members must also convince their colleagues in New York before any investment decision is made.

Currently Concord manages four funds invested in listed Egyptian equities and one Fund invested in listed Turkish equities. Their assets under management are currently a combined US$ 337 million. In addition, the firm has launched and managed four private equity funds with $200 million of combined committed capital.

Concord attributes its continued success on its ability to rely on the experience, diligence and rigorous fundamental requirements applied by its management team and its market renowned in-house research department.  Concord’s cohesively applied long term investment philosophy has proven over the years to be a very successful investment approach in both its listed and private equity investments, capable of withstanding market and geopolitical volatility.

The CFI.co judging panel applauds the innovative strategy and the foresight Concord Group displays in the management of its investments. This unique approach deserves recognition. For the second year running, the judges are delighted to extend Concord International Investments Group the Best Asset Manager Egypt Award.


KIPCO: Best Corporate Governance Kuwait 2016

Successfully managing vast investment volumes across industries and sectors requires a significant organisational wherewithal as provided by a firm and comprehensive corporate governance structure. One of the most admired companies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), KIPCO Group of Kuwait comprises a universe of over 60 companies in 24 countries. KIPCO Group (Kuwait Projects Company Holding) has a particularly strong presence in the financial services, media, real estate, and manufacturing sectors.

With a corporate footprint that stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Arabian Sea, the Kuwaiti group showcases the achievements of strict adherence to prudent and sensible investment strategies. Founded in 1975, KIPCO Group now provides over 12,000 people with good jobs. The group’s companies include Burgan Bank – one of the region’s premier financial institutions – and the Gulf Insurance Group, likewise a regional giant. KIPCO also owns a majority stake in OSN, the leading pay TV service in the Middle East broadcasting premier HD programming in Arabic, English, and Filipino.

Transparency and sound corporate governance are at the very core of all KIPCO operations and processes. The group has erected a number of highly visible audits and governance structures that ensure objectives are met in a timely manner and peak corporate performance is maintained.

KIPCO Group’s signatory annual Shafafiyah (transparency) Investors Forum, which takes place in the wake of the company’s yearly general assembly, allows management an opportunity to review its past performance and offer guidance on corporate prospects. Shareholders, media representatives, and the wider public are actively encouraged to partake and ask questions or raise concerns. Broadcast live via the Internet, the forum also enables the management of KIPCO Group to gauge the reaction of analysts, shareholders, and the public to the company’s many undertakings. The event generates a valuable cache of data that is used by the group’s management to fine-tune operations and processes and thus preserve and expand the goodwill thus far generated.

The CFI.co judging panel hails KIPCO Group for its forward looking and pioneering approach to corporate governance. The judges agree that a company’s reputation is its most valuable asset. KIPCO Group is the undisputed winner of the 2016 Best Corporate Governance Kuwait Award.


IIFL Private Wealth: Best Independent Wealth Management Team India 2016

Locked together in unison, wisdom and experience make a powerful combination. IIFL Private Wealth seeks to merge these outstanding traits to produce a range of wealth management solutions that not only stand the test of time, but improve with age. Agile, whilst prudent at the same time, IIFL Private Wealth’s senior advisors share their knowledge with the firm’s growing client base to reach solutions that dovetail with individual requirements and expectations.

IIFL Private Wealth traces its origins to 2008 when a group of professionals from the private banking industry joined forces to help investors navigate the then turbulent financial times. The founders proved that opportunities abound even as the wider market struggled.

IIFL Private Wealth has a number of advantages that it leverages to obtain above-average results. The firm is employee-owned: though the holding and a strategic partner retain 76% of the firm’s share capital, the remainder is owned by its professionals who are thus encouraged to adhere to long-term strategies instead of chasing the next quarter’s results which are usually not indicative of sustained corporate performance.

By investing heavily in technology and innovative corporate processes aimed at aligning the interests of professionals and clients alike, IIFL Private Wealth has managed to stay well ahead and offer products and solutions that are crafted to consistently ensure the best outcomes.
The CFI.co judging panel commends IIFL Private Wealth on its forward thinking and grants the firm the 2016 Best Independent Wealth Management Team India Award.


The CFI.co judges have conferred on Bank of Maldives its win of the Most Innovative Banking Team Indian Ocean 2016 Award. Highlights of the judging panel’s findings:

Since its founding in 1982, the Bank of Maldives has driven the nation’s financial services industry with innovation and technology.

Bank of Maldives maintains a state-of-the-art technology platform that allows the institution to offer its around 265,000 clients both convenience and excellence in the delivery of financial services.

A client-centric business, Bank of Maldives aims to exceed customers’ expectations.

Reaching into the far corners of the vast archipelago nation, Bank of Maldives operates a robust and fully interconnected network of branches, agents, and point of sales services that blankets the country.

The judging panel’s full report:

Bank of Maldives: Most Innovative Banking Team Indian Ocean 2016

Boasting an exceptionally strong capital position well in excess of regulatory requirements, Bank of Maldives has established a solid reputation both at home and abroad. The bank has been in business since 1982 and is listed on the Maldives Stock Exchange (MSE:BML). Following the divestment of founder partner IFIC Bank of Bangladesh in 1992, the country’s government assumed a majority shareholding.

Since its founding, Bank of Maldives has driven the nation’s financial services industry with innovation and technology. The bank accumulated an impressive number of firsts such as the introduction of point of sale terminals, Internet and mobile banking, and cash and cheques deposit machines. Bank of Maldives maintains a state-of-the-art technology platform that allows the institution to offer its around 265,000 clients both convenience and excellence in the delivery of financial services.

Reaching into the far corners of the vast archipelago nation, Bank of Maldives operates a robust and fully interconnected network of branches, agents, and point of sales services that blankets the country. Bank of Maldives is the country’s largest employer in the financial sector and counts with over 850 professionals and support staff of whom one third are based outside the capital Malé.

A client-centric business, Bank of Maldives aims to exceed customers’ expectations. Since its corporate inception, Bank of Maldives has strived to reach out to clients via a multichannel approach: account holders, and others conducting business with or at the bank, may do so in a number of convenient ways that complement, rather than detract from, their daily pursuits.

The CFI.co judging panel commends Bank of Maldives on its accomplishment of a most challenging mission: to provide world class financial services in a country comprised of 1,192 coral islands in twin chains of atolls dispersed over some 90,000km2 of ocean. Building a financial network that covers this unique geographic setting is a remarkable feat; doing so with aplomb and efficiency merits recognition. The judges are therefore pleased to offer Bank of Maldives the 2016 Most Innovative Banking Team Indian Ocean Award.

About Bank of Maldives

Bank of Maldives is proud to be the national bank of the Maldives. The bank touches the lives of almost every citizen of the country through its extensive network of branches, ATMs, and online banking facilities. This privilege brings with it great responsibility which the banks takes extremely seriously.

Bank of Maldives understands that the institution plays a pivotal role as an engine of growth and a partner for success for thousands of individuals, families, and businesses. Its aim is to participate actively in community development and to create long-term value for shareholders.

Bank of Maldives’ strategic pillars are financial inclusion, customer service, and support for business. The bank’s strategic foundations are people excellence and robust risk management.

