MONETA Money Bank: Best Bank IPO Europe 2016

A network of 229 branch offices and no less than 620 ATMs ensure that MONETA Money Bank is never far away from its around 1.2 million clients in the Czech Republic. One of the country’s largest financial services providers, the bank debuted on the Prague Stock Exchange in May when its parent company GE Capital took it public and sold 51% of its shares for around $1.5bn.

Opting to price the IPO on the lower end of the expected range ensured that the launch was carried out smoothly. Investors are confident that MONETA Money Bank – formerly trading as GE Money Bank – represents excellent value. The Czech economy, barrelling ahead at a 4.3% annual clip, and the country’s solid financials, ensure sustained profitability.

MONETA Money Bank will retain the policy of paying out 70% of profits in dividend. At the current level of both profit and share price, that pushes the annual yield to almost 9%, significantly above the results of MONETA Money Bank’s main competitors.
Last year, the bank’s profits increase by 4.6% for a return on tangible equity of almost 17%. With such numbers, the time was right for GE Capital to take its Czech bank public.

The CFI.co judging panel agrees that MONETA Money Bank is an exceptionally well-run bank and one of systemic importance to the Czech economy. Its successful entry onto the market merits recognition. MONETA Money Bank is thus granted the 2016 Best Bank IPO Europe Award.


Delta Electronics: Best ESG Executive Team EMEA 2016

For the fifth consecutive year, Delta Electronics has been included in the ESG benchmark Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) in recognition of the company’s adherence to the strictest corporate governance and citizenship standards. For three years in a row, Delta Electronics has also been part of DJSI Emerging Markets.

From 2010 to 2015, Delta’s products and solutions helped customers save approximately 17.3 billion kWh in electricity and reduce carbon emissions by 9.2 million tonnes. At its plants, the company has implemented numerous energy-saving policies and processes that have cut electricity usage in half over the past seven years.

Delta Electronics has managed to transform its business model in such a way that ESG (environmental, social and governance) criteria now sit at the very centre of corporate operations. The company maintains a comprehensive set of regularly updated codes of conduct and a number of processes that ensure compliance at all levels. Particular attention is afforded to labour and human rights practices and corporate citizenship and philanthropy.

Ground-breaking in its multifaceted approach to ESG and sustainability, Delta actively echoes United Nations initiatives and programmes aimed at fighting climate change. The CFI.co judging panel recognises Delta Electronics’ pioneering role in readying the global electronic equipment, instrument and component industry for the new times. The judges are pleased to offer Delta Electronics the 2016 Best ESG Executive Team EMEA Award.


Integrated Leadership Group: Best Value-Added Management Consultancy Team Jordan 2016

[caption id="attachment_3412" align="alignright" width="152"] Suhaib Al-Khawaldah[/caption]

A key to success and a catalyst for change: Integrated Leadership Group (ILG) knows what it takes to up the business ante and deliver results. The company, headquartered in Jordan, provides bespoke solutions to corporations and non-profits aiming high. ILG holding boasts a range of specialised services that increase business efficiency, such as management, financial, accounting, auditing, and marketing consultancies. ILG also offers feasibility studies, staff development planning, and educational services. The company’s geographic footprint includes Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.

ILG Holding operates according to a business philosophy that sees the company take a stake in corporates that are ready for a paradigm shift in order to attain market leadership. With a view to maximising the creation of lasting value, ILG Holding focuses on holistic business solutions, educational development, and the empowerment of young people.

Deploying a unique approach that breaks down business challenges into their component parts in order to address each issue thoroughly, Integrated Leadership Group has established a peerless reputation for operational excellence. The company is fast becoming the go-to window for businesses that, whilst already successful, wish to cash into their potential and break through any glass ceilings to claim a spot at the very top.

The CFI.co judging panel applauds the can-do spirit that drives the ILG team. The judges note that the company is actively involved in promoting entrepreneurship and empowering the next generation of business owners. Integrated Leadership Group is hereby named winner of the 2016 Best Value-Added Management Consultancy Team Jordan.


La Poste: Best Customer Services Team France 2016

 Long gone are the days that postal services merely delivered letters and the odd parcel. In today’s fast-paced and highly-competitive environment, mail is all about speed, convenience and service. Few postal companies have embraced this brave new world better than La Poste – the French mail service operating not just in metropolitan France but also in the country’s five overseas departments and other far-flung possessions.

A much-cherished national institution, La Poste maintains a vast network of over 17,000 service points throughout the republic. Not satisfied merely moving along with and adapting to changing times, La Poste has become a driver of innovation, if not a disruptor pushing the envelope beyond the boundaries of convention. Sensitive to market demand and mindful of its competition, La Poste has revolutionised its interaction with the public and maximised customer satisfaction.

The approach has paid off handsomely with market research showing that at the end of last year well over 95% of clients expressed satisfaction with the services received. With streamlined processes, modernised branches and an emphasis on speed and efficiency, the French postal service has become a model for others to follow and the gold standard against which others are measured.

Though no longer a monopoly holder, La Poste has offered ample proof that it can successfully operate in a liberated market and, indeed, lead that market. The CFI.co judging panel is very pleased to grant the 2016 Best Customer Services France Award to La Poste SA.


Banco do Brasil: Best ESG Management Team Brazil 2016

In order to safeguard the interests of all stakeholders, Banco do Brasil maintains an exceptionally comprehensive corporate governance framework that ensures strict adherence to international best practices. The bank is widely recognised as a forerunner in setting up a sustainable business model – incorporating all applicable ESG (environmental, social and governance) criteria. The bank places a premium on transparency, accountability and the careful balancing of the rights of all stakeholders.

In order to ensure full compliance with the bank’s Code of Corporate Governance and Code of Ethics, a vast array of monitoring tools and processes have been designed and deployed that track and analyse all operations. Already since 2012, Banco do Brasil has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI). At home, the bank is listed on the BM&FBOVESPA Novo Mercado – a segment reserved for companies that meet strict governance criteria – and is included in both Corporate Sustainability Index (ISE) and the Carbon Efficient Index (ICO2).

Banco do Brasil was an early adopter of management techniques and styles that emphasise the company’s social and environmental responsibilities. These considerations have been an integral part of the bank’s decision making processes since 2003.

The CFI.co judging panel is particularly pleased to note that Banco do Brasil’s embrace of ESG criteria permeates through the entire organisation and, indeed, sits at the very core of the corporation. The judges are happy to confer the 2016 Best ESG Management Team Brazil Award on Banco do Brasil.


Virgin Management: Most Innovative Global Brand Group United Kingdom

Virgin Management, innovators par excellence, sits at the heart of the Virgin Group and manages the brand and licensing portfolio. The company manages numerous business relationships through licensing and investments and is an active supporter of the not-for-profit work undertaken by the Virgin Unite foundation.

Due to the diverse nature of the Bransons’ interests and the quest for detecting, setting trends, rocking boats and making a positive impact in people’s lives, Virgin Management is committed to developing businesses that disrupt the status quo. They do this in a smart, fun and spirited manner that makes for fulfilled employees, smiling customers and happy shareholders plus community stakeholders.

The Virgin brand has become a global hallmark of quality and, indeed, fun. Some sixty different businesses serve more than sixty million customers, generating in excess of $24 billion in annual revenue. Virgin is also recognised for looking after its 71,500 employees in 35 countries, ensuring the employee experience translates into higher than industry-average engagement levels which in turn positively impacts customer experience as well as other key HR metrics.

Virgin Management not only oversees the Virgin Group; it also liaises with private investors interested in furthering the brand’s goal of pushing the boundary in the travel and leisure, telecoms and media, music and entertainment, health and wellness, and financial services sectors. In tune with Sir Richard Branson’s vision, Virgin Management actively pursues new business ventures that are both sustainable and likely to leave a positive legacy.

The CFI.co judging panel commends the company on its exceptional foresight, boldness and why not? – fearlessness. The Virgin Group is, indeed, in the business of breaking new ground wherever a niche may be found, striving to change business for good. Virgin Management is hereby declared winner of the 2016 Most Innovative Global Brand Group United Kingdom Award.


Nestlé: Best Corporate Governance Switzerland 2016

In recent years, Nestlé, the leading Nutrition, Health and Wellness company, has leveraged its considerable influence within the FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) global value chain to become a model of corporate governance.

Nestlé believes that to be successful over the long-term it needs to create value for their shareholders and for society – what is called Creating Shared Value (CSV). On the basis of best in class corporate governance and compliance, Nestlé focuses its efforts in five key areas: nutrition, water, rural development, environmental sustainability and their people. Implementation is carried out and monitored in conjunction with over a hundred non-governmental organisations worldwide.

In Switzerland, Nestlé has strived to improve nutritional education through a number of initiatives, including sports days and health tips for children. A number of the Nestlé’s Swiss factories are also committed to further improve their environmental performance. Its factory in Henniez, in the Swiss canton of Vaud, has just inaugurated the largest agricultural biogas plant in Switzerland, it will use 25,000 tons of agricultural fertilizer from 27 farms in the region every year. The plant will produce 4 million kWh of electricity and 4.5 million kWh of heat by burning this gas in a cogeneration engine.

The CFI.co judging panel commends Nestlé on the implementation of its business strategy and is particularly impressed with the success of its many initiatives in Switzerland and elsewhere. Thus, the judges are pleased to present Nestlé with the 2016 Best Corporate Governance Switzerland Award.


Fitch Ratings: Best Global Rating Service 2016

[caption id="attachment_3432" align="aligncenter" width="757"] Ian Linnell, Global Analytical Head[/caption]

Its operations guided by a robust code of ethics and conduct, Fitch Ratings is well poised to meet increased demand for market analytics and credit data. Founded in 1914, Fitch Ratings has maintained a corporate growth trajectory throughout its history. The smallest of the Big Three credit rating agencies, Fitch Ratings has managed to act as a tie-breaker when its competitors produce like results on any given credit.

