NorthWest Healthcare Properties REIT: Best Healthcare Industry REIT Canada 2016

In Canada, NorthWest Healthcare Properties REIT (real estate investment trust) is the largest non-government owner and manager of healthcare facilities. The REIT provides investors access to a high quality international healthcare real estate infrastructure comprised of interests in a diversified portfolio of 139 income-producing properties and 9.3 million square feet of gross leasable area located throughout major markets in Canada, Brazil, Germany, Australia and New Zealand.

Having consolidated the medical office building sector in Canada, NorthWest also operates and manages healthcare facilities in Australia, Brazil, Germany, and New Zealand. Globally, the REIT has established partnerships with leading local healthcare providers to put into place a world class healthcare infrastructure platform that ensures steady income growth and opportunities for future expansion.

NorthWest tailors its facilities to local demand and needs. As a result, the trust has been able to secure long-term indexed leases that ensure predictable income streams. NorthWest was set up in 2004 and has since acquired a deep pool of specialised knowledge in the management of healthcare properties. The firm employs over 180 experienced professionals and maintains a network of nine offices in five countries. NorthWest is the only REIT listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX:NWH.UN) focused on global healthcare real estate.

The CFI.co judging panel recognises that healthcare offers room for sustained growth. Demand for facilities is unlikely to taper off any time soon. NorthWest allows investors exposure to an otherwise difficult market to penetrate. The judges are pleased to present NorthWest Healthcare Properties REIT with their 2016 Best Healthcare Industry REIT Canada Award.


Fitch Ratings: Best Global Rating Service

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.


MDS: Best Insurance Solutions Portugal 2017

Founded in 1984 to provide tailor-made insurance services to business, Portugal’s MDS has grown into a diversified brokerage group with a presence on three continents. The firm is jointly owned by Sonae, one of the country’s largest business conglomerates, and the Brazilian Suzano Group with interests in the paper and renewable energy sectors.

With a dominant presence in Portugal, Brazil, Angola, and Mozambique, MDS is recognised for its comprehensive range of premium insurance products and services that are easily adapted to precisely fit client needs. In Portugal, MDS has now become the country’s largest insurance broker whilst in Brazil the company – with twelve branch offices and more than 400 professionals – is firmly established among the top five brokerages.

MDS is one of the founding members – and driving forces – of Brokerslink, a global broking company which bundles the capacity of independent insurance brokers. Brokerslink is owned by shareholders from forty countries and manages a network of brokers and specialty consulting firms in a hundred countries, helping establish cross-border partnerships and offering access to highly specialised insurance products not usually available in single jurisdictions.

MDS leveraged its superior technology and expertise to quickly gain prominence in its markets. The firm has invested considerable effort into expanding its geographic footprint, in addition to offering staff access to advanced and up-to-date training programmes in London and elsewhere.

The CFI.co judging panel notes that MDS remains dedicated to serving its clients efficiently and, always, with a personal touch. Excellence comprises many different dimensions – all amply covered by MDS. The judges consider MDS the clear winner of the 2017 Best Insurance Solutions Portugal Award.


Nordea Asset Management: Best ESG Investment Process Europe 2016

The largest retail fund provider of the Nordic countries, Nordea Asset Management has over €215 billion in assets under management. As part of the Wealth Management business area within the Nordea Group – the leading financial services provider in the Nordic area with over ten million clients – Nordea Asset Management offers its services in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Its global business model assures clients access to asset classes across the investment spectrum.

Nordea Asset Management (NAM) is an early adopter of responsible investment and they deliver on the mandate given to them by their clients – to generate the highest possible return with the lowest possible risk by managing and investing their assets in a responsible way. Nordea Asset Management is an active owner and engages with companies on environmental, social and corporate governance practices (ESG).

By combining financial performance with responsibility, Nordea Asset Management strives to offer clients responsible solutions. They add value to their clients by actively considering environmental, social and governance issues (ESG) in their analysis and investment decisions – particularly through their investment research, asset allocation and performance monitoring. Nordea Asset Management works to integrate ESG research into the investment processes of their investment units and also develops and run specialized ESG products.