The bank is firmly focused on being a professionally managed, customer-oriented, financially robust organisation which follows international best practices.

Bank of Maldives
11, Boduthakurufaanu Magu
Henveiru
Malé
Maldives

Telephone: +960 333 0200
E-mail: customerservice@bml.com.mv
URL: www.bankofmaldives.com.mv


VanTrust Capital: Best Securities Brokerage Chile 2016

Operating in a mature and sophisticated market, VanTrust Capital has established a solid track record extracting consistently strong returns in a stable, yet highly competitive, environment. With a boutique-style approach that prioritises innovative investment solutions and excellence in the delivery of its services, Van Trust Capital’s focus is trained on three main areas of business: asset management, brokering and the engineering and placement of structured products tailored to precisely fit the requirements of individual investors.

The company maintains dedicated teams of seasoned professionals specialised in fixed and variable instruments on both the domestic and international markets. The teams provide a constantly updated stream of personalised market data to investors, allowing for informed and timely allocations.

The VanTrust Capital asset management division designed a number of carefully assembled investment funds that ensure a perfect match between long-term return and risk mitigation. Through its financial services boutique, the company also helps high-net-worth individuals preserve and grow their wealth via bespoke portfolio management and the thorough analysis of investor expectations and global market conditions.

VanTrust Capital occupies a unique position amongst brokerages and asset managers in Chile: the company is sufficiently large to allow for the development of specialisations and the attendant reservoirs of knowledge and expertise, while it remains nimble enough to quickly respond to changing market dynamics and demands. The CFI.co judging panel commends VanTrust Capital on its stellar performance and is pleased to offer the company the 2016 Best Securities Brokerage Chile Award.


Gaztransport et Technigaz: Best Maritime Transport Services France 2016

The fleet of purpose-built tankers transporting Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) around the globe has grown almost exponentially in size over the past two decades. To meet the demand for LNG tankers, larger vessels which are being built can deliver up to 263,000m3 of LNG in tanks incorporating containment systems with cryogenic membranes first designed by GTT – a French engineering company that has pioneered many of the innovations powering today’s LNG value chain.

GTT provides solutions dedicated to offshore and onshore transportation and storage and to the use of LNG as fuel for vessel propulsion and associated bunkering. For over fifty years, GTT has developed technologies which optimise the thermal performance and safety of membrane tanks that transport or store LNG. Continuous improvements on these technologies have reduced the boil-off rate of cryogenic membrane systems by around 40%.

GTT’s sustained R&D efforts led to the development of new applications for the offshore LNG segment, particularly for floating liquefied natural gas vessels (FLNGs) and floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs).

GTT also provides a full range of high added value services focused on the operational issues experienced by its customers and partners throughout a vessel’s life cycle. In addition, GTT Training offers training programmes and simulation software to customers and partners.
The CFI.co judging panel congratulates GTT on its high-tech solutions to the challenges faced by LNG shippers. GTT is declared winner of the 2016 Best Maritime Transport Services France Award.


Bangkok Insurance: Best Insurance Solutions Advisory Team Thailand 2016

In business since 1947 and serving the nation with a comprehensive palette of products and services, Bangkok Insurance is one of Thailand’s premier risk management providers. Customer-centric and equipped with world-class technology, the company has established a solid reputation that underwrites its continued expansion.

Known for its integrity and recipient of the Royal Garuda Emblem, Bangkok Insurance has led its industry in innovation. The company was the first to introduce novel services such as an insurance web portal, a teleclaims service, and the BKI iCare application for smartphones which enhance user experience and convenience. Moreover, Bangkok Insurance introduced policies tailored to the needs of specific demographic segments to serve the company’s strategic direction in respect of regional business expansion where each region has its own unique challenges.

Bangkok Insurance was an early adaptor of comprehensive corporate governance processes that aim to increase transparency and take into consideration the interests of all stakeholders – investors, policyholders, staff and the wider community. This has enabled the company to deepen its long-standing commitment to excellence in the delivery of its services.

The CFI.co judging panel is pleased to note that Bangkok Insurance remains true to its heritage whilst continuously adapting to changing market dynamics. The company has also displayed an impressive nimbleness as it navigates shifts in customer demands. The judges are unanimous in their decision to grant Bangkok Insurance, for the second year running, the Best Insurance Solutions Advisory Team Thailand Award.


McOttley Capital: Best Boutique Investment Bank Ghana 2016

As financial markets mature, the need for specialised investor services increases. Such it is in Africa where a decade-long economic upswing has added multiple layers of complexity to the indigenous financial markets. Ghana has attracted plenty of attention from investors wishing to hitch a ride on the country’s buoyant economy, regularly registering 8% or more annual GDP growth.

Helping investors source opportunity, McOttley Capital has the tools and expertise to secure safe and profitable deals. With a focus on primary market research, the firm produces a stream of valuable data from which analysts extract the nuggets needed to successfully enter the local market.

McOttley Capital assists individuals, corporates, and others to find investment opportunities in Ghana that are fully exposed to the upside whilst providing hedges against adverse eventualities. Using a disciplined and well-diversified approach, McOttley Capital is able to outperform the wider market and deliver on-target results.

Speedy and accurate in the delivery of its services, the firm has experienced exponential growth since its foundation three years ago. McOttley Capital has also established a solid reputation for adaptability, responding dynamically to market conditions and is able to ride the peaks whilst skirting around the troughs.

The CFI.co judging panel is pleased to note that McOttley Capital has consistently delivered on its promises and possesses the knowledge and skills needed for navigating the local market profitably. The judges are delighted to offer McOttley Capital the 2016 Best Boutique Investment Bank Ghana Award.


Assupol: Best Life Assurer Southern Africa 2016

Serving South Africans regardless their income bracket, Assupol offers a comprehensive suite of insurance and savings products. The company has been in business since 1913 when it was founded as a burial society for civil servants. Since then, and building on an exceptionally solid reputation, Assupol has turned into a modern financial services provider, greatly expanding the range of its services and broadening the company’s client base to include all South Africans.

Thanks to the excellence of its services and the unfailingly prompt settlement of claims, Assupol, of late, has made significant inroads into the middle and higher income demographic, capturing market share from larger competitors. In fact, Assupol’s size and the resulting corporate nimbleness have allowed the company to improve the way insurance and savings products are brought to market.

Following a proactive approach, Assupol keeps close to its customers. Thanks to a vast network of branches and agents that reaches into the far corners of the country, Assupol maintains short lines of communication which, in turn, offer policyholders an iron-clad assurance that the company is never far away in times of need.

Assupol has turned a simple concept – be there to quickly help policyholders where and when needed – into a formula for enduring corporate success. The CFI.co judging panel commends Assupol on its unwavering commitment to help clients navigate and overcome life’s uncertainties. For a second year running, the judges are pleased to grant Assupol the Best Life Assurer Southern Africa Award.


RCBC: Best SME Bank Philippines 2016

One of the largest privately-owned domestic banks in the Philippines, RCBC (Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation) serves over 7.4 million customers through 477 branches and 1,443 ATMs. The bank is the flagship business of the Yuchengco Group of Companies which is one of the largest conglomerates in Southeast Asia.