Proactively absorbing knowledge on the behaviour of the markets and their many actors and incorporating the resulting data into its proprietary processes and algorithms, has allowed Fitch Ratings to appropriately reflect the capital market environment at any given time and leverage that expertise to further improve the quality of its ratings.

With over 2,000 experienced professionals working across its network of 30 offices around the world, Fitch Ratings offers near-blanket coverage of financial instruments on a global scale. The company also produces a constantly updated stream of financial news, highlighting credit hotspots and giving solid guidance to professionals seeking not only to gauge market sentiment but stay well ahead of the event curve.

Fitch Ratings is but one of many pillars that sustain the Fitch Group. As such it dovetails with Fitch Solutions, Fitch Learning and BMI Research to offer comprehensive coverage of all angles to the financial markets. The CFI.co judging panel wishes to commend Fitch Ratings on the breadth, depth and quality of its product and services suite. The judges hereby extend the 2016 Best Global Rating Service Award to Fitch Ratings.


Arab Financial Services Company: Best Payment Processing Services & Solutions Provider Middle East 2016

Deploying the full power of technology to offer peerless end-to-end payment solutions and ancillary services, Arab Financial Services Company (AFS) has remained for over thirty years the preferred provider of state-of-the-art monetary processing services in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The company is collectively owned by forty financial institutions. Its operations are fully regulated by the Central Bank of Bahrain. Besides payment processing, AFS also offers a palette of value-added products and services that aim to facilitate commerce and increase convenience at both ends of any transaction.

More than just a purveyor of processing power, AFS partners with businesses of all sizes to enhance corporate growth and drive success via cost-effective solutions. The company has built an enviable reputation for delivering on its promises. It does so by continuously updating and upgrading the technological backbone that drives operations. AFS maintains two data centres in Bahrain and the UAE. Both facilities have been designed with built-in redundancies and solid data recovery procedures that ensure uninterrupted availability and unsurpassed data integrity.

The CFI.co judging panel commends Arab Financial Services Company for its relentless pursuit of operational excellence. The judges recognise that the company provides a service that underpins corporate success in a buoyant and highly dynamic region and does so with considerable panache. The judges are pleased to confer their 2016 Best Payment Processing Services & Solutions Provider Middle East Award on Arab Financial Services Company.


Image Nation Abu Dhabi: Outstanding Contribution to Regional Media UAE 2016

[caption id="attachment_3444" align="aligncenter" width="600"] CEO: Michael Garin[/caption]

A hub of visual media, Image Nation Abu Dhabi has managed to create an industry from scratch – almost singlehandedly. The firm offers talented local media producers opportunities to shine on both the big screen and the small one. Amongst others, Image Nation Abu Dhabi maintains Arab Film Studio where aspiring filmmakers find the tools, guidance and expertise to tell their stories.

Arab Film Studio stands squarely at the centre of Abu Dhabi’s increasingly prominent role as a driver – if not powerhouse – of the regional film industry. The studio produces not just box office blockbusters, but also much-lauded documentaries and short movies. Additionally, the studio offers a range of internships to aspiring filmmakers, scriptwriters and documentarists who may hone their skills in a professional yet relaxed environment.

Image Nation Abu Dhabi has now become one of the premier media companies in the Arabic-speaking world. Last year, the company became a Pan-Arabic broadcaster with the launch of its Quest Arabiya channel. The company is not merely in the business of producing premier media content, but squarely aims to develop the regional mediascape by helping form a new generation of producers, writers and other professionals.

The CFI.co judging panel is very pleased to note that Image Nation Abu Dhabi has formulated – and adheres to – a larger mission than just producing hit shows. Indeed, the judges are happy to offer Image Nation Abu Dhabi the 2016 Outstanding Contribution to Regional Media UAE Award.


Avant Garde Innovations: Best ESG Energy Technology Team India 2016

The business model pursued by Avant Garde Innovations clearly aims to promote inclusiveness. More than just a lofty goal, the Indian company seeks to eliminate energy poverty by helping marginalised communities obtain clean renewable energy from local sources.

Firmly committed to environmental sustainability and climate stewardship, Avant Garde Innovations was one of only 25 start-up companies recognised at the 2015 United Nations Climate Summit (COP21) in Paris for their bold 100% clean energy approach. The company is currently finishing the development of a low-cost small wind turbine for residential, commercial, and agricultural use. The turbine is slated for release to market by the end of this year.

Avant Garde Innovations is featured as a poster boy for the UN Foundation’s recently launched $1bn Clean Energy Investment Opportunity Directory. It is the only small wind turbine engineering and manufacturing firm from India included in the directory. The company has branches in both India and Australia and leverages the power of a distributed and decentralised business model to broaden its footprint.

The CFI.co judging panel is excited to note that Avant Garde Innovations has chosen to provide practical solutions to bring abundant clean and renewable power to people still deprived of the chance to join modernity and improve their lot. By promoting self-reliance, the company also furthers the cause of social and financial inclusion. The judges are pleased to offer Avant Garde Innovation the 2016 Best ESG Energy Technology Team India Award.


Alpari: Best Binary Options Broker Asia 2016

With its benchmark-setting customer service and state-of-the-art trading platform, backed up by a team of seasoned professionals, Alpari has managed to keep well ahead of the pack in the competitive forex brokerage business. The firm has established a track record second to none in the industry and offers traders a comprehensive suite of products and services that contains everything – and more – that both novice and experienced traders need in order to successfully play the markets to their advantage.

The trading turnover of the Alpari companies in 2015 was more than 1 trillion USD. Alpari is one of the world's largest MetaTrader brokers. By the end of 2015, company branches were providing their services to over one million clients from more than 150 countries of the world. It is one of the world’s largest brokerage firms.

The firm is fully licensed by the Financial Services Commission of Mauritius – one of the largest financial centres in the Indian Ocean rim area. Alpari adheres to well-established international best practices in governance with full transparency of its operations. The company has pioneered the trade in binary options – fixed-cost financial instruments that offer pre-set pay outs. For traders making their market debut, Alpari has put in place a simplified trading procedure that mitigates risk without limiting the upside.

The CFI.co judging panel is happy to present Alpari with the 2016 Best Binary Options Broker Asia Award.


Trench & Associates: Most Innovative M&A Legal Advisory Boutique Middle East 2016 & Outstanding Contribution to the Empowerment of Women UAE 2016

With an enviable track record spanning 20 years, Trench & Associates advises on commercial, employment, corporate, and intellectual property law, amongst other, in Dubai and the wider UAE. Trench & Associates is recognised and admired for its often innovative – and successful – approach to legal issues.

In particular, Trench & Associates is known for its merger and acquisitions (M&A) legal team which has accumulated significant expertise in the guidance of both domestic and cross-border share and asset acquisitions and disposals. The firm has worked for targeted companies as well as those doing the buying in the private and public sectors. It has also represented minority shareholders, safeguarding their interests.

Trench & Associates is careful to cultivate an empowering professional environment which allows staff members to grow with the firm and hone their legal skills through advanced training programmes and the taking on of added responsibilities. Trench & Associates has been lauded for its ongoing efforts at encouraging more women to opt for a career in the legal profession.

Careful to only engage lawyers with ample international experience and well versed in multiple languages, Trench & Associates has established a well-earned reputation for superior performance. The CFI.co judging panel praised the firm for its stalwart adherence to excellence in its litigation and arbitration procedures and its level of client care. The judges are pleased to offer Trench & Associates a double award: the 2016 Most Innovative M&A Legal Advisory Boutique Middle East Award and the 2016 Most Outstanding Contribution to the Empowerment of Women UAE Award.


ABC Banking Corporation: Best International Bank Indian Ocean 2016

Now in the sixth year of its operations, ABC Banking Corporation of Mauritius, part of the ABC Group, is registering strong growth buoyed by its recognition as one of Africa’s top performing financial services providers. With the markets around the Indian Ocean Basin particularly solid, ABC Banking Corporation has managed to leverage its expertise to attain accelerated growth rates.

The bank expects to profit from the revised tax treaty with India and is confident that the next few years will see a further expansion of its business. Soon to be listed on the Mauritius Stock Exchange, ABC Banking Corporation has seen a marked increase in its capital, welcoming investors from Hong Kong.

The bank, known for its exceptionally broad palette of products and services, and its excellent rapport with customers has already become a hallmark of quality in the highly competitive financial sector of Mauritius. In tandem with its parent company, ABC Banking Corporation has pioneered corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies, taking the lead with a number of initiatives aimed at serving the interests of all stakeholders.

Adopting best international practices and on the lookout for business opportunities, ABC Banking Corporation has adopted a number of internal processes that ensure transparency and good governance. The CFI.co judging panel is pleased to note that ABC Banking Corporation is committed to maintaining the highest standards. The judges wish to offer the bank, a repeat winner, the 2016 Best International Bank Indian Ocean Award.


Stirixis: Best Business Development Team Greece 2016

Stirixis makes business happen. The company helps entrepreneurs turn ideas into profitable reality. As such, Stirixis creates and manages business concepts in the retail, leisure, and hospitality sectors. Its strength is derived from a thoroughly sensible approach – rooted in fact and experience – to any proposition, laying the groundwork upon which a solid business plan may be erected.

Stirixis clients are guided through a process that moves seamlessly from planning to design, execution, and evolution. Each phase consists of a number of steps that snap into each other to provide a smooth path that whisks concepts from idea to market.