The CFI.co judging panel therefore offers Nordea Asset Management the 2016 Best ESG Investment Process Europe Award for the third year in a row.


Red & White Consulting Partners: Best Business Transformation Consultancy Boutique Singapore 2016

Cutting through the clutter, armed with vast amounts of data and a wide array of analytical tools, Red & White Consulting Partners of Singapore offers a holistic approach to address any issue – from the most mundane to the wildly esoteric – faced by business. Established by two experienced bankers in 2013, the firm quickly gained a global reach via alliances forged with premier consultancies in Great Britain, the United States, and elsewhere.

With over twenty years of corporate experience in one of the world’s most competitive markets, Red & White Consulting Partners offers pinpoint accurate human, financial, manufacturing, and business analytics in addition to data-driven advice on business transformation.

Corporates aiming for the next level up, have engaged the firm to plot a course to success. Deriving inspiration from the maxim that failing to plan is planning to fail, the firm attaches great importance to establish carefully choreographed strategic vectors, extrapolated from data-based fact, along which businesses may expect to prosper. Wishful thinking is banned from all equations by a strict adherence to diagnostic processes that deconstruct the present in order to shape the future.

The CFI.co judging panel applauds that thorough approach pioneered by the Singapore firm and is in no doubt that its active pursuit of data-driven business solutions significantly adds to overall efficiencies and sustainable growth. The judges are pleased to offer Red & White Consulting Partners the 2016 Best Business Transformation Consultancy Boutique Singapore Award.


Bremont Watch Company: Best Heritage Technology Innovator UK 2016

Britannia may no longer rule the waves, Great Britain remains master of the precision mechanical engineering domain: a pursuit that delivered, amongst others, the world’s first precision chronometer, manufactured, largely from wood, by John Harrison in 1735 – the first “sea clock” that helped solve the longitude conundrum.

Carrying on the tradition of exquisitely fine mechanical engineering, the Bremont Watch Company of Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire manufactures quartz-free timepieces of exceptional quality. The company was founded in 2002 as a specialist watch purveyor to pilots on vintage aircrafts and others with an appreciation of vintage technology. Built with passion, Bremont wristwatches are prized not just for their accuracy, but for being marvels of craftsmanship wrapped in elegant enclosures that stand at the epitome of contemporary design – tasteful homages to the art and skill of horology.

A thriving business, Bremont produces around 10,000 timepieces annually, all assembled by hand and tested to withstand the most extreme of environments. Bremont watches are a favourite amongst RAF pilots who have access to special edition versions that celebrate particular aircraft flown in the line of duty. Committed to delivering uncompromising performance now and far into the future, Bremont maintains a large apprentice scheme to train tomorrow’s watchmakers, ensuring the fine art of horology is kept alive.

The CFI.co judging panel congratulates the company on its sizable contribution to British precision engineering and is pleased to offer Bremont Watch Company the 2016 Best Heritage Technology Innovator UK Award.


Max Myanmar Group: Best ESG Transparency Myanmar 2016

Max Myanmar Group is one of the largest conglomerates in the Southeast Asian country with interests spanning almost the full range of Myanmar’s buoyant economy, including the energy, hospitality, manufacturing, and logistics sectors amongst others. A fixture of the local corporate universe since 1993, the Max Myanmar Group is widely recognised for managing to sustain strong growth under all market conditions.

The business group comprises seven independently operating companies. Synergies are obtained from a shared adherence to the highest ethical and operational standards. Max Myanmar Group was one of the first Myanmar businesses to derive value from its embrace of corporate social responsibility and the adoption of comprehensive environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards that align with international best practices. Taking the long-term view on the creation of value for all stakeholders, Max Myanmar group has benefitted, and profited, from its progressive stance on ESG.

The group employs more than seven thousand people and has repeatedly scored high marks on employee satisfaction. The company is dedicated to ensuring the welfare of its workers and maintain a large number of initiatives that enable both personal and professional growth. The group also insists on not undertaking any business venture that fails to benefit the communities in which it operates.