Since its foundation 56 years ago, the bank is able to offer its customers an exceptionally broad range of products and services. Amongst others, RCBC maintains a number of highly sought after facilities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) such as revolving credit lines, letters of credit, trust receipt financing and pre and post-delivery financing options.

In a nation whose business landscape is largely composed of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), RCBC embarked on initiatives to provide financial inclusion and stability to Filipino entrepreneurs by reaching the unbanked and underserved market whose growth has been stymied by their weak capital base and limited access to the financial market. RCBC shifted paradigms and “went provincial” where growth opportunities abound but remained relatively untapped.

RCBC also launched a special financing program aimed at empowering women entrepreneurs through its e-WMN Loan program. The main objective of this specialised loan program is to break barriers and challenge limitations that women entrepreneurs are faced with by expanding their access to financial services.

The CFI.co judges noted that RCBC’s commitment to the SME segment is a long-standing one. The judging panel is therefore pleased to grant RCBC the 2016 Best SME Bank Philippines Award.


GE Capital Aviation Services: Best Aviation Leasing Solutions North America 2016

GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS), is a global leader in aviation leasing and finance with a presence in over eighty countries. The company’s services are far-reaching and provide finance/leasing options for fleet expansions, upgrades and interim solutions – not just for commercial airlines, but for offshore/mining industry, law enforcements and others as well.

GECAS is a world leader in engine leasing and parts financing/management. It also provides specialised advisory services under the company’s consultancy division AviaSolutions.

Serving over 270 customers globally – including prominent airlines such as Air Canada, Virgin and Air China – GECAS is the largest commercial airline finance/leasing company in the world. Due to its large fleet size and range of finance and consultancy services, the company optimises its clients’ cash flow and provides flexibility in fleet management.

GECAS maintains close partnerships with aircraft manufacturers such as Boeing and Airbus in order to deliver the largest product portfolio of its kind containing over 2,000 aircraft. By sustaining these good relations, the company is able to offer direct benefits to clients – GECAS is the launch customer for Boeing’s 738BCF programme, as well as another aircraft scheduled for release later this year.

The CFI.co judging panel is impressed with the comprehensive array of aviation solutions available, the sheer selection of aircraft on offer, and the management team’s proven excellence in corporate relations. The judges are delighted to offer GE Capital Aviation Services the 2016 Best Aviation Leasing Solutions Award North America.


TSB Banking Group: Best SME Bank United Kingdom 2016

In retail banking, there are only so many ways in which services may be conveniently delivered to account holders. Whilst innovation is rife throughout the industry, the personal touch and its twin – client proximity – are kept centre stage at TSB.

The Trustee Savings Bank was founded in 1810 on the premise that people of modest means should enjoy access to dependable financial services. Today, a great many corporate reorganisations later, around 600 TSB branch offices line the high streets of towns and cities throughout the British Isles. The bank has deftly managed to stay true to its origins.

That said, TSB does offer a different sort of banking: not only does TSB Banking Group maintain a vast branch network; it also allows customers direct access to relationship managers. This is especially helpful to owners of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

With a geographic footprint stretching from Cornwall to the Shetland Island, TSB maintains extended opening hours, recognising the obvious-but-oft-forgotten fact the small business owners are usually pressed for time. The bank also offers a number of facilities to start-up companies. Moreover, each branch supports a local charity.

The CFI.co judging panel is truly happy to see that TSB puts its clients centre stage. While the bank offers all the conveniences of online banking, it has not retreated from the high streets of Britain. The judges are pleased to grant TSB Banking Group the 2016 Best SME Bank United Kingdom Award.


Khan Bank: Best SME Bank Mongolia 2016

Blanketing Mongolia with a network of branch offices, Khan Bank provides the country’s buoyant private sector with premium financial services. In many of Mongolia’s provinces, Khan Bank is the only option for farmers and small business owners looking to obtain financing or other financial services.

Formerly the state-owned Agricultural Bank of Mongolia, Khan Bank was formed in 2000 with help from the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the US Agency for International Development (USAID). The bank was privatised three years later and has been profitable ever since. Khan Bank remains the largest bank in Mongolia, reaching 80% of the country’s population via a network of over 500 branch offices and employing about 4,000 professionals.

Both the government in Ulaanbaatar and multilateral organisations present in Mongolia consider Khan Bank fundamental to the development of the local economy. Not only is Khan Bank the largest Mongolian bank by assets, loan portfolio, deposits, and earnings; it is also one of the country’s largest taxpayers. Over the past decade, Khan Bank has expanded its geographical footprint significantly in a drive to reach the entire population of the vast and sparsely populated country.

The CFI.co judging panel researched Khan Bank last year and presented it with the Best SME Bank Award. Over the past twelve months, the bank has stayed the course and remained true to its commitment to serve the nation. Thus, Khan Bank again receives the Best SME Bank Mongolia Award.


Macro Software Systems: Best Business IT Services Partner GCC 2016

No business can do without technology: it is used to increase efficiencies, reduce operating costs, and – most importantly – interact with clients. Yet not all businesses are leveraging the full power of IT. This is where Macro Software Systems of Oman can help. The company’s mission is a simple one: to provide world class IT services to its customers.

However, that is often easier said than done. Macrosoft, for short, recognises that technology evolves continuously. The firm allows its clients to stay ahead of the curve by showing how technological progress can add to the bottom line.

Macrosoft, with offices in Oman, Abu Dhabi, and Tanzania, takes a customer-centric approach which allows businesses to receive tailor-made plans that eliminates the guesswork. Great effort is expended at charting the impact IT systems have on day-to-day practices and how investments may be recouped via enhanced performance, a more effective use of existing resources, or increased sales.

Macrosoft partners with leading IT companies such as Oracle, IBM, and F5 to offers clients access to both up-to-date knowledge and the latest technologies. The company also works with innovators such as Kaspersky and NetForensics to bring its clients leading edge software.
The CFI.co judging panel commends Macrosoft on its business-friendly approach to IT. The firm is peerless when it comes to finding practical and profitable IT solutions. As such, Macro Software Systems is a clear winner of the 2016 Best Business IT Services Partner GCC Award.


FxPro group: Best FX Execution Global 2016

Known for its professionalism and fair trading practices, FxPro Group has been leading the forex trading industry for over ten years, building its success on the premise that a sensible and straightforward corporate approach ensures return business and thus increases sustainability.

Contrary to most, FxPro does not promise the moon. The brokerage merely suggests that traders may be able to profit from monitoring economic events and market dynamics. By connecting the dots, trades and opportunities can, quite conceivably, arise. It is this cautious, yet sensible, approach that elevates FxPro a few notches above its peers.

The firm offers its traders all the tools and conveniences that produce impressive flows of data from which informed decisions can be reached. That said, FxPro is reluctant and has indeed refused to pepper its online trading platform with bells and whistles. Binary options and spread betting facilities are absent since these and other exotic instruments usually only add risk while their upside is limited. Casino-like bonuses are also lacking. FxPro wishes traders to focus on the business at hand. This calls for a minimum of distractions.