The fluid formula is adaptable and scalable. It has allowed Stirixis to help implement over 500 business projects in twenty countries. The international company of Greek origin, founded two decades ago, also helps businesses find proper homes. For Stirixis, an office is not merely a collection of workspaces but a carefully designed environment that boosts productivity by applying sound ergonomic principles in a social setting that reinforces the team while celebrating the individual.

Stirixis is convinced that any business can be made both prosperous and sustainable by identifying its true core value and providing a nurturing context that enables the constant optimisation. This ultimately ensures business longevity.

The CFI.co judging panel is rapt by Stirixis refreshing approach to empowering entrepreneurs and businesses. The company maintains a leading edge by pushing boundaries. The judges congratulate Stirixis on its win of the 2016 Best Business Development Team Greece Award.

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Peabody Energy: Best ESG-Responsible Mining Company Global 2016

It takes a fair bit of gumption to mine coal in this world enthralled by apocalyptical visions of climate change. Coal may no longer be king, it is still a vital energy resource that helps sustain economic growth and prosperity. Peabody Energy is widely recognised as a pioneer in land restoration and reducing the footprint and impact of its mining operations.

Long before land restoration became mandatory, Peabody Energy was already cleaning up. The 1954 Operation Green Earth, the company’s first land reclamation initiative, set the tone. Peabody Energy, founded in 1883 and with 26 open pit and underground mines in the US and Australia totalling over seven billion tonnes of reserves, essentially wrote the book on environmental stewardship for the coal industry.

Even under today’s trying market conditions, Peabody Energy remains fully committed to the highest ESG (environmental, social, and governance) standards. By improving efficiencies, the company managed to significantly reduce its CO2 emissions even though the energy required to extract a tonne of coal has increased markedly. Water use has also been reduced.

Last year, Peabody Energy restored close to 2,000 hectares of mined land into wildlife habitats, forests, wetlands, and farmland. The company also funds research into high efficiency, low emissions power plants in the US, Australia, and – crucially – China.

The CFI.co judging panel recognises Peabody Energy as a pioneer in the move towards sustainable business practices and grants the company its 2016 Best ESG-Responsible Mining Company Global Award.


Frost Consulting: Best Financial Regulatory Risk Management Advisory United Kingdom 2016

Far from static, the world’s financial markets are in a near-constant state of flux. More often than not, the nature of change is revolutionary rather than evolutionary. Investors and their portfolios are subject to regulatory upheaval – and opportunity – as authorities aim to address the latest threats – real or otherwise – to the wider market.

Frost Consulting, established in 2008, monitors global regulatory trends for upcoming changes and charts their implications, thus allowing clients to adapt by increasing the efficiency of their research spending. The London firm is at the forefront of the move towards the unbundling of commissions which has profound effects on the economics of the institutional equity business.

By splitting commissions into their two component parts – execution (transaction costs) and non-execution (research) – regulatory entities are reshaping the market and breaking the monopoly of big investment banks that were up until now the only ones able to offer asset managers both trade execution and market research.

By allowing asset managers to buy research directly, using their clients’ money, the content universe has expanded significantly. This allows, amongst others, the generation of more alpha from a broader research spectrum with lower costs to asset managers and asset owners.
Frost Consulting enables investors to benefit from these and other regulatory changes, facilitating access to wider research and exploring synergies between asset classes. The CFI.co judging panel recognises the importance of this all-inclusive approach. The judges are pleased to offer Frost Consulting the 2016 Best Financial Regulatory Risk Management Advisory UK Award.


Kommuninvest: Best Green Bond Issuer Europe 2016

Financing the creation of sustainable wealth. Sweden’s Kommuninvest offers ample exposure to one of the world’s most secure investment opportunities: the country’s local government sector. Kommuninvest is charged with the procurement of financing for Swedish municipalities and county councils. It maintains the lowest possible risk weight (BIS 0%) and the highest credit ratings attainable.

Over 90% of Sweden’s local governments are members of Kommuninvest and, as such, wholly responsible for the commitments undertaken by the company. Kommuninvest is one of the Riksbank’s (the Swedish central bank) monetary policy counterparties and a full member of RIX, the Riksbank’s payment system. Securities issued by Kommuninvest enjoy the exact same level of creditworthiness as Sweden’s sovereign debt instruments.

Kommuninvest has pioneered a green bonds governance model comprising local government climate & environment experts. Earlier this year, Kommuninvest launched its inaugural $600m RegS/144A green bond, to support the financing of initiatives that seek to mitigate climate change. Sweden aims to become one of the world’s first fossil fuel-free welfare state and many investment projects towards this goal are led by local governments.

Kommuninvest, a member of the Green Bond Principles, also aims to lead the quest to develop a standardised framework for green bond issuance and reporting. As such, the company is a key driver towards sustainable growth models. The CFI.co judging panel commends Kommuninvest on its proactive role in reshaping the industry whilst adhering to the highest ethical standards. The judges are pleased to offer Kommuninvest the 2016 Best Green Bond Issuer Europe Award.


Corporación Zona Franca Industrial de Santiago: Best Location Industrial Free Zone Caribbean 2016

The largest and one of the oldest free zones in the Dominican Republic, the Victor Espaillat Mera Industrial Park – owned and operated by the Free Zone Corporation of Santiago (CZFS) – comprises a strategically located area of over a million square metres with a full infrastructure to support manufacturing plants, warehouses, and office buildings. The industrial park also includes a complete array of social services, educational institutions, and other facilities to support the approximately 20,000 people who work for the 174 companies present in the zone.

Opened forty years ago, the industrial park – organised in clusters for improved synergy and efficiency – has managed to keep its leading edge by continuous investment in the upgrading of its facilities. The Free Zone of Santiago has gained a well-merited reputation for the robustness of its services backbone – investors may benefit from the company’s vast reservoir of expertise in the management of industrial facilities.

A driver of the development of free zones, CZFS put in place a framework that allows investors peace of mind: a streamlined and easy-to-navigate regulatory environment ensures that plant operators suffer no distractions from their business pursuits. A non-profit private-public entity created to encourage industrial development, CZFS has made an outsized contribution to the local economy. The CFI.co judges congratulate CZFS on its many accomplishments and the company’s sense of corporate social responsibility. CZFS is named winner of the 2016 Best Location Industrial Free Zone Caribbean Award.


Myanmar Oriental Bank Limited: Best SME Bank Myanmar 2016

Embarking on a modernisation drive, Myanmar Oriental Bank (MOB) is in the process of upgrading its core banking software to further improve its service quality and streamline both back office processes and frontline procedures. The bank has hired a number of developers to help it customise the new systems in order for these to dovetail with client profiles and local regulations.

The privately-owned Myanmar Oriental Bank was set up in 1993 and now maintains a network spanning the nation comprised of 40 branches. The bank is exceptionally well poised to make the most of the opportunities offered by Myanmar re-joining global trade networks. The country was recently gained the status of permanent normal trade relations in the US – Washington’s designation of free trade and formerly known as most favoured nation (MFN).

Fully compliant with all international banking standards, MOB has put in place a full array of anti-money laundering controls and know-your-client processes that allow it to flag unusual transactions in a timely manner. The bank offers a growing number of products and services aimed at supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). From its corporate beginnings, Myanmar Oriental Bank has consistently helped underwrite SME growth.

The CFI.co judging panel is pleased to note that MOB maintains a worldwide network of correspondent banks and is thus able to serve it clients wherever their business takes them. The judges are delighted to offer Myanmar Oriental Bank the 2016 Best SME Bank Myanmar Award.


World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA): Outstanding Contribution to Trade & Investment in Emerging Economies Global 2016

Established in 1995 by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) provides a platform for national and regional entities seeking to attract foreign direct investment (FDI). The association has over 170 members from 130 countries who share resources, knowhow, and experience. As a result, WAIPA has become a vast repository of knowledge on the promotion and use FDI for increased economic growth.

From its foundation, WAIPA has dedicated considerable efforts to coordinate with international organisations, multilateral agencies, think tanks, and universities to build a network that members may access to find policy solutions that fit with their particular circumstance or environment. WAIPA also closely monitors investor sentiments and trends that may contain opportunities for its members.

The association also aims to foster cooperation between members with a view to developing a coherent narrative and countering protectionism. WAIPA’s annual World Investment Conference brings together investment experts, financial specialists, and academic researchers who discuss and map trends in order to define optimum investment promotion strategies. The conference is also attended by public policymakers and business leaders.

The CFI.co judging panel applauds WAIPA’s proactive approach to investment promotion, in particular as it relates to empowering its members. The judges are pleased to confer the 2016 Outstanding Contribution to Trade & Investment in Emerging Economies Global Award on the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies.


MEEZA: Best IT Security GCC 2016

Within the vast IT universe, few constellations move faster than the security sphere. The dynamics of this area are such that the entire rulebook is rewritten with alarming frequency. The nature and severity of threats is subject to radical change, causing corporates near-constant worry regarding the safety of their corner of cyberspace.

Offering high-end security services to corporates, governments, and non-profits since 2008, MEEZA of Qatar is home to a group of experienced professionals specialised in identifying weaknesses in networks and taking remedial action before disaster strikes. The firm not only designs and deploys customised security solutions, but also regularly publishes academic essays and white papers on present and future cyber-threats.

At the forefront of the fight against hackers and other IT outcasts, MEEZA offers data centre services – ISO 27001 certified M-Vaults – that incorporate state-of-the-art security systems in order to ensure both data integrity and availability.

As Qatar’s buoyant economy and optimum regulatory framework attracts a growing number of businesses, the demand for IT security services is expected to increase significantly. MEEZA is ready to meet this demand with a wide array of IT products ranging from fully-featured cloud services to advanced network solutions. MEEZA also offers business continuity and disaster recovery services.