For its turn, the CFI.co judging panel recognises Max Myanmar Group’s unwavering commitment to help underpin the development of Myanmar. A repeat winner, Max Myanmar Group is granted the 2016 Best ESG Transparency Myanmar Award.


Banco Económico: Best Bank Governance Angola 2016

A Commercial and Investment bank charged with financially underpinning development projects in Angola, Banco Económico squarely aims to become the bank of choice for all Angolans. It does so by offering a client-centric approach to the provision of financial services and pursuing excellence in corporate governance. Both internal and external processes have been updated to allow for greater transparency and compliance with international best practices and regulations.

After a successfully concluded rebranding exercise, and a revamping of the shareholder structure, Banco Económico has been thoroughly reinvigorated. The bank draws on its vast operational expertise to offer clients an exceptionally broad array of financial products and services. In Angola, Banco Económico is recognised as an early adopter of corporate social responsibility, supporting a number of programmes set up to broaden access to education, healthcare, and culture.

The bank has also put its considerable weight behind initiatives that promote financial inclusion and the overall development of the economy. Maintaining a number of specialised divisions, Banco Económico offers differentiated lines of products and services that dovetail with the specific needs of the oil and gas industry, traders, smaller businesses, and other sectors of vital importance to the country.

The CFI.co judging panel is pleased to note that Banco Económico emphasises the need to adhere to the strictest standards of corporate governance and, indeed, has placed compliance at the core of its business model. The judges declare Banco Económico winner of the 2016 Best Bank Governance Angola Award.


SEDCO Holding: Best Sharia-Compliant Group Corporate Governance GCC 2016

Of modest origin and carefully nurtured to become one of Saudi Arabia’s leading wealth management company, SEDCO Holding adheres to time-honoured Sharia principles in the allocation of its clients assets. A family business characterised by its embrace of the highest ethical standards, SEDCO Holding can trace its roots to a trading and contracting company set up in 1976 to pursue diversified long-term investment opportunities both in the kingdom and abroad.

Today, SEDCO Holding has a presence in the most dynamic sectors of the Saudi economy and manages a number of funds that help underwrite major projects and corporations. From its early days, the company has maintained a strict separation between its owners and the highly skilled management team put in place to ensure consistent returns.

SEDCO Holding is praised and recognised for providing leadership in corporate governance, setting an industry-wide benchmark against which others may gauge their performance. Its support for the financial education for young people has blossomed into a vast national programme that is close to reaching two million young Saudis, helping them attain financial independence.

Over the last few years, SEDCO Holding has made a grand move into the buoyant hospitality sector with two hotel openings in Makkah. The CFI.co judging panel entertains no doubt that SEDCO Holding’s successful twin-pronged approach to investing – fully Sharia-compliant and pursuing excellence in corporate governance – merit recognition. The company is declared winner of the 2016 Best Sharia-Compliant Group Corporate Governance Award GCC.


Catoca: Best ESG Mining Operations Angola 2016

Working one of the world’s richest kimberlite pipes, Angola’s Catoca Mining Company extracts close to seven million carats in high-grade diamonds annually – representing, by value, over three-quarters of the country’s production. The Catoca mine in northeast Angola is well-known for yielding almost double the world’s average of gem-quality diamonds.

As a pioneer of corporate social responsibility in Angola, Catoca maintains an exceptionally broad range of initiatives that aim to underpin the nation’s sustainable development. Amongst others, the company helps underwrite projects that deliver potable water to isolated communities, provide schooling to children from underprivileged families, offer skills development opportunities to workers, and finance healthcare initiatives.

Catoca also runs its mine in an ecologically conscious manner, balancing economic needs with those of the environment. The company has actively pushed for legislation that promotes sustainable development models and was one of the first to establish a dedicated department to design and implement corporate policies with a view to reducing the environmental footprint and impact of operations.

The company has adopted strategies to reconstitute exhausted parts of the mine, monitor and control effluents, properly manage solid waste, and educate both staff and surrounding communities on the importance of greening all forms of economic activity.

The CFI.co judging panel commends Catoca on its proactive and ground-breaking approach to managing the company’s environmental impact, reaching out to all stakeholders, and adhering to transparent governance practices. Catoca is declared winner of the 2016 Best ESG Mining Operations Angola Award.