In fact, the novel business model implemented by FxPro Group aims to cement a mutually beneficial relationship between client and broker – based on trust and transparency. The CFI.co judging panel finds much to praise in the understated way FxPro conducts its business. The judges are pleased to offer FxPro Group the 2016 Best FX Execution Global Award.


Gilbert + Tobin: Best M&A Team Australia 2016

In its relatively short lifespan of 28 years the law firm Gilbert + Tobin has climbed to the top in Australia, largely due to the company ethos of deal-making.

In having secured some of the largest mergers and acquisitions in Australia within the past few years, Gilbert + Tobin has proven its formula of success.

Whilst law firms scramble to keep up with Australia’s ever-changing legislation, many find it difficult to comply with corporate regulators. However, thanks to Gilbert + Tobin’s external and internal focus on teamwork, the firm is able to maintain an excellent relationship with all stakeholders, allowing it to stay a few steps ahead.

Through the company’s unique recruitment efforts, Gilbert + Tobin successfully obtained the talent it needed to become a major player so early on. Mr Gilbert himself is largely responsible for a large portion of the firm’s high profile dealmakers, such as the head of Mergers & Acquisitions, Neil Pathak.

With only 45 people, the firm’s M&A team has almost half the number of people its closest competitors maintain on staff. However, time and time again, the team has proven it is the quality of team members, not their numbers, which makes all the difference.

Gilbert + Tobin has demonstrated how creating the right team, direction and focus can catapult a firm to success within a short time-period. The CFI.co judging panel is delighted to offer Gilbert + Tobin the 2016 Best M&A Team Australia Award.


Unity: Best Sustainable Insurance Solutions Team Central America 2016

An insurance broker with a difference, Unity consistently pursues perfection in matching clients to policies. While the firm and its customers benefit from the standardised procedures implemented and fine-tuned since 1958, Unity offers a comprehensive suite of easily scalable and adaptable products that serve the needs of both private and corporate clients.

As an administrator of risk, Unity has gained a formidable reputation for applying the industry’s global best practices to the local environment. Its reservoir of region-specific expertise accumulated over decades enables Unity to consistently outperform its competition and serve clients with superior products at unmatched price points.

With offices in Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala and shortly in Honduras, Unity has an unmatched presence in the region. The firm ascribes its sustained corporate growth in large part to a relentless pursuit of administrative excellence. Unity was an early adopter of corporate governance principles that ensure transparency, efficiency and adherence to a strict code of ethics. All the company’s operations comply with the latest ISO norms.

Unity also maintains a number of outreach programmes and initiatives that aim to promote healthy lifestyles. Professionals and corporations benefit from regularly organised seminars on risk mitigation. The CFI.co judging panel is pleased to note that Unity significantly contributes to national development via corporate social responsibility initiatives. The judges are pleased to offer Unity the 2016 Best Sustainable Insurance Solutions Team Central America Award.


Herbert Smith Freehills: Best Capital Markets Team Australia 2016

Born out of a merger in 2012 between UK Silver Circle member Herbert Smith and Freehills – one of the Big Six law firms in Australia – Herbert Smith Freehills is regarded as one of the most prestigious law firms in the world and is an international leader in corporate litigation.

The Australian division still dominates its home market. Its work in capital markets has been most impressive. The firm has raised more capital and clients via both IPOs and hybrid offerings from 1999–2014 than any other Australian law firm.

Led by Philippa Stone, the only lawyer to have been named the Australian Dealmaker of the Year five times, and Michael Ziegelaar, known for his strong commercial outcomes and personal charisma, the Australian Capital Markets Team is comprised of the country’s highest-rated lawyers.

Well-versed in equity capital markets (ECMs), equity-linked hybrid securities, and debt capital markets (DCMs), the team is responsible for some of the most high-profile deals in recent years.

For instance, the company’s expertise in the structuring of tier 1 and tier 2 regulatory capital securities has led to various contracts with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA). This February, Herbert Smith Freehills announced yet another deal with CBA to advise on the issue of PERLS VIII capital notes and concurrent PERLS III reinvestment offers to raise approximately A$1.25 billion.

The CFI.co judging panel is pleased to award Herbert Smith Freehills with the 2016 Best Capital Markets Team Australia Award.


NBC Bank: Best Retail Bank Tanzania 2016

Leading the push towards excellence in financial services, Tanzania’s National Bank of Commerce has repeatedly raised the bar – and set new benchmarks – by introducing novel products and services, adding to its already comprehensive offerings. As a client-centric business, NBC Bank values customer input and has developed a number of processes to obtain feedback. Data thus obtained allows the bank to fine-tune its suite of products and services to meet market demand and increase customer loyalty.

Consistent customer follow-up provides the key to enhancing quality in the delivery of services. As an added benefit, NBC Bank’s proactive approach to customer relation management fuels the steady growth and broadening of its client base. The bank offers services tailored to meet the requirements of all demographic strata, leveraging its unequalled experience in the local banking industry and its broad geographical footprint.

NBC Bank has put in place a solid and fully scalable technological backbone to support its operations and allow for multi-channel access to its services, ensuring smooth and paperless transactions. The bank recently dealt a fatal blow to scammers and fraudsters with the introduction of the state-of-the-art Visa Secure smart card that features the EMV chip. As a result, unauthorised card usage dropped to nearly zero.

The CFI.co judging panel is pleased to recognise NBC Bank for its dedication to maintaining both corporate peak performance and operational excellence. The judges are delighted to offer NBC Bank the 2016 Best Retail Bank Tanzania Award.


Azizi Bank: Best Social Impact Bank Afghanistan 2016

More than just a full-service bank, Azizi Bank of Afghanistan is in the business of shaping the country’s fast-growing financial services industry. Azizi Bank does so by offering young Afghan professionals the opportunity to hone their skills in a dynamic environment ruled by international best practices.

Azizi Bank strives to meet and exceed the expectations of all stakeholders – clients, staff members, shareholders, regulators, and the wider society. Azizi Bank management is fully aware that modern and cost-effective financial services are of crucial importance to the accelerated development of Afghanistan’s economy. The bank offers a comprehensive suite of products and services to individual clients as well as businesses and government entities.

Azizi Bank supports a growing number of community initiatives as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy. The bank helped built the digital library at Kandan University and maintains various programmes aimed at promoting excellence in education.

Set up in 2006, Azizi Bank today employs over 1,200 people. As an employer, the bank quietly but effectively encourages women to apply for jobs and plot a professional career as a way to promote gender equality and female empowerment. Currently, women make up 12% of Azizi Bank’s workforce.

The CFI.co judging panel appreciates the consistency with which Azizi Bank positively impacts Afghan society. The bank is aware of its civic responsibilities and takes these seriously indeed. As such, Azizi Bank is a worthy winner of the 2016 Best Social Impact Bank Afghanistan Award.


J Sainsbury: Best Corporate Governance United Kingdom 2016

With a market share of almost 17% of the United Kingdom’s supermarket sector, Sainsbury’s is one of Britain’s leading grocery retailers. The supermarket pillar is, however, only one of the four mainstays of J Sainsbury plc. The group also comprises Sainsbury’s Convenience Stores, Sainsbury’s Groceries Online and Sainsbury’s Bank, started in 1997 as a joint venture with Bank of Scotland.