The CFI.co judging panel notes that MEEZA has established an exceptionally solid track record by deploying innovative solutions that keep the firm well ahead of the pack. The judges are happy to grant MEEZA the 2016 Best IT Security GCC Award.


Kempinski Hotels: Best Premium Landmark Hotels EMEA

[caption id="attachment_3554" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Markus Semer, CEO; Henk Meyknecht, Vice President Middle East and Africa; Marcus van der Wal, COO; Xavier Destribats, Regional President Europe; Colin Lubbe, CFO[/caption]

Europe’s oldest luxury hotel group, founded almost 120 years ago in Berlin, Kempinski Hotels manages 75 five-star hotels and residences across the world. The group has a number of historic landmarks in its portfolio such as the Hotel Adlon Kempinski in Berlin, the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, and the Palais Hansen Kempinski in Vienna.

Majority-owned by the Crown Property Bureau of Thailand, Kempinski has become one of the world’s leading luxury hotel operators via an unrelenting dedication to excellence. The company is one of the founding members of the Global Hotel Alliance which bundles 32 hospitality brands representing well over 500 luxury hotels.

Kempinski introduced its own corporate social responsibility (CSR) framework that enables it to strengthen health and improve public welfare locally. As one of the founding members of BE Health Association, Kempinski believes that business can make a positive impact in limiting the spread of infectious diseases and making health contagious for those who need it most. This ties in with the group’s initiatives to encourage guests to get a taste of local traditions and culture via its Discovery Programme.

Kempinski recently celebrated the opening of the five-star Kempinski Summerland Hotel & Resort in Beirut, Lebanon. The new facility builds on the heritage of the famed Summerland Hotel which is renowned for society events.

The CFI.co judging panel commends Kempinski on its dedication to quality, both in services and management, in particular the company’s commitment to preserving the legacies of the properties under management. The judges declare Kempinski winner of the 2016 Best Premium Landmark Hotels in EMEA Award.


Orbit Securities: Best Public Lead Offer Advisors East Africa 2016

A founding member of the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange (DSE), Orbit Securities is without peers when it comes to knowledge and experience in Tanzania’s capital market. Licensed by the Bank of Tanzania as a primary dealer in government securities, the firm leads the brokerage sector in fund raising, equity research, corporate finance, project finance, and other financial services.

Orbit Securities was founded in 1996 and is the professional home of a highly qualified and skilled team of analysts, traders, and other experts. The firm enjoys a solid reputation for efficient resource mobilisation and is considered the go-to brokerage for initial public offerings (IPOs) and bonds and rights issues. Eight of the seventeen corporates listed on the DSE main board were sponsored by Orbit Securities. This includes fours cross-listings.

Tanzania’s capital market is one of the most dynamic financial plazas along the East African seaboard. The country’s economy is amongst the fastest growing in the world and was rebased in 2014 adding around $10bn to the GDP (plus 30%).

Orbit Securities is exceptionally well placed to meet the growing demand for investors services. The firm boasts a fully up-to-date IT backbone and maintains a nationwide network of local agencies.

The CFI.co judging panel recognises that Orbit Securities maintain its lead by continuously updating its processes and systems in order to offer service excellence. The judges declare Orbit Securities winner of the 2016 Best Public Lead Offer Advisors East Africa Award.


Lonely Planet Publications: Outstanding Contribution to Responsible Travel UK 2016

From its humble beginnings in 1972, Lonely Planet Publications has become the world’s leading travel authority and its largest travel guide book publisher.

The brainchild of a single backpacking trip, Lonely Planet now has a guide for almost every destination on earth. The publisher also maintains offices around the world. With over 200 writers and 400 employees, the company is a publishing powerhouse. It also ensures all of its staff travel is carbon neutral through the ClimateCare Project.

As the globalisation of tourism leaves its mark on more previously unscathed paradises, the idea of responsible and sustainable tourism is becoming ever-more fashionable. However, long before the effects of globalisation were even a concern, Lonely Planet made a point to push the importance of connecting with local communities and curbing the negative impacts of mainstream travel.

This key foresight has enabled the company to stay ahead of its competitors and create a multitude of specialist travel information. Lonely Planet now publishes multiple guides – from books to blogs – on responsible and sustainable travel, and has produced the very first guidebooks on accessible travel in the world.

By 2020, 1.5 billion people will be travelling each year. As that number continues to grow, so too does the responsibility to preserve those destinations. For the company’s long-term dedication to educating customers on responsible tourism, the CFI.co judging panel is pleased to offer Lonely Planet Publications the 2016 Outstanding Contribution to Responsible Travel UK Award.


EasyJet: Best Customer Satisfaction Budget Travel UK 2016

For a no-frills low-cost carrier, EasyJet offers travellers a surprising level of comfort. Contrary to some of its competitors, the airline maintains a courteous attitude towards its customers and refrains from assaulting travellers with a never-ending stream of public service announcements aimed at extracting a few more pennies from the weary. In fact, EasyJet now has a well-earned reputation for low-impact travel, offering passengers a few extra frills at reasonable prices.

The company, established in 1995 and now serving over 700 routes in 32 countries, has accomplished what marketing experts previously considered impossible: a budget airline with a touch of class. Based at Luton Airport, EasyJet operates a modern fleet of over 200 aircraft – mostly Airbus A319 from 24 bases scattered across Europe. Its largest hub is London’s Gatwick Airport.

EasyJet now is Europe’s second largest airline, carrying more than 70 million passengers over the twelve-month period up to January 2016. So far this year, passenger numbers are up some 6% over 2015 with a load factor of an impressive 91.6%. The company is unique in never having posted a loss in its 21-year-long history. Since 2010, profits have more than quadrupled to well over £540m at the close of last year.

Members of the CFI.co judging panel have first-hand experience of EasyJet and must congratulate the airline on both its operational efficiency and competitive pricing. The judges wholeheartedly endorse EasyJet’s win of the 2016 Best Customer Satisfaction Budget Travel UK Award.


Banco de Fomento de Angola: Best Branch Network Angola 2016

With a view to optimising its proximity to individual and corporate clients – and further improve the delivery of services – Banco de Fomento de Angola (BFA) has invested heavily in its branch network and staff training. The institution now boasts an unrivalled network of 167 service points, interconnected via a fibre optic cable.

The bank has also upgraded its technological backbone, putting in place an IT platform that improves operational efficiencies. As a result, both internal and external processes have been streamlined leading to cost savings and offering account holders added convenience. Systems and processes aimed at fighting money laundering have also been bolstered. New and robust processes were instituted to help mitigate risk and reduce transaction times.

Aiming to establish long-term relationships with all its customers, BFA has earned a solid reputation in the country’s financial services industry for operational excellence. In order to add to customer convenience, the bank recently launched a full-featured app for mobile devices.

BFA’s corporate mission is to entrench the institution as Angola’s preferred financial services provider. To that end, the bank maintains a comprehensive mix of products and services which may be adapted to suit individual account holders’ requirements.

BFA is no stranger to the CFI.co judging panel. It claimed two earlier awards for excellence. The judges have now focused on the bank’s solid network and are unanimous in their decision to grant Banco Fomento de Angola the 2016 Best Branch Network Angola Award.


Adobe Systems: Most Innovative Multimedia Software Solutions United States 2016

Home to two of the most celebrated and widely used software solutions for the graphic industry – Photoshop and Illustrator – Adobe Systems has gathered a loyal and large following amongst creative professionals who need cutting-edge products that allow for a seamless workflow from inspiration to the medium of choice.

Powered by both organic growth and acquisitions, Adobe Systems has accumulated a vast and scalable software portfolio that offers comprehensive one-stop solutions. The company’s engineers have managed to forge divergent products into coherent and streamlined bundles of integrated programmes that build on each other’s strengths to deliver both superior performance and user experience in addition to offering features not available elsewhere.

A pioneer of cloud-based computing, Adobe was one of the first amongst major software makers to move its entire product line away from physical media. The company also introduced a subscription-based model – since copied by others – whereby clients rent licenses rather than buy them. This way, users enjoy continuous product upgrades and lower overhead costs.

The company’s Creative Cloud, its flagship product, gives professionals access to a full suite of software tailored to their specific requirements. Whilst Photoshop and Illustrator remain at the core of Creative Cloud, Adobe now offers an exceptionally large universe of sophisticated add-on and stand-alone software that allow creative professionals to give wings to their imagination. The CFI.co judging panel wholeheartedly endorses Adobe Systems as winner of the 2016 Most Innovative Multimedia Software Solutions United States Award.


Tanger Free Zone: Best Industrial Free Zone Mediterranean 2016

A major business hub fully integrated with global logistics flows, the Tanger Free Zone (TFZ) is the industrial platform of Tanger Med – the biggest port of both Africa and the Mediterranean Basin, strategically located on the Strait of Gibraltar at the intersection of some of the world’s most important trade routes.

The Tanger Free Zone comprises a 3,000-hectare industrial park where already more than 500 companies operate facilities that generate an annual turnover in excess of €2.6bn. The TFZ is an extension to Tanger Med Port which has now become the preferred gateway to Europe, Africa, and the Mediterranean.

A public entity organised and run as a private corporation, Tanger Free Zone offers investors a value proposition that is hard to beat: a modern and fully up-to-date infrastructure, streamlined regulatory processes, competitive pricing, a comprehensive array of services, and a 5-year tax holiday for new investments.

Due to its privileged location, well-educated workforce, stability, and business-friendly policies, Morocco has attracted increasing volumes of foreign direct investment (FDI). The Tanger Free Zone fits in the overall picture of a country determined to fast track its development.
The CFI.co judging panel notes that Morocco’s northern tip is home to a thriving economy centred around the Tanger-Med port. The TFZ sits at the very centre of this hub and indeed drives the entire region’s development. The judges declare the Tanger Free Zone winner of the 2016 Best PPP Industrial Free Zone Mediterranean Award.