Agthia Group: Best Corporate Governance UAE 2016

Excellence in corporate governance is a key to success. Abu Dhabi-based Agthia Group, a leading food and beverage company, has deployed its solid governance record to drive growth and expansion. In order to gain, and maintain, its competitive edge Agthia Group follows a holistic approach to corporate affairs that includes proactive stakeholder engagement and seeks to produce lasting value.

Keeping a vigilant eye on its business fundamentals, Agthia Group considers transparency, accountability, and environmental stewardship essential to its success and part of its risk mitigation strategy. Processes and procedures have been put into place to continuously monitor performance on key non-financial corporate parameters in order to assure that goals are met and remedial action may be taken long before issues detected escalate.

Agthia Group’s board of directors is recognised for its prudent, yet dynamic, approach to its oversight of the company’s operations. The management framework adopted by the company is designed to ensure appropriate business objectives are consistently met or exceeded and the interests of all stakeholders are represented throughout the organisation. Additionally, Agthia Group maintains a rigorously applied code of conduct that imposes corporate best practices, adherence to the highest ethical standards, and full compliance with all relevant legal requirements.

The CFI.co judging panel is happy to note that Agthia Group, a previous winner, has expanded on its already formidable reputation for excellence in corporate governance. The judges are therefore delighted to offer Agthia Group the 2016 Best Corporate Governance UAE Award.


Black Sea Trade and Development Bank: Best Regional Development Bank Global 2016

Offering unparalleled flexibility in the structuring of its clients financing requirements, the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB) meets the needs of businesses and state-owned entities in one of the world’s most dynamic – and fastest growing – regions. Headquartered in Thessaloniki, Greece – and set up in 1999 by the governments of Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine – the bank aims to support economic development and trade throughout the Black Sea Region.

The BSTDB maintains a number of facilities geared towards micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), recognising their importance as engines of growth. The bank often works in conjunction with organisations that support SMEs such as Albania’s Fondi Besa which recently accessed a $5m credit facility to supply working capital to rural MSMEs. In Georgia the BSTDB helped a local bank set up a MSME financing programme.

The bank is also heavily involved in underwriting regional trade by offering a number of instruments that address the funding needs of exporters and trading companies. Trade financing options run from short-term – typically less than one year – to medium/long-term with tenors of up to ten years.

The CFI.co judging panel is pleased to see the BSTDB take an active role in the promotion of both international trade and regional development. The judges reaffirm last year’s win and declare the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank winner of the 2016 Best Regional Development Bank Award.


Kuwait International Bank: Fastest-Growing Islamic Bank MENA 2016 & Best Sharia-Compliant Bank MENA 2016

Recipient of a dual award, Kuwait International Bank (KIB) has a significant impact on the financial services industry of the country. KIB gained wide recognition as a pioneer of Islamic banking, conducting its business, and adjusting all internal operations and processes, in accordance to Sharia Law. With a domestic network of 26 branches, KIB maintains a prominent presence in Kuwait and offers both corporate and individual clients a wealth of products and services ranging from financing transactions and treasury management to property administration and lease-to-own facilities.

KIB has pursued operational excellence and full compliance with Sharia Law since its foundation in 2007. Since then, KIB has accumulated a vast reservoir of experience that is leveraged to maintain a competitive edge and offer clients tailored palettes of services that suit their individual interests. Deposited funds are deployed in investments with proceeds split between depositors and the bank according to mudharabah principles as determined by a specially constituted board of Sharia scholars in charge of oversight.

KIB has proved beyond any doubt that Sharia-compliant banking offers all the services expected of a modern financial services provider and does so with a remarkable agility and flexibility. The CFI.co judging panel commends KIB on its strong performance. The bank is a repeat winner and is now recognised again. Kuwait International bank is declared winner of the 2016 Fastest-Growing Islamic Bank MENA Award and the 2016 Best Sharia-Compliant Bank MENA Award.