While the descendants of John James – who in 1869 opened the grocery shop on Drury Lane in London that would eventually turn into a veritable retail empire – still maintain a sizeable stake in the business, the company went public in 1973 and now has the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) as its single largest shareholder with a 26% participation in the company.

Like few others in its sector, J Sainsbury has expertly navigated the ups and downs of its home market by rolling out novel retail concepts while keeping the tried-and-true in place. Sainsbury is no newcomer to innovation: the firm was one of the first to embrace then then-revolutionary concept of self-service shopping. In fact, its long-standing “quality foods at fair prices” has remained central to the Sainsbury brand throughout the company’s existence – delivered in different, yet recognisable ways, as consumer tastes and demands changed.

The CFI.co judging panel is happy to present J Sainsbury with the 2016 Best Corporate Governance United Kingdom Award.


BMW: Best Auto Innovation Excellence Global 2016

Time and again, BMW proves itself as one of the front running automotive brands in the world; an association that neither comes easily nor without constant innovation on the brand’s part.

As connected cars become more and more of a focal point within the automotive industry, it seems that every car manufacturer under the sun is now ready to embrace the next step in connectivity. But some brands are always one step ahead of the rest; amidst the haze of competitors vying to offer cutting-edge innovation, BMW has been both a staple and a pioneer of driver assisted technology since 1980.

Today, most onlookers marvel at the luxurious experience of BMW’s 7 series and the technology that supports it: ConnectedDrive, a series of advanced apps and services to suit the consumer. BMW’s Ko-HAF research initiative is also taking the next step towards highly-automated driving. The company’s joint venture with Sixt DriveNow, operating over 4,000 vehicles in six countries, allows users to access its car sharing service through revolutionary BMW and MINI credit cards.

The rate of ground-breaking can only accelerate further under BMW’s Virtual Innovation Agency; an initiative developed in order to promote public solutions and ideas into viable start-ups.

As car manufacturers try to find their way within the new era of the automotive industry, BMW has already mapped out the route, and is racing ahead. For this, the CFI.co judging panel offers BMW the 2016 Best Auto Innovation Excellence Global Award.


Century Insurance (PNG): Best Regional Insurance Company Papua New Guinea 2016

A regional non-life insurance powerhouse, Century Insurance Group (PNG) – with additional locations in Guam and the US Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) – has established a strong foothold in Papua New Guinea where it provides both private and corporate customers with a comprehensive suite of products and services. Expanding its presence in the country since the company’s establishment in 2007, Century Insurance (PNG) has become a fixture in the Papua New Guinea fledging insurance industry.

Thanks to the expertise accumulated in both the CNMI and Guam, Century Insurance (PNG) was able to hit the ground running and claim a top spot amongst domestic insurers. Mindful of its corporate social responsibilities, Century Insurance (PNG) maintains a number of outreach programmes that allow the company to support development initiatives. Seeking both stability and sustained business growth, the company places a premium on professionalism, technical expertise and excellence in customer service.

Recognising that a properly functioning insurance industry is essential to underwriting economic development, Century Insurance offers a number of products tailored to the needs of businesses of any size – from property insurance to the coverage of cargoes ferried between the islands of Melanesia and Micronesia. Private customers may obtain home and vehicle insurance in addition to policies that provide protection against many of life’s eventualities.

The CFI.co judging panel recognises the value of proper insurance services and is pleased to offer Century Insurance (PNG) the 2016 Best Regional Insurance Company Papua New Guinea Award.


Astad: Best Infrastructure Project Management Team GCC 2016

Moving plans from the drawing board into the physical world, Astad Project Management of Qatar, helps shape the future of the country. The company has managed some of Qatar’s most signatory projects and was chosen as a partner in the Lusail light rail project that comprises a network of four lines with 32 stops and a total length of 38.5km.

Since 2002, Astad Project Management – formerly Qatar Petroleum’s Onshore Engineering Department – has helped guide the construction of countless high profile buildings and facilities that underpin the country’s economy and society. In 2008, and with the help of the Qatar Foundation, the department was split off from Qatar Petroleum to form Astad Project Management as a joint venture.

The Qatar Foundation was set up in 1995 as a public-private initiative to fast-track the country’s human development by providing support to, and initiating, education and science programmes.

Astad Project Management is currently engaged with the building of the facilities that will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup Tournament. The firm is managing the construction of the QF Stadium which will co-host the matches. The stadium is slated for completion a full two years ahead of the tournament in 2020.

The CFI.co judges agree that quality project management is essential in a fast-moving society that aims high. Astad Project Management deserves recognition for its valuable contribution to progress in Qatar. The company is declared winner of the 2016 Best Infrastructure Project Management Team GCC Award.


Credicorp Capital: Best MILA Capital Markets Team 2016

One of the top firms in equity research, Credicorp Capital tracks the performance of regional corporates to find exceptional value for its clients. The company maintains specialised teams that monitor and investigate equities, fixed income instruments and macroeconomic developments throughout the buoyant region.

Credicorp Capital offers a comprehensive array of services available to both issuers and investors. The firm takes the long view and strives to build lasting relationships with its clients as trusted advisors who can be counted upon to offer innovative and tailor-made solutions to any given challenge. Credicorp has offices in Lima, Santiago de Chile, and Bogotá. The firm is a major player in the Mercado Integrado Latinoamericano (MILA) which integrates the capital markets of Mexico, Peru, Colombia and Chile.

MILA offers both investors and issuers a single point of entry via any of its associated bourses to securities traded throughout the region. The participating exchanges offer brokers a unified trading platform that unlocks the entire region.

Client-focused, professional and proactive, Credicorp Capital is dedicated to excellence in the delivery of both service and research. Its analytical reports have become mandatory reading for professionals looking beyond the headlines to find out how markets are moving.
Last year, the CFI.co judging panel recognised Credicorp Capital as a MILA trendsetter and top broker. The judges again wish to congratulate Credicorp Capital for its peerless performance by naming the firm winner of the 2016 Best MILA Capital Markets Team Award.


Edelweiss Financial: Best Corporate Governance India 2016

As one of India’s leading financial services providers, Edelweiss Financial boasts a client base that is as large as it is diverse. The company, founded in 1995, has registered strong growth and now serves well over six million clients. Though Edelweiss Financial commenced trading as a merchant banker, the company in short order expanded into portfolio management, underwriting, brokering and insurance advisory in addition to wealth management and investment banking – in the process becoming a sizeable conglomerate employing close to six thousand professionals.

With its days as a boutique investment bank long gone, Edelweiss Financial now is one of the major players on India’s financial market. Powering its growth with the latest in technology and via a relentless quest for excellence, Edelweiss Financial has established a reputation for the depth of its research and the prudence with which it embarks on new ventures. The company maintains a vast domestic network comprised of 240 branches in 128 cities and eight overseas offices. The company also works with over 4,700 sub-brokers and agents, thus ensuring close proximity to its clients.