Consolidated Contracting Company: Best Infrastructure EPC Solution Provider MENA 2016

Strict adherence to global best practices and a stalwart dedication to excellence have propelled Consolidated Contracting Company (CCC) to the very apex of the construction industry. The company, in business since 1952 and now employing over 130,000 people, is known throughout the MENA Region for its reliability: projects undertaken are completed on budget and on time – all the time.

CCC has built some of the region’s most complex prestigious projects such as the Khalifa Sports Hall in Qatar, the Wadi Dayqah dam in Oman, and the landmark Dubai Mall and Dubai Opera House, amongst others. The company also provided the infrastructure backbone of oil and gas fields in Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. CCC laid pipelines in Australia and Madagascar, and built roads throughout Africa and the Middle East.

Wherever in the world CCC takes on a project, the company makes sure to involve local stakeholders. To this end, CCC maintains a growing number of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives that aim to empower local communities. CCC also habitually hires resident CEOs to manage its projects, leveraging their expertise of local markets, conditions, and customs – thus maintaining a balance between its local and expat workers.

Affected by the post-2008 blues like any other construction company, CCC proved exceptionally resilient and weathered the financial storm by consolidating its operations. The CFI.co judging panel is impressed by CCC’s bounce-back – the company is again growing at an accelerated clip. The judges are happy to offer Consolidated Contracting Company the 2016 Best Infrastructure EPC Solutions Provider MENA Award.


TMB Bank Public Company Limited: Best SME Bank Thailand 2016

Rather than a provider of financial services to businesspeople, Thailand’s TMB Bank aims to become a partner of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), understanding their requirements, challenges, and opportunities. Via a holistic approach, TMB Bank strives to empower its business clients and help them attain sustained levels of growth.

The TMB SME 3 Times Plus programme, launched last year, underpins TMB Bank’s ambition to become Thailand’s premier SME supporter. The facility provides financing of up to three times the collateral value for the funding of business cycles. Additionally, the bank offers credit for working capital, the maintenance of stocks, and reserve funds.

TMB Bank has instituted an easy to navigate end-to-end credit process to evaluate and monitor business performance. The bank has also invested considerable effort in the training of staff. Clients may deal directly with a single professional who will help them access the vast array of products and services offered.

TMB Bank maintains a number of facilities specifically designed to help SMEs through economic downturns or other setbacks. The bank shows a remarkable understanding about the world of small business and recognises that many budding entrepreneurs have been orphaned by large traditional banks.

Founded in 1957 and listed on the Thai Stock Exchange since 1983, TMB Bank employs close to 9,000 people and maintains a countrywide network of almost 500 branches. The CFI.co judging panel is pleased to offer TMB Bank the 2016 Best SME Bank Thailand Award.


Electrolux: Most Sustainable Manufacturer Sweden 2016

Swedish whitegoods manufacturer Electrolux has long been recognised as an industry leader; not just within manufacturing but also for sustainability.

A regularly featured member of the Dow Sustainability Index, Electrolux ardently defends its position through enacting its sustainability framework, split into three key areas: better solutions, better operations, and better society.

Better Society is aimed at improving Electrolux as a global citizen. Initiatives include leveraging its international presence to influence policymaking, accelerating technology transfers between markets, and ensuring products are produced with the same care throughout its global supply chain. The company is also engaging EU legislators in order to directly influence the recycling industry.

Better solutions and better operations refer to the company’s environmental footprint. From the water/electricity efficiency of the appliances the company produces, to recycling, and the management of potentially harmful chemicals used during the production process. The company’s most efficient refrigerator now consumes as much electricity as a small LED lightbulb – an impossible feat just a few years ago.

Electrolux has a number of goals and initiatives within each of these three key areas and the company continues to surpass its own sustainability benchmarks. As of 2016, thirteen of its manufacturing plants are powered solely by renewable energy, helping to surpass the company’s 3% energy reduction target which it now plans to readjust accordingly.

The CFI.co judging panel offers Electrolux the 2016 Most Sustainable Manufacturer Sweden Award.


China Banking Corporation: Best Bank Governance Philippines 2016

Nearing its first centennial as one of the Philippines’ most respected financial institutions, the China Banking Corporation (CBC) owes its longevity and solid performance to accountability, transparency, and good governance. Long before these became buzzwords, the bank had already firmly committed to the pursuit of “profit with honour.” This deceptively simple approach to banking has allowed CBC to help generations of Philippine families and entrepreneurs underpin their dreams with solid financials.

The businessmen who started China Banking Corporation in 1920 understood the importance of trust. Their word was as good as – if not better than – a bond. The bank considers the creation of wealth for clients as its primary mission and offers support to those who seek to climb up the social ladder via hard work, discipline, integrity, and business savvy. As such, CBC aims to establish lasting long-term relationships with clients – both private individuals and corporates large and small.

The approach yields remarkable results and showcases the power of proper banking. CBC helped small-time scrap metal dealer and rice seller John Gokongwei become a large industrialist and empowered street pedlar Henry Sy to build a business empire.

Offering a broad array of products and services, carefully tailored to meet the diverse needs of its clients, CBC sticks to the corporate slogan that served it so well: Your Success Is Our Business.

The CFI.co judging panel wishes to congratulate China Banking Corporation with its win of the 2016 Best Bank Governance Philippines Award.


Visteon: Best Connected Cockpit UX Design Global 2016

Visteon designs, engineers, and manufactures vehicle cockpit electronic products and connected car solutions for various clients, including BMW, Daimler, Ford, and General Motors.

The cockpit electronics market is one of the fastest-growing areas of the automotive industry – expected to have between 40-45% market share within the next decade. As one of the leading global automotive suppliers – and the only one focused exclusively on cockpit electronics – Visteon is well-positioned to capitalise on this growth.

Vehicle interfaces were once separate direct-entry controls. Thanks to increased connectivity, vehicle controls have merged into a single interface. Now, electronic module consolidation brings new opportunities to improve the user experience (UX) for driver-driven vehicles, semi-autonomous vehicles, and, eventually, fully autonomous vehicles.

Visteon is leading the way in streamlining this increased demand of networking technologies, processing power, driver information, infotainment, and connectivity. The firm’s SmartCore Connected Cockpit Multi-Domain Controller is an industry first – and changes the idea of traditional infotainment systems. It is an application-based cockpit domain controller which allows the user to change and grow the vehicle’s feature set over its lifetime.

The SmartCore is a one chip multi-domain controller featuring a single integrated human-machine interface (HMI). This solution allows multiple domains to run together on scalable hardware using different operating systems, therefore greatly reducing the complexity of the system itself.

The CFI.co judging panel applauds Visteon’s embrace of the rapidly changing automotive industry and subsequent domination of its growing niche. The judges are happy to name Visteon winner of the 2016 Best Connected Cockpit UX Design Global Award.


Finbond Mutual Bank: Best Savings Bank South Africa 2016

By offering superior returns on savings products, even in a low yield environment, South Africa’s Finbond Mutual Bank (FMB) has managed to significantly expand its client base over the past number of years. Finbond commenced trading in 2003, was listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in 2007 and received its mutual banking license from the South African Reserve Bank in 2012.

Client-focused, FMB encourages savings even on short-term deposits and offers an above average interest rate on its fixed five or six-year term accounts. FMB’s product line-up is carefully tuned to meet customer needs. The bank has gained a strong reputation for its excellence in customer service and is proud of the fact that face-to-face communication and excellent customer service are integral parts of their business model. Customers are also serviced in their home language in the various regions that Finbond operates in. FMB has aggressively expanded its geographical footprint and currently maintains a nationwide network of some 378 branches in South Africa with another forty scheduled to open annually. With its formula of keeping things simple, and streamlining both internal and external processes, FMB is now poised for accelerated growth.

Finbond Mutual Bank is determined to become South Africa’s premier savings bank. It aims to do so by introducing innovative investment, saving, and credit solutions that add value to clients’ lives and thus contribute towards their financial independence. The CFI.co judging panel is pleased to offer Finbond Mutual Bank the 2016 Best Savings Bank South Africa Award.


Penguin Random House: Best Brands Publishing UK 2016

It is the world’s largest book publisher – by far. Penguin Random House puts out nearly 15,000 new titles annually and the company’s back order catalogues include over seventy Nobel Prize winning authors. The merger of Penguin Group and Bertelsmann-owned Random House in 2013 was widely considered a strategic one designed to stop online retailer Amazon from accumulating too much power over the publishing industry.

The resulting corporate behemoth, employing over 10,000 people worldwide, is an amalgamation of hundreds of separate imprints ranging from boutique publishers releasing only a few titles a year to prestigious publishing houses such as GP Putnam’s Sons, a regular purveyor of titles to the New York Times bestsellers lists. Organised in publishing groups that bundle a sometimes surprisingly large number of vaguely related imprints, Penguin Random House is perhaps best known for its Penguin Books and the recently resuscitated Pelican Books, dedicated to the dissemination of knowledge.

Founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and based on the premise that a quality book should cost no more than a pack of cigarettes, Penguin Books revolutionised the publishing industry and set the standard for type and layout the work of the Swiss typographer Jan Tschichold whose Penguin Composition Rules, devised in 1947, still hold true.

The CFI.co judging panel finds much to praise in the trajectory and achievements of Penguin Random House. Few publishers have done more to advance literature than this company. Consequently, the judges are pleased to offer Penguin Random House the 2016 Best Brands Publishing Award.