Bancomext: Best Trade Finance Bank Mexico 2016

Mexico’s Banco Nacional de Comercio Exterior (Bancomext), founded in 1937, is one of the country’s principal trade facilitators. The bank finances trade and foreign currency generating industries and has a wealth of experience in the efficient delivery of products and services tailored to meet the needs of businesses that venture beyond Mexico’s borders.

At heart, Bancomext is a development bank, partnering with private business to tap into global markets, seizing opportunities, and driving the expansion of the country’s export sector. The bank is particularly focused on financing investment projects geared towards international trade. Bancomext has been a long-time financier of Mexico’s buoyant tourism industry and also offered support to projects in the industrial, logistics, and energy sectors.

Bancomext works closely with a number of carefully selected commercial banks to add to its reach and roster of services, offering clients a holistic approach to the provision of financial services. The bank is known for establishing long-term relationships with its corporate clients. Thus, Bancomext aims to gain a better understanding of their businesses with a view to offering optimised services.

More than 65% of Bancomext’s loan portfolio is in foreign currency, as it finances its clients export activities and investment needs. In August 2016 Bancomext became the first development bank to issue Tier 2 subordinated debt, which boosted its capital base and strengthened its balance sheet.

The bank supports international trade with a full array of products, including factoring facilities available to both importers and exporters. Bancomext also partners with commercial banks to offer support to small and medium-sized business with cross-border interests. The CFI.co judging panel is pleased to offer Bancomext the 2016 Best Trade Finance Bank Mexico Award.


Tanqia: Best Wastewater Utility Management Team Middle East 2017

Designed to maximise efficiency and throughput, Tanqia is the only privately-owned wastewater collection and treatment facility in the Middle East. Processing up to 16,000 cubic metres of wastewater every day, the UAE-plant covers an area of some sixteen hectares just south of Qidfaa. The state-of-the-art facility started operations in 2008 and currently consists of two modules and may be easily expanded to meet increased demand. A doubling of capacity is already being planned.

Tanqia maintains a vast primary and secondary network for the collection of wastewater that stretches over 300 linear kilometres and includes thirty pumping stations. An expansion of the network with another thirty kilometres of mains and eight additional pumping stations is being implemented. A public-private partnership between Elwan, a boutique infrastructure development company, and Mubadala – the private-sector investment vehicle of the Abu Dhabi government, Tanqia is globally recognised for its efficiency, setting benchmarks for the entire industry.

Producing high quality effluent thanks to its technology-driven approach to wastewater management, Tanqia helps preserve the emirate’s valuable water resources. The effluent is used for the irrigation of golf courses and public parks and by a number of industries such as construction and mining amongst others.

The CFI.co judging panel notes that Tanqia helps protect the environment by treating wastewater that was previously disposed of in marshlands at significant risk to public health. The judging panel is pleased to offer Tanqia the 2017 Best Wastewater Utility Management Team Middle East Award.


Banque Leonardo: Best Boutique Private Bank France 2016

Banque Leonardo is the French subsidiary of the banking group Banca Leonardo, founded in Milan in October 1999.

In April 2006, a group of leading European investors coordinated by Gerardo Braggiotti acquired and recapitalised Banca Leonardo with the purpose of creating the first private and independent investment bank in Italy and becoming the market leader through highly developed consulting services, a differentiated and long-term individual approach, value-added services, professionalism and expertise.

As of today, thanks to several key investments and financial transactions aimed at strengthening its core business, Banca Leonardo operates, directly and through its subsidiaries, in Italy, France and Switzerland.

Banque Leonardo, the French arm of the group, offers, with a one-stop-shop approach, wealth management and asset management services able to analyse and satisfy clients’ investment needs, even the most complex ones. Banque Leonardo’s mission is to protect clients’ assets, preserve their purchasing power, and maintain and improve their life style over time.

Over time the group Banca Leonardo has developed a unique approach to managing family wealth that taps into dynamic global markets whilst honouring the timeless traditions of private banking – discretion, prudence, and agility.

Offering a central vault for all asset classes, Banque Leonardo pursues a single contact point model that offers its clients added convenience and allows for short lines of communications which, in turn, enables the bank to seize the moment – and the opportunity.