The CFI.co judging panel took note of Edelweiss’ Financials unrelenting dedication to maintain the highest standards of corporate governance, including the sophisticated structures and processes needed to ensure both transparency and full compliance. This adherence to best practices lays at the heart of the company’s enduring success and ensures its future growth. Edelweiss Financial is declared winner of the 2016 Best Corporate Governance India Award.


Telekom Networks Malawi: Best Mobile Operator South-Eastern Africa 2016

An Internet service that just works. All the time. Sounds simple enough, but in many parts of Africa even sending an email can be a frustrating exercise. Not so in Malawi. Here, mobile phone operator TNM – Telekom Networks Malawi – rolled out its state-of-the-art 4G LTE network that ensures fast and reliable connections in Lilongwe and the surrounding area. Since its introduction, TNM’s fast-growing 4G LTE network has expanded to include Malawi’s four main urban areas, including Blantyre, Mzuzu and Zomba. The company is now well on track to offer nationwide coverage by year’s end.

The new platform offers users not only access to services previously unavailable – such as video conferencing and streaming – but also offers significant cost savings. TNM has spared no effort at streamlining its interaction with customers, simplifying procedures and eliminating bureaucracy in a successful attempt to better engage with customers and improve overall user experience.

Living up to its corporate slogan Always with You, TNM was established in 1995 as a joint venture between government-owned Malawi Telecommunications and Telekom Malaysia which sold its 60% stake in 2007. TNM is now a wholly Malawi-owned company, listed on the country’s stock exchange.

The premier provider of mobile telecom services in Malawi, TNM is an important driver of the country’s sustained development. The CFI.co judging panel congratulates TNM on the great strides the company has made. The judges are pleased to offer TNM the 2016 Best Mobile Operator South-Eastern Africa Award.


KPS Consulting: Best Rapid Innovation & Transformation Management Germany 2016

Whenever the experts of KPS Consulting are called in, business is about to be shaken up and take off. One of Germany’s premier management consultancies, KPS Consulting maintains a global roster of over 600 highly experienced professionals who have what it takes to optimise performance and transform any kind of corporation.

KPS Consulting has developed a proprietary approach – the KPS Rapid Transformation Method– that reduces complexity in order to attain corporate goals faster. This approach streamlines processes and significantly reduces project lead-times. The firm’s experts – or transformation architects – are carefully selected to bring deep sector knowledge to any undertaking and boast experience in faultless project execution.

Founded in 2000, KPS Consulting takes on projects and challenges in the retail, consumer, services and manufacturing and processing sectors. The firm offers top-level consulting that spans the entire business spectrum from strategy development to process design, systems technology and beyond. KPS Consulting has gained an enviable reputation for designing fully integrated end-to-end processes that span the entire value chain.

The CFI.co judging panel recognises the inestimable value outside management expertise can bring to any business wishing to break out of its niche, add an extra layer of dynamics to its operations, or – simply – reinvent itself to thrive in new or changed markets. Few firms are better suited to help realise these ambitions than KPS Consulting. The judges are pleased to offer KPS Consulting the 2016 Best Rapid Innovation & Transformation Management Germany Award.


Grupo BAC Credomatic: Best International Commercial Bank Central America 2016

A regional financial services powerhouse, Grupo BAC Credomatic maintains a network that blankets the Central American isthmus. The bank traces its origins to the Banco de América Central (BAC) of Managua, Nicaragua, founded in 1952. Venturing into neighbouring markets via acquisitions and organic growth, Grupo BAC Credomatic – now headquartered in Costa Rica – has expanded both its geographic footprint and range of services. The bank also maintains branches in The Bahamas and Cayman Islands and operates a credit card business in Mexico.

As an early adopter of corporate social responsibility (CSR) principles, Grupo BAC Credomatic aims to contribute in meaningful and tangible ways to the region’s development. Customer-centric and proactive in its outreach to people and businesses, the bank has established a solid reputation for transparency and excellence in corporate governance. This earned Grupo BAC Credomatic the trust of the wider market which, in turn, has resulted in impressive client retention rates.

The bank offers a full suite of financial services, available to businesses and private customers alike, and is quick to adjust products, processes, and operations in order to promptly meet market demands. With an up-to-date and fully scalable IT platform, Grupo BAC Credomatic is able to maintain peak performance in the highly dynamic markets of Central America.

Pioneering the delivery of its services over multiple channels has allowed the bank to claim significant market share across differing demographic strata. Such a broad base has repeatedly proved invaluable, adding not just stability but empowering corporate growth and profitability. The CFI.co judging panel is happy to note that Grupo BAC Credomatic pursues – and achieves – excellence throughout its organisation and does so while adhering to the highest standards of transparency and ethics. The judges are happy to grant Grupo BAC Credomatic the 2016 Best International Commercial Bank Central America Award.


International Capital Management AG (ICM): Best Interdisciplinary Investment Process Central Europe 2016

Reducing chance to the bare minimum and providing constant vigilance to ensure optimum performance, Liechtenstein-based International Capital Management (ICM) consistently succeeds in serving investors with best-in-class products, fine-tuned to fit a wide spectrum of risk-tolerance profiles.

The firm has been an early – and successful – adopter of the risk mitigation strategies first developed and proposed by Professor Harry Markowitz, winner of the 1990 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, in a ground-breaking paper on modern portfolio management. ICM has taken the Markowitz approach one step further, adding both traditional and bespoke diversification elements to enhance an already formidable risk protection framework.

ICM has established a solid reputation as an asset manager by applying its mastery of financial theory to everyday situations, proving time and again that academic research into the behaviour of markets can be made to pay off. ICM is extremely particular in its selection of products or asset classes considered for investment. As an independent firm, ICM is not held back by vested interests other than its iron-clad mandate to safeguard the long-term well-being of its clients.

After carefully considering both ICM’s offerings and its unique approach to portfolio management, the CFI.co judging panel concludes that the multi-pronged methodology put in place by International Capital Management to detect long-term trends and benefit from momentary swings indeed constitutes a recipe for enduring success. ICM is a worthy winner of the 2016 Best Interdisciplinary Investment Process Central Europe Award.


Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer: Outstanding Contribution to Local Employment GCC 2016

[caption id="attachment_5375" align="aligncenter" width="385"] Managing-Director and CEO: Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer[/caption]

Managing-Director and CEO Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer of the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) – globally recognised as one of the best-run utility companies – is the driving force behind a number of innovative programmes aimed at expanding local expertise and contributing to the Emirate’s policy of affording UAE nationals every opportunity to partake in, and benefit from, growing economic prosperity.

Mr Al Tayer launched a comprehensive policy that seeks to offer both job candidates and staff members ample facilities to further the development of their careers. Thus, DEWA helps form a highly qualified domestic workforce able to maintain and improve the already high performance of the utility. Mr Al Tayer also encourages Emiratis of both genders to submit open job applications. The company provides scholarships and grants at a number of prestigious universities and academies.

Mr Al Tayer is transparent in his quest to reduce the number of foreign specialists in DEWA employ and replace them with equally capable UAE nationals. This process, the CEO admits, is evolutionary in nature, as the utility jealously guards its hard-earned reputation for corporate and operational excellence.