Openwork: Best Financial Adviser Support Services United Kingdom 2016

As one of the UK’s largest financial advisory networks with over forty years of experience, the Openwork Group comprises of more than 300 staff and 3,000 professional financial advisers. Its leading edge derives from quality work and an unfailing engagement with customers in the search for opportunity – whether that is buying a house, expanding a business, or growing a nest egg.

Openwork partners with leading financial services providers to allow its clients access to premium services. The network also offers its clients a wide range of tools that ferret out the best deals.

Openwork pushes the envelope of the financial advisory business. The network maintains its own investment company with a wide array of fund available exclusively to clients.

Through the Openwork Foundation the network raises funds for community-based projects aimed at improving the quality of life of disadvantaged children and young adults. This replicates Openwork’s own sense of community which reaches out to young professionals wishing to give their career a boost by joining a thriving network of advisors and peer groups.

The CFI.co judging panel notes that Openwork stretches the definition of a financial advisory network to include an exceptionally wide range of products and services that, jointly or separately, have the potential to vastly increase the quality of life of both clients and associates. Openwork is named winner of the 2016 Best Financial Adviser Support Service United Kingdom Award.


fair-finance: Most Socially-Responsible Pension Fund Central Europe 2016

Grown out of a fair-trade initiative set up by its founder, fair-finance is a next step in an ongoing quest to level the playing field and promote sustainability. fair-finance currently manages in excess of €360m. The fund receives inflows under Austria’s mandatory severance pay legislation under which companies must make provisions for workers’ compensation.

fair-finance steers clear of high-yield bonds and emerging market debt. In order to reduce its dependency of the bond market, fair-finance launched a real estate investment fund to take a stake in multi-tenant buildings in the Austrian capital Vienna. fair-finance has commissioned the development of its own, innovative list of criteria for its sustainable real estate Spezialfonds (a specialised fund for institutional investors only). The set of criteria allows to not only assess new constructions but mainly also existing properties according to sustainability standards. Unlike most ratings this valuation does not focus primarily on energy efficiency. Instead it takes into account criteria in four groups such as location, thermal comfort, ecological valuation of the building material, as well as ethics and transparency.

Investments in micro-finance programmes are also underway, representing around 8 % of the fund’s portfolio.

The strict sustainability criteria used by fair-finance have guided the fund towards Austrian, Belgian, Dutch, Portuguese an Irish sovereign bonds. The portfolio also contains Austrian corporate bonds that meet the fund’s demanding ethical standards. The approach has not dampened returns. Since receiving its first inflows from new members in 2011, fair-finance has over a 5-year term outperformed both the overall market and its competitors.

The CFI.co judging panel noted that fair-finance actively seeks to put its clients’ funds to good use. Driven by a desire to contribute towards a better society, the fund’s managers remain firmly grounded and keep their focus on the bottom line. Thanks to a proprietary investment strategy, developed in-house, fair-finance has managed to attain peak performance. The judges are pleased to offer fair-finance the 2016 Most Socially-Responsible Pension Fund Central Europe Award for a second consecutive year.


Qatar Foundation: Outstanding Contribution to Sustainability of the Knowledge-Based Economy GCC 2016

Few countries blessed with abundant natural resources have the foresight, or political will, to invest in their long-term future by committing the proceeds of their windfall towards sustainable development. Norway comes to mind, as does Qatar. Boasting the highest per capita income in the world thanks to its vast reserves of oil and natural gas, the Planning Council of Qatar and the Qatar Foundations (QF) have asked the World Bank to lend its expertise in designing a policy framework to transform the country into a knowledge-based economy.

The Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development was set up in 1995 and tasked with unlocking the country’s human potential. A semi-private and not-for-profit entity, the Qatar Foundation was instrumental in attracting eight world-class universities to the country, including London’s University College and Carnegie Mellon University. Interestingly, courses and research are not limited to exact sciences and include a vast array of humanities studies including highly acclaimed archaeology and art programmes.

The QF has also succeeded in reinvigorating Qatar’s K-12 education system, now geared to deliver a growing stream of freshmen (and women) to the country’s universities. The large education drive is part of Qatar’s National Vision 2025 which forms the bedrock of the knowledge-based economy taking shape. The CFI.co judging panel congratulates QF on its many accomplishments and is very pleased to offer the Qatar Foundation their 2016 Outstanding Contribution to Sustainability of the Knowledge-Based Economy GCC Award.


Saradar Bank: Best Bank Governance Lebanon 2016

With dedicated retail, commercial, and private banking divisions, Lebanon’s Saradar Bank is set to help the country regain its prominence as a regional financial services hub. Saradar Bank is the product of the merger between the Near East Commercial Bank (NECB) and the Banque de l’Industrie et du Travail (BIT), both owned by the Saradar Group. Saradar Bank has hired a team of seasoned professionals to ensure both operational excellence and optimum service delivery.

The new bank leverages the heritage of its parents and their vast reservoirs of knowhow. As such, Saradar Bank comes onto the buoyant local market already boasting a well-established track record. Saradar Bank’s management feels confident that Lebanon’s financial services sector has plenty of room for a new entity committed to delivering a wide range of customisable products and services.

Saradar Bank squarely aims to embark on a path of rapid and sustainable growth – both organic and powered by future acquisitions. The new entity has adopted a full suite of governance processes – closely aligned to global best practices – to ensure transparency, integrity and performance optimisation. Both the bank’s board of directors and management are committed to lead by example and to promote exemplary core values and strong ethics throughout the organisation. A balanced governance structure and sound practices have been carefully designed and implemented to safeguard the interests of all stakeholders.

The CFI.co judging panel is excited to see a new bank arise in Lebanon – one that includes the experience and expertise of two well-respected institutions. As such, Saradar Bank is declared winner of the 2016 Best Bank Governance Award Lebanon Award.


Tricepts Management Solutions: Best Management Consultancy Firm Kenya 2016

Companies aiming to reach a higher echelon in the corporate world, often are at a loss how to drive sustained growth with resilient structures and processes that effectively underpin expanded operations. Tricepts Management Solutions (TMS), based in Mombasa, Kenya, is in the business of empowering corporations as well as SME’s. The company has helped a number of corporates within and outside Kenya to propel operations and break through glass ceilings with tailored management support.

Leveraging its accumulated experience, TMS has developed a number of programmes that allow clients access to the organisational expertise required to successfully take that otherwise highly elusive “next step”. TMS provides ready assistance with staff training requirements and other human resources management challenges, logistics processes, product development, marketing, and other issues that faced by ambitious corporates.

TMS also helps streamline internal and external lines of communication and offers assistance with strategic planning, the timely execution of projects, and performance monitoring. TMS has made a name as the go-to firm for entrepreneurs and corporations of any size aiming to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by the dynamic economies along the East African seaboard. The company maintains a number of business development programmes specifically designed to meet the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

TMS offers exceptional Event Management Services that transform ideas into lifetime memories. Recruitment is another docket in the firm that seeks to help individuals secure employment and organizations acquire exceptional Human capital.

The CFI.co judging panel commends TMS on its holistic approach and recognises the strength of its track record. The judges are pleased to offer Tricepts Management Solutions the 2016 Best Management Consultancy Firm Kenya Award.


Thyssenkrupp: Most Innovative Engineering Solutions Europe 2016

The 1999 merger of Germany’s two largest steelworks Krupp and Thyssen produced a global conglomerate that now includes some 670 companies, organised into two divisions – Materials and Technology. Still one of the world’s largest steel producers, ThyssenKrupp AG also manufactures lifts, capital goods, and components for the automotive and defence industries, amongst a host of other products and services.

The company is also Germany’s largest defence contractor. Its Howaldtswerke-Deutsche and Blohm + Voss shipyards produce some of the world’s most advanced warships, including the 200 series submarines which now include versions with air-independent propulsion (AIP) systems and non-magnetic hulls that are significantly quieter than even the most advanced nuclear-powered boats.

ThyssenKrupp employs well over 150,000 people worldwide and is currently mulling the takeover of the troubled Port Talbot steelworks in the UK from its Indian owner Tata Steel. Perhaps slightly less eye-catching, ThyssenKrupp’s lifts and escalator division has become the world’s largest manufacturer of people movers. It recently won a contract to supply, install, and maintain around 500 lifts and escalators for Qatar’s lavishly equipped Doha Metro network.

Once the largest company in Europe, Krupp – purveyor of Krupp Stahl both famed and feared – has an industrial heritage second to none. Its merger with Thyssen, a pioneering vertically integrated company, produced an industrial behemoth that unites ground-breaking technologies, most developed in-house, with an almost unequalled manufacturing prowess. The CFI.co judging panel is happy to offer ThyssenKrupp its 2016 Most Innovative Engineering Solutions Europe Award.


Graybar: Best Supply Chain Management Solutions US 2016

Graybar is a specialist in supply chain management solutions. The company is a leading North American distributor of high-quality components, equipment, and materials for a number of industries.

Graybar’s sustained momentum and dedicated attention to achieving profitable growth has led the company to continuously surpass itself. Not only was the first quarter of 2016 record-breaking in terms of net sales, but so was the second quarter – creating a new record of $1.6 billion, rising 3.9% compared to the same period last year. With net sales of $3.1 billion in the first half of 2016 – a rise of 4.5% since last year – the firm is also set to surpass its 2015 record revenue of $6.1 billion. Net income for the first six months of the year also increased 8.3% to $40.7 million.

Through its distribution network and value-added services, including kitting and integrated solutions, Graybar is helping its customers to power and network their facilities with speed, intelligence, and efficiency. The company’s newest product offering encompasses all of these ideas: Graybar’s SmartReel is a one-of-a-kind portable wire and cable pay-out system that allows one person to move reels up to 5,000 lbs.