The CFI.co judging panel is pleased to confirm Banque Leonardo’s win of the 2016 Best Boutique Private Bank France Award.


BIDV Securities Company: Best Securities Broker Vietnam 2016

Home to a roaring economy, Vietnam is not only open for business but adding dimensions and layers to its corporate universe with the development of strong indigenous capital markets. The Hanoi-government has repeatedly called for the accelerated equitisation of state-owned businesses in order to prime them for world markets. The push has opened a wealth of opportunities for savvy early investors aiming to hitch their fortune to one of the world’s most dynamic markets.

The BIDV Securities Company (BSC), a subsidiary of the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam, is one of the country’s first full-service brokerages. BSC enjoys wide recognition for its local market expertise and privileged access to both data and opportunity. BSC has played a leading role in the shaping of the two major Vietnam stock exchanges in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

Leveraging the countrywide footprint of its BIDV parent, BSC has a unique overview of both national and local corporate trends and developments that allow the brokerage to identify exceptional opportunities for their clients’ benefit. BSC maintains a state-of-the-art IT backbone and offers investors all the advantages of dealing with a highly trained and experienced team of professionals.

The CFI.co judging panel notes that BSC aims to establish long-term relationships with investors and adheres to a fully scalable business model that allows the firm to offer services precisely tailored to individual investor needs. BSC is declared winner of the 2016 Best Securities Broker Vietnam Award.


Middle East Capital Group (MECG): Best Client-Tailored Financial Solutions MENA 2016

One of the leading financial services providers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), the Middle East Capital Group (MECG) derives its success from its adherence to a client-centric approach. The firm – headquartered in Beirut and 98.5% owned by the First National Bank of Lebanon – has been widely recognised for the outstanding level of its services. MECG is a full member of the Beirut Stock Exchange and offers its clients maximum exposure to the many opportunities available throughout the economically buoyant region.

Focused on delivering results today, rather than in the distant future, MECG builds long-term relationships with its clients in order to understand their needs and tolerance for risk. MECG couples the highest operational standards to an equally elevated ethical code that puts the interests of client centre stage. The firm maintains a number of investment funds that have consistently outperformed local benchmarks and the overall market. This year MECG launches a real estate fund to tap into one of the most dynamic of regional markets.

Regardless the size of their portfolio, MECG clients are assured of personal attention and have a team of highly trained and experienced professionals at hand to help guide their decisions. The CFI.co judging panel commends MECG on its hand-on personalised approach to investment and recognises the value of bespoke solutions. The judges are happy to confirm Middle East Capital Group as winner of the 2016 Best Client-Tailored Financial Solutions MENA Award.


Costa Rican Investment & Development Board (CINDE): Best International High-Tech Investment Promotion Team Latin America 2016

Costa Rica is one of those countries that seldom grab the global headlines. This is, however, a good thing. A stable democracy for over 120 years, with unmatched economic stability in the region, Costa Rica is making waves in a different way: the country is home to a growing number of international corporations that have found a business-friendly haven and an environment that rewards innovation. Costa Rica is fast on its way to become a hub of high-tech manufacturing and research.

The Costa Rican Investment Promotion Agency (CINDE) helps businesses considering a move to the country navigate its streamlined regulatory environment. The agency assists businesses plug into local society which is characterised, amongst others, by the excellence of the education system that, according to data compiled by the World Economic Forum delivers results superior to those obtained in countries such as the US, India, Brazil, and China. Costa Rica has established a close working relationship between industry and academia which helps match curriculums to the needs of employers.

CINDE has accumulated a wealth of up-to-date data that enables investors to maximise exposure to the benefits Costa Rica can deliver. The country also maintains a free trade zone regime that offers incentives to corporate newcomers. The CFI.co judging panel commends Costa Rica on its hands-on approach and is pleased to declare CINDE winner of the 2016 Best International High-Tech Investment Promotion Team Latin America Award.