The CFI.co judging panel has seldom encountered a company so committed to creating an enabling work environment. The judges applaud Mr Al Tayer’s role in transforming DEWA into a world class employer. The judging panel wishes to recognise Mr Al Tayer for his accomplishments and declares the DEWA CEO winner of the 2016 Outstanding Contribution to Local Employment UAE.


Eurobank Cyprus: Best International Private Bank 2016

Seeking to establish long-term relationships with its clients, Eurobank Cyprus is a long-term partner to high-net-worth individuals, family offices, corporations and others in need of protecting and growing their wealth. Eurobank Cyprus’ Private Banking Division boasts an in-house team of seasoned professionals who consistently manage to successfully navigate the markets in both times of heightened volatility or extended calm.

The bank maintains an array of facilities to enable its analysts and traders to hone their skills, broaden their horizons and – thus – keep their and the bank’s, leading edge. Eurobank Cyprus has pioneered the Total Wealth Management approach – an integrated solution that ensures optimum results via a personalised subset of products and services designed to dovetail with client needs and requirements.

Plugged into world markets via a close-knit network of correspondent banks and with a large footprint in both Cyprus and Greece, Eurobank Cyprus has a truly global reach. Thanks to short lines of communication and its integrated operational structure, the bank has the nimbleness to quickly respond to changing market dynamics.

To best serve its select clientele, Eurobank Cyprus offers a number of specialised services to help with the acquisition of arts, yachts, real estate and other luxury purchases.

The CFI.co judging panel took note of Eurobank Cyprus’ holistic approach to private banking. Its customised flexible offerings ensure excellence in the delivery of services and safeguard their quality. The judges are pleased to offer Eurobank Cyprus the 2016 Best International Private Bank Award.


Esval: Best ESG-Responsible Executive Team Chile 2016

The first water utility in Chile open to private investors, Esval has since 1999 invested heavily and consistently in the upgrading of its distribution network in the port city of Valparaíso and the surrounding region – the most densely populated in the country after metropolitan Santiago de Chile.

Almost $380m has been destined for the modernisation and expansion of the water grid and the construction of water treatment plants that have helped clean up the area’s popular beaches and vastly improve water quality. Recently, Esval finished the water treatment works in San Antonio, ensuring the decontamination of all the city’s effluents.

The company has replicated its approach elsewhere in Chile. In 2003, Esval acquired Aguas del Valle, now a wholly-owned subsidiary, in the Coquimbo Region to the north of Valparaíso where it expects a brand new water treatment facility to start operations shortly.

With over two million clients in its home region, Esval has gained a solid reputation for service excellence and network maintenance. The company’s over 1,600 professionals ensure the delivery of potable water to the inhabitants of five provinces straddling a topographically challenging area that includes mountain ranges and arid flatlands. Esval has been a pioneer in promoting environmentally sound business practices, stakeholder participation and transparent corporate governance.

The CFI.co judging panel commends Esval on its adherence to the highest engineering and customer service standards. The judges are pleased to declare Esval winner of the 2016 Best ESG-Responsible Executive Team Chile Award.


DEWA: Best In-House Corporate Finance Team GCC 2016

Considered one the best-run utility companies in the world, the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) serves more than 760,000 households and businesses in the Emirate and consistently obtains a customer satisfaction rate of over 94%.

DEWA’s efforts in energy efficiency have contributed to achieving several milestones globally, surpassing major European and American companies in different areas. For example, losses in power transmission and distribution networks were reduced to 3.3%, compared to 6-7% in Europe and the USA. Water network losses decreased to 8.2%, compared to 15% in North America.

DEWA’s results are among the best internationally for customer minutes lost per year. DEWA’s figures reached 3.87 minutes, compared to 15 minutes recorded by leading utilities in the European Union. The UAE, represented by DEWA, has been ranked first in the Middle East and North Africa and fourth globally for the third consecutive year for getting electricity as per the World Bank’s Doing Business 2016 report.

With an eye to meeting the future energy demand, the utility has embarked on a AED2.6bn (£530m/€640m) expansion drive to boost water, electricity and renewable energy projects, according to the highest international standards to contribute to organising the best edition of Dubai Expo 2020.

Energy investment will be AED65bn over the next five years, in an effort to meet the emirate's increasing demand for water and electricity as well as to promote the growth of green economy, set new international standards and create a competitive edge for the UAE in clean energy technology and energy efficiency.

DEWA targets to produce a 5,000 MW through the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park and recently signed a deal to build a 2,400 MW clean coal power plant. The company’s in-house finance team has gained a stellar reputation for securing the best possible deals by leveraging the utility’s sound finances, international rating, and excellence in corporate governance.

The CFI.co judging panel has no doubts whatsoever that the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority merits the 2016 Best In-House Corporate Finance Team GCC.


The Access Bank UK: Best Africa Trade Finance Bank 2016

No two trade deals are equal: exchange rates change, transport modes differ and transit times may vary. Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all solution, trade financiers must know their customers and be willing to adjust to changing circumstance.

The Access Bank UK, headquartered in London, is the wholly owned subsidiary of its parent in Nigeria who also have a presence in eight Sub-Saharan countries, and takes pride in understanding its clients’ business. The bank – large enough to service any deal, yet small enough to remain nimble – does not offer ready-made solutions. Instead, The Access Bank UK dovetails its products to fit customer needs.

The bank invests significant effort in attracting, and retaining and training, professional staff who, as a rule, forge close relationships with clients in order to ensure customers always deal with an expert who knows is familiar with his/her business.

The Access Bank UK is known for its in-house development of expertise. Employees are encouraged to pursue a career of lifelong learning and may expect to move up the professional ladder. Moreover, The Access Bank UK aims for full service: no shortcuts are taken. Instead, the processing of documents is sped up so that most deals are cemented in under three days.

The CFI.co judging panel noted that the Central Bank of Nigeria has entrusted The Access Bank UK with looking after its reserves. The bank also works closely with the World Bank on infrastructure projects. The judges have no hesitation in granting The Access Bank UK the 2016 Best Africa Trade Finance Bank Award.


Misys: Best Financial Institutions Treasury Management Solutions Global 2016

As the gradient of financial regulation steepens with time in order to keep up with the changing economic environment, there is an unsung hero of fin-tech: Misys.

With a customer base of over 600 banks, Misys digitally facilitates the simplification of complex issues faced by today’s financial services industry. The company prides itself on its cloud-enabled solutions; optimising liquidity, reducing risk, and managing operational processing.

The Misys bank treasury solution – Misys FusionCapital Treasury – is exceptionally promising, and leads the way in fin-tech; traditionally, financial systems have been more or less static – while markets may rise and fall, the regulatory principles have rarely budged. Amongst globalised capitalism, however, financial regulations are not only forced upon each other, but drive each other’s development, bringing endless challenges to the global financial system – and an increased need for system flexibility and cost reduction.

An astounding 86% of bank treasurers believe that their role has been significantly increased over the past five years. This is mostly due to out-dated systems which are unable to keep up with the globalised landscape. The Misys solution allows consistent regulatory compliance – reducing financial risk – and facilitating pre-deal checks and an all-round understanding of current and future funding requirements.