The company has become a vital link in America’s supply chain and continues to secure its position by adding sophisticated logistics and project management to all of its operations. The CFI.co judging panel is pleased to name Graybar winner of the 2016 Best Supply Chain Management Solutions US Award.


Zena Exotic Fruits: Best FMCG Exporter Senegal 2016 & Outstanding Contribution to Female Empowerment West Africa 2016

Fruit and vegetable processor Zena Exotic Fruits of Senegal has gone global with its wide range of all-natural products. The company successfully entered markets in Europe, North America, and the Middle East. Exports of its natural jams, jellies, marmalades, syrups, drinks, and other products have grown by leaps and bounds.

A significant part of Zena Exotic Fruits’ entrepreneurial success may be ascribed directly to the company’s dedication to both quality and – most noticeably – corporate social responsibility. Zena Exotic Fruits is not just a processing and packing plant; the company also insists on providing a safe and nurturing work environment that allows for personal and professional development. All corporate processes, including the value chain, are operated in a socially-responsible manner.

Zena Exotic Fruits, family-owned and managed by a woman, has managed to differentiate itself from the competition by adhering to global best practices. This has allowed the company to become the first one in Senegal to broach the highly competitive US market under the provisions African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

At Zena Exotic Fruits fully 90% of staff is female. The company also changed its work floor practices in order to welcome hearing impaired employees. To that end, managers and co-workers have received basic instruction in sign language.

The CFI.co judging panel notes that Zena Exotic Fruits has taken socially responsible entrepreneurship to the next level. The judges are pleased to offer the company a double recognition: the 2016 Best FMCG Exporter Senegal Award and the 2016 Outstanding Contribution to Female Empowerment West Africa Award.


NetApp: Most Innovative Data Storage Solutions Global 2016

NetApp is a multinational storage and data management company offering software, systems, and services to manage and store data, including its proprietary Data ONTAP operating system.

Since the company began in 1993, it has consistently delivered innovation which has propelled its customers onto new frontiers – from Formula One auto-racing to the conception of CERN’s Large Hadron Collider.

NetApp has reached milestone after milestone within its role as a global pioneer, being the first to achieve many of the technological innovations it now offers. The company collaborates with other technology leaders in order to create the specific solutions its customers need. Global enterprise leaders and service providers worldwide count on NetApp for software, systems, and services to manage and store endless streams of data.

NetApp’s focus for 2016 is particularly exciting: the company is poised to begin revolutionising emerging markets with the same pioneering, insightful style it conquered western markets with.

In Africa, NetApp has teamed up with Internet Solutions in order to be the first on the continent to offer performance-based storage tiers. NetApp’s SolidFire all-flash platform delivers guaranteed performance and capacity at scale, while eliminating data migrations and cutting the cost of operational overhead in half – optimising performance, risk, licensing, cost, and modular scalability. NetApp has also recently signed a contract with India’s proposed Smart City, Varanasi, whereby the firm will provide storage, surveillance, and security infrastructure for the project’s initiatives.

The CFI.co judging panel offers NetApp the 2016 Most Innovative Data Storage Solution Global Award.


McKesson Corporation: Best Healthcare Technology Solutions North America 2016

McKesson Corporation distributes pharmaceuticals at retail level and provides health information technology, medical supplies, and care management tools to the healthcare industry.

As the fourth largest pharmaceutical chain in the world, the company serves more than 50% of American hospitals, 20% of US physicians, and 96% of the top 25 health plans. It delivers one-third of all medication used in North America.

However, what sets McKesson apart is the quality of its technology solutions and its extensive network infrastructure, providing interactive connectivity solutions streamlining clinical, financial, and administrative communications. It has made a name for itself as an early adopter of new technology, introducing bar-code scanning for distribution, pharmacy robotics, and RFID tags ahead of others.

The company’s technology solutions aid every angle of the healthcare industry and are designed to drive clinical and business intelligence into every healthcare decision, improving healthcare efficiency, reducing cost, optimising revenue streams, and enhancing patient safety. From diagnostic imaging to healthcare analytics and financial optimisation, McKesson provides software solutions, services, and consulting to hospitals, physician offices, imaging centres, home healthcare agencies, and payers, alike.

McKesson is not only America’s oldest and largest healthcare company, but it continues to play an integral role in the future of the industry. The company is firmly rooted in modernity, and as such, the CFI.co judging panel deservingly extends McKesson the 2016 Best Healthcare Technology Solutions North America Award.


Great American Insurance Group: Best P&C Insurer North America 2016

The Great American Insurance Group is focused on property and casualty insurance (P&C), primarily dealing in specialised commercial products for businesses and in the sale of traditional fixed and fixed-indexed annuities.

Established in 1872, the company is one of the oldest P&C insurers in the United States and now comprises over thirty niche speciality insurance companies; each exclusively covering separate market segments that target specialised commercial products and services for businesses.

Structured like a network of small businesses, all of Great American Insurance Group’s subsidiary companies and divisions design products and build relationships within their own individual markets and communities. The firm has a range of experts within each speciality line who personally provide commercial customers a with unique insights of their industries. This enables the company to optimise regulatory understanding of each industry – reducing paperwork and responding faster to customer enquiries.

This deep industry expertise also optimises the company’s ability to assess and manage the risks inherent within each respective industry, as well as their customers’ unique business circumstances. Great American Insurance provides hundreds of innovative products and programmes designed to manage the specific risks of every sector. Businesses today, especially small and mid-sized companies, are under a bigger threat than ever from outside risk; a lawsuit, or simply bad luck, could set a company back – or even sink it completely, without an in-depth and knowledgeable assessment.

The CFI.co judging panel grants the Great American Insurance Group the 2016 Best P&C Insurer North America Award.


Musharaka Capital Company: Best Sharia-Compliant IPO Fund Manager Middle East 2016

The backbone of Islamic banking, equity finance is big business throughout the Middle East. Musharaka Capital Company, a premier asset manager in Saudi Arabia founded in 2013 as a closed joint-stock corporation, maintains a number of funds that allow project developers and investors to become partners in very attractive opportunities that are professionally structured taping on capital market, private equity, and real estate markets of both the kingdom and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states.

The firm presents a broad offering of Sharia-compliant investment vehicles. In keeping with Islamic Law, Musharaka Capital Company emphasises transparency and adheres to the strictest investment criteria. The firm is run by a seasoned team of professionals who maintain in close – and often personal – contact with the local business community in order to unearth exceptional opportunities.

The Musharaka IPO Fund invests primarily in Initial Public Offerings and publicly-listed sharia compliant companies that recently debuted on the Tadawul – the Saudi stock exchange. The fund, an open collective investment subscription programme, the fund accepts subscriptions and redemptions twice a week. Since inception, the fund has maintained a leading position among similar funds and has always outperformed the Saudi stock index TASI and the customised S&P fund index.

Aiming to impact the property development industry with innovative solutions, Musharaka Capital Company also manages Musharaka Real Estate Income Fund taking a stake in the property market for local and foreign developers wanting to expand their reach. The CFI.co judging panel commends the firm on both the breadth and depth of its product offering and the peerless quality of same. The judges feel confident that Musharaka Capital Company is a most worthy winner of the 2016 Best Sharia-Compliant IPO Fund Manager Middle East Award.


GE Africa: Best ESG Energy Infrastructure Partner Africa 2016

Fully supportive of the Kenya government’s ambitious Vision 2030 goals, GE Africa has signed a number of memorandums of understanding to help develop projects in key sectors such as power generation and healthcare. The company will supply and maintain the 38 turbines for the Kinangop Wind Farm in a deal valued at $58m. GE Africa is also involved in the development of the Kipeto Wind Farm which upon completion is to inject 100MW into the national grid.

Jointly with Kenya’s leading mobile phone provider Safaricom, GE Africa has developed the Durathon battery, the first in the world to be designed for charge discharge cycling (CDC) telecoms. The technology allows telecom providers to keep their networks running during power outages.

GE Africa closely aligns its corporate strategies to societal needs and aspirations in order to improve the sustainability of its business. The company aims to minimise its environmental footprint while contributing in a meaningful way to social development. A Sustainability Steering Committee monitors performance, evaluates stakeholder feedback, and keeps tabs on emerging trends. Findings are shared with the executive management and form the basis for new initiatives, programmes, and other corporate policies.

Prioritising ESG (environmental, social, and governance) considerations helps GE Africa mitigate risk by ensuring compliance throughout the organisation. The CFI.co judging panel recognises the pioneering work of the company on promoting responsible business practices. The judges name GE Africa winner of the 2016 Best ESG Energy Infrastructure Partner Africa 2016.


Tenerife Free Zone (ZFT): Best Free Trade Zone Partner Atlantic Corridor 2016

Launched in 2012 to revive the Canary Islands’ historic condition as a free trade haven, the Tenerife Free Zone (ZFT – Zona Franca Tenerife) is home to a growing number of manufacturing and trading businesses. The area, part of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife port, offers full exemption from tariffs and direct and indirect taxation on imported goods. Streamlined procedures ensure that businesses encounter a bare minimum of red tape. Additionally, plant operators installed in the ZFT may also benefit from other fiscal instruments in the Canary Islands such as a reduced corporate income tax rate of only 4%). Businesses need only generate five full time jobs in order to benefit from the exceptionally advantageous fiscal regime.

The Tenerife Free Zone is a key component, and a driver, of the string of free zones that unites the Iberian Peninsula with the Caribbean and South America, enabling the establishment of smooth-running value chains spanning the Mid-Atlantic.

The ZFT has been particularly successful in welcoming shipyards and associated businesses such as machine repair facilities, parts suppliers, and others.