There are few companies which display both an expertise in the understanding of the improvements needed within the financial industry and their technical application. The CFI.co judging panel declares Misys winner of the 2016 Best Financial Institutions Treasury Management Solutions Global Award.


Pioneer Wealth Management: Best Wealth Management Team Israel 2016

Taking a holistic approach to financial planning, Pioneer Wealth Management of Israel derives pride – and success – from its independence. Free from conflict of interests and vested interests, the firm is able to provide clients with a wealth of choices for the preservation and expansion of their financial assets.

Pioneer Wealth Management has been in business since 1986 and manages to prosper regardless of overall market sentiment. The company is known for keeping a tight focus on serving its clients’ best interests and regularly presents investors with unique value propositions that bespeak of an out-of-the-box mentality which, however, remains firmly rooted in common sense.

Pioneer Wealth Management features a full palette of services tailored to meet the needs of private individuals, family offices, and institutional and corporate investors. Determined to leverage the power of boutique investment services, the company’s officers are recognised for paying full attention to all minutiae and offering premier services to a much broader range of investors than is usual for bespoke investment services providers.

By successfully applying economies of scale, Pioneer Wealth Management ensures that its offerings reach clients who, while possessing significant assets, would otherwise be confined to pre-packaged, standardised investment products such as mutual funds. Without any “in house” products to sell, the company is able to offer independent advice and counsel not always available elsewhere. The CFI.co judging panel is pleased to confer its 2016 Best Wealth Management Services Israel Award on Pioneer Wealth Management.


Atrevida Partners: Best Multi-Strategy Offshore Fund US 2016

Based in New York, Atrevida Partners is an asset management firm focusing on alternative investment strategies directed away from traditional asset classes.

Serving high-net-worth-individuals and clients ranging from family offices to endowments, the company’s size allows it to take a more opportunistic stance by investing in lesser-known territories and niche-orientated funds. Thanks to the firm’s highly skilled risk management experts, these funds provide clients with better returns than traditional investment strategies, such as broad equity or fixed-income indices.

Atrevida’s Multi-Strategy Offshore Fund is a wonderful example of the company’s adeptness in this field. With over $116m in assets under management in this strategy, the fund enjoyed a 44.1% return on investment since its inception in 2007. The fund has consistently outperformed its risk-adjusted benchmarks, using the skills of its management team, a range of investment tools, and a series of successful strategies.

Not only does this fund of funds (FOF) invest in hedge funds, but also in a broad variety of financial instruments in order to profit from new opportunities, hedge risks, and maintain a varied portfolio; maximising profitability at every corner. This approach allows the firm to react quickly to global markets in order to flexibly rebalance its portfolio much faster than traditional FOFs.

Few hedge fund managers can successfully balance such a broad array of strategies and territories in order to consistently achieve such impressive risk-adjusted returns. The CFI.co judging panel declares Atrevida Partners winner of the 2016 Best Multi-Strategy Offshore Fund US Award.


Bankaool: Best SME Bank Mexico 2016

Whilst economists agree that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are formidable engines of growth and job creation, financial services providers seldom cater to the needs of this business segment. In Mexico, Bankaool aims to change that by offering entrepreneurs an array of products and services designed to allow smaller businesses to grasp opportunities and accelerate growth.

Bankaool recognises that even profitable SMEs often cannot meet the stringent requirements imposed by traditional banks. In order to remove hurdles and facilitate access to credit, Bankaool has cut red tape and streamlined procedures. Most credit applications can now be submitted online with processing times reduced to minutes, instead of days or weeks. Thanks to Bankaool, Mexican entrepreneurs – from sole traders to sizeable businesses – can now easily obtain the credit needed to boost growth.

Bankaool is consistently found at the forefront of the drive to innovate Mexico’s financial services industry. The bank last year launched its digital and mobile platform to offer deposit accounts and term-deposits with an end-to-end digital customer experience. The move aims to deepen the bank’s market penetration – and broaden its footprint – by reaching Mexicans, both private individuals and small business owners, who are yet to be served by regulated banks.

By promoting financial inclusion and focusing on the huge and largely untapped potential of small businesses, Bankaool has carved out a promising niche that already now delivers sustainable growth. The CFI.co judging panel is delighted to hand Bankaool the 2016 Best SME Bank Mexico Award.


ENGIE Energía Perú: Best ESG Power Producer Peru 2016

[caption id="attachment_3311" align="aligncenter" width="800"] CEO and Country Manager, Michael Gantois (left) and Eduardo Milligan, CFO (right)[/caption]

ENGIE in Peru is one of the largest power generators of the country with 1,952 MW of installed capacity and 753 MW in construction. The company, part of the ENGIE Group (formerly GDF SUEZ), is actively engaged in the energy transition, taking the lead in the global move towards more sustainable forms of energy production.

Present in Peru since 1997, ENGIE has invested well over $2.3bn (1997-2018) through its ENGIE Energía Peru subsidiary in which it owns a 61.77% stake. Backed up by one of the world’s largest power generators, ENGIE Energía Perú adheres to a comprehensive set of corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies and maintains a corporate framework that incorporates the latest environmental, social, and governance (ESG) parameters. In fact, ENGIE Energía Perú has consistently been listed in the Top 20 best-run corporations in Peru.

Staff members receive extensive training on how to reduce the environmental impact of corporate operations and processes. ENGIE Energía Perú also maintains a number of programmes and initiatives aimed at increasing transparency and ensuring all stakeholders’ interests are taken into full consideration. Particular attention is directed at job satisfaction and the personal development of workers.

The CFI.co judging panel took note of the fact that ENGIE Energía Perú embraces the latest in ESG trends and findings. Thus, the company has put itself on a footing that ensures the sustainability of its operations. ENGIE Energía Perú is declared winner of the 2016 Best ESG Power Producer Peru Award.


Petroleum Development Oman:  Outstanding Contribution to Management Excellence in the Middle East 2016

A regional pioneer in enhanced oil recovery techniques, Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) has built-up a vast reservoir of expertise in the cost-efficient exploitation of hydrocarbon reserves. The company has established an impressive track record reinvigorating older wells via the application of gas, chemicals - or the injection of steam. Leveraging state-of-the-art technologies and knowledge, PDO this year expects to continue to ramp up production and is confident that it will meet its new 600,000 barrels per day long-term oil production target set for 2019 well ahead of schedule.

Notwithstanding the slump in oil prices, the company – 60% state-owned – managed to exceed its targets in 2015. For example, it set a new combined oil, gas and condensate production record of 1.29 million barrels of oil equivalent per day. Although global oil prices have recovered to some extent from the 10-year lows set at the start of 2016, the operating environment remains extremely challenging for oil companies. PDO fully recognises the need to drive down costs without compromising safety and strives for continuous business improvements through its established Lean programme.

PDO is also actively engaged in creating sustainable employment opportunities for Omanis ranging from vocational jobs for school leavers through to roles for those holding post-graduate qualifications. It underwrites a number of initiatives that aim to tap into the talent pool already available in the Sultanate.

The CFI.co judging panel is pleased to announce Petroleum Development of Oman as the winner of the 2016 Outstanding Contribution to Management Excellence in the Middle East Award.