Located at a crossroads of shipping lanes, the ZFT is poised for significant expansion. These characteristics have allowed the FT to create and lead the Mid Atlantic Free Zone Corridor Initiative which seeks to unify free zones from the Americas, Europe, and West Africa with Tenerife becoming the corridor’s pivotal point.

For its trade corridor initiative, the CFI.co judging panel is pleased to extend the 2016 Best Free Trade Zone Partner Atlantic Corridor Award to the Tenerife Free Zone.


STANLIB: Best Africa Investment Management Team 2016

Over half a million retail and institutional investors have entrusted South Africa’s STANLIB with more than $39bn in capital. With on the ground operations in ten African countries and access to over twenty countries through its relationship with Africa’s largest bank, STANLIB has become an investment powerhouse and a partner to investors of all sizes aiming to protect and grow their savings.

STANLIB offers an exceptionally broad array of investment products in response to the diverse needs of its customers. That diversity is also reflected in the company’s multi-specialist investment professionals who draw on their expertise and knowledge of local conditions to achieve optimum performance in any given market.

STANLIB offers a broad range of investment capabilities, including active asset management, passive asset management, single manager and multi-manager offerings across all asset classes: cash, bonds, equities, property, and alternative asset classes.

STANLIB was formed fourteen years ago when banking group Standard Bank and long term insurer Liberty Life merged their asset and wealth management divisions. Liberty is one of South Africa’s leading financial services providers while Standard Bank is the largest banking group in Africa. In addition to its own in-house expertise, STANLIB leverages off its relationship with these two large operations.

STANLIB manages the assets of state-owned and parastatal entities, local governments, pension funds, and healthcare providers, amongst others. It also provides retail customers with a variety of customised solutions. STANLIB offers institutional investors a choice of unit trust and pooled investment vehicles or a mix of both.

The CFI.co judging panel commends STANLIB on its consistently stellar performance and declares the company winner of the 2016 Best Africa Investment Management Team Award.


Rothschild & Cie Gestion: Best Institutional Asset Manager Europe 2016

A hallmark of excellence, and a name that exudes timeless solidity: Rothschild & Cie Gestion stands for transcendent quality sustained over the ages. Few, if any, asset managers may boast a heritage equal to that of the Rothschild & Cie Gestion Group. However, the firm’s impeccable pedigree does not preclude it from raising the bar on innovation.

Finely attuned to the demands of ever-changing times, Rothschild & Cie Gestion already in 2011 signed on to the United Nations-supported Principles of Responsible Investment (UNPRI) – a codified set of six guidelines that help investors incorporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) concerns – and other non-financial parameters – into their decision-making processes.

Serving institutional investors, fund distributors, and financial intermediaries around the world with asset management services and advice from offices in Paris, London, Zurich, and New York, Rothschild & Cie Gestion is widely recognised – and praised – for its conviction-based approach to the preservation and growth of capital. Thus value is created through the strategic allocation of assets.

The firm is particularly well-equipped to consistently extract above-market returns from stocks that perform well regardless of market sentiment while maintaining an optimised risk profile. Rothschild & Cie Gestion concentrates its efforts primarily on European equities – a segment that allows the firm’s to leverage its considerable expertise to maximise benefits for investors.

Rothschild & Cie Gestion also offers an exceptionally comprehensive universe of open architecture investment solutions that cross asset classes and are tailored to meet the exact requirements of clients. Based in London, the firm’s Risk Based Investment Solutions Ltd provides investors an innovative way to maximise risk diversification and avoid excessive turnover and portfolio concentration.

The CFI.co judging panel agrees that Rothschild & Cie Gestion has found a way to stay true to its heritage while remaining at the leading edge of innovation in asset management – effectively combining the best of both worlds to produce a palette of investment solutions that unswervingly delivers optimised results. The judges declare Rothschild & Cie Gestion the winner of the 2016 Best Institutional Asset Manager Europe Award.


Tradex: Most Socially-Responsible Management Team Central Africa 2016

Since the energy sector of Cameroon was liberalised and deregulated in 2000 with a view to reinvigorate a largely dormant industry, local trading firm Tradex has managed to acquire the pole position, claiming a market share in excess of 50%. Tradex imports and distributes oil and derivatives such as lubricants in Cameroon. The company also exports its products to the mostly landlocked countries of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).

Founded in 1999 as a joint-venture between the Société Nationale des Hydrocarbures – Cameroon’s national oil and gas company – and local and foreign investors, Tradex has accumulated significant experience and knowhow on the international trade in oil – both crude and refined.

The company has developed a proprietary and highly dynamic trading model that enables it to respond quickly and efficiently to changing market conditions.

From its earliest days, Tradex has been fully committed to furthering national development via a number of CSR (corporate social responsibility) initiatives that aim to support efforts at improving education, healthcare, and community engagement. By providing reliable and widely available sources of energy via its growing network of service stations, Tradex hopes to encourage entrepreneurship and empower established businesses.

The CFI.co judging panel recognises the importance of energy traders. In Cameroon, Tradex has consistently raised the bar and was able to barrel ahead, providing essential services effectively and dependably. The judges are pleased to declare Tradex winner of the 2016 Most Socially-Responsible Management Team Central Africa Award.


Afrimax Group: Best Social Impact Telecom Group Sub-Saharan Africa

Busy connecting an entire continent with the latest in 4G network technology, Afrimax Group is at the forefront of the telecom revolution engulfing Sub-Saharan Africa. The company, headquartered in The Netherlands, has accumulated the largest portfolio of easily deployable TD-LTE frequencies and is in the process of launching commercial operations in a number of key markets.

More than just a provider of network infrastructure, Afrimax Group is wholly dedicated to empowering young people. In Zambia, the company has signed up nine universities to facilitate recruitment drives. It has already hired fifty graduates who now make up almost 50% of its local workforce. A similar approach is now being rolled out in Uganda, Ghana, and Cameroon.

In Zambia Afrimax Group has further recruited over 250 University Students through its Brand Ambassador Programme that gives young people the opportunity to be mentored, coached and gain a hands on experience in the work place, whilst encouraging them to also become entrepreneurs in order for them to be self-reliant through a start-up capitalisation project in partnership with a local bank.

Afrimax Group pays particular attention to students from disadvantaged backgrounds or isolated rural communities who may benefit from the company’s e-learning portal and access opportunities not previously available. Afrimax Group has a clear vision to enable young people to build and provide services to their peers. Thus the company has incorporated a broad platform of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives into its very business model.

Afrimax Group possesses spectrum licenses in twelve African markets. The company saw an opportunity in meeting the pent-up demand for reliable data services, driven mostly by young people.

The CFI.co judging panel is aware that reliable telecom services are essential, if not key, to economic development. The judges wish to support large-scale initiatives that help connect and empower young people in Africa and are therefore thrilled to offer Afrimax Group the 2016 Best Social Impact Telecom Group Sub-Saharan Africa Award.


Dorsum: Most Innovative Financial Software Provider CEE 2016

Just like retail brokerage and professional trading before, wealth management is now moving online. Increasingly, high-net-worth individuals demand a safe online environment in which to manage their assets and plan the future. Offering improved yields and tax advantages, online wealth managers leverage the power of precision tools to obtain results previously available only to large teams of dedicated specialists and seasoned analysts.

Dorsum Investment Software, established in 1996 and now a market leader in Central and Eastern Europe, is at the forefront of this trend, if not driving the move.  With leading-edge solutions that now include Virtual Advice, a unique mobile that combine the strengths of human and automated advisory, Dorsum helps its clients provide a modern user experience that can go head to head with robo advisors and engage the younger generation. With a fully-featured wealth management platform, Dorsum is committed to help digitize the wealth management industry. With a broad product portfolio, Dorsum is widely recognised – and lauded – for its innovative approach to the software that underpins the financial services industry.

Wealth managers are offered a client acquisition tool that produces client-specific solutions and showcases the power of Dorsum’s software. The company’s Wealth Management Platform is, essentially, a wealth management business in the proverbial box: the package features next-generation functionality and allows managers to strongly engage with customers and ensure regulatory compliance.

The CFI.co judging panel congratulates the company on its novel, yet well-grounded, approach to software for the financial services industry. The judges declare Dorsum Investment Software winner of the 2016 Most Innovative Financial Software Provider CEE Award.


Safari Investments: Best Retail Property Investment Management Team South Africa 2016

Listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Safari Investments is focused on accumulating and holding quality investments in prime real estate via pooled resources. The firm maintains a healthy debt/equity ratio in order to maintain attractive to both investors and financial institutions.

Whilst Safari Investments concentrates on acquiring income-generating properties, the firm also holds vacant land with development potential and is active in the retail property market in high-growth areas. Committed to generating sustainable income and capital growth, Safari Investments has established a solid track record and can look forward to significant income growth.

Selecting properties that offer optimum returns over the medium to long term, Safari Investments manages a large real estate portfolio that includes many of South Africa’s leading retailers as tenants. The company pays particular attention to the long-term sustainability of its portfolio. It does so by taking a holistic approach to investment propositions, including economic and demographic trends that may affect future capital value and rental income streams.

Risk is mitigated by only investing in properties and developments that already include lease undertakings from reputable tenants. Safari Investment produces a biennial survey of the rental sector in order to keep abreast of developments.

The company in September 2016 completed construction of its R640 million investment in a new landmark for Namibia, the Platz am Meer Lifestyle Centre. The 50,000m2 waterfront project on the coast of Swakopmund includes prime retail facilities, penthouses, and a small craft harbour.

The CFI.co judging panel commends Safari Investments for its cautious yet proactive approach to real estate investments. The judges are pleased to offer the company their 2016 Best retail Property Investment Management Team South Africa Award.