Nornickel: Best Mining Corporate Governance Russia 2016

Working the richest nickel, copper, and palladium deposits found anywhere, Russian mining giant Nornickel is the world’s largest producer of refined nickel and palladium. The company was established in 1935 and privatised in 1995. With mining operations in Russia, Nornickel’s bedrock remains centred on the Taymir Peninsula, home to Norilsk, the northernmost city in the world and scene of one of the largest volcanic events in the earth’s geological history which some 250 million years ago produced the Siberian Traps and with them the exceptionally rich mineral veins mined by Nornickel.

Aware that mining operations in Russia’s far north have not always been conducted in a sustainable fashion, Nornickel has now implemented a programme that aims to vastly reduce the environmental footprint of its smelters. With a view to appropriate all relevant environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards Nornickel placed its entire operation on a sustainable footing.

The company also adopted a thoroughly revised corporate policy that safeguards the interests of all stakeholders. Thus, Nornickel aims to strengthen its position as the world’s leading producer of nickel and palladium, and other base and precious metals.

The CFI.co judging panel recognises that demand for nickel and palladium are set to rise dramatically as low and zero emissions vehicles are developed. The judges are pleased to note that Nornickel has moved into the pole position as a premier supplier of the critical materials required by the automotive industry. Nornickel is declared winner of the 2016 Best Mining Corporate Governance Russia Award.


Cooperative Central Bank: Best Social Impact Bank Cyprus 2016

Operating since 1937 and being a cornerstone of society, the Cooperative Central Bank (CCB) in Cyprus promotes an inclusive and socially-inspired approach to financial services. The Bank’s mission is to provide innovative and easily accessible services to all citizens and support entrepreneurs. As a cooperative bank, the Bank remains true to its founding principles based on the Raiffeisen co-op societies that emerged in the late 1800s.

Today, Cooperative Central Bank is found at the leading edge of the financial services industry in Cyprus offering a wide range of products and services through its member societies. CCB boasts a nationwide reach ensuring all Cypriots are able to avail themselves of the Bank’s services.

CCB is a member of the Geneva-based International Cooperative Alliance, the largest non-governmental organisation in the world, which supports the global cooperative movement. CCB adheres to a strict code of corporate governance and is characterised by its commitment to transparency.

Since the recapitalisation of the Cooperative Credit Sector in 2014 the state owned CCB was able to build up its buffers and successfully passing pass a number of stress tests.

The CFI.co judging panel recognises the value of cooperative banking as a promoter of financial inclusion and social progress. The judges also acknowledge CCB’s contribution to the global cooperative movement and applaud its adherence to cooperative values. The Cooperative Central Bank is declared winner of the 2016 Best Social Impact Bank Cyprus Award.


Banque Transatlantique: Best Private Bank France 2016

A trusted and longstanding partner to the wealthy, Banque Transatlantique adheres to old world values whilst serving its select clients with present-day panache in the pursuit of perfection. Founded in 1881, the bank has handled the pecuniary affairs of the French foreign service personnel with notable distinction and helped entrepreneurs as they struck out globally in search of opportunity.

Though firmly attached to its heritage, over time Banque Transatlantique changed in tandem with its environment to become a private bank with a worldwide reach offering bespoke and innovative solutions to their clients’ requirements and aspirations. Taking a holistic long-term approach to financial management, Banque Transatlantique has developed a fully scalable suite of products and services that extends well beyond the standard fare of private banking and incorporates the key aspects of its well-known multidisciplinary style of wealth management.

Maintaining a delicate equilibrium between prudence and diversification in the allocation of client funds, Banque Transatlantique ensures a coherent asset management policy prevails regardless of market conditions.

With a branch network that includes the world’s premier financial centres, Banque Transatlantique emphasises its corporate creed that proximity to clients and markets is of paramount importance for the proper management of investment portfolios. The bank also offers segmented services tailored to suit the needs of real estate investors, family offices, art collectors, and others requiring highly specialised assistance.

The CFI.co judging panel is pleased to recognise Banque Transatlantique as the winner of the 2016 Best Private Bank France Award.


Waha Capital: Best Emerging Markets Investment Manager MENA 2016

Pursuing optimal exposure to diversified asset classes, Abu Dhabi-based Waha Capital offers investors ample opportunity to benefit from buoyant emerging markets. The company, founded in 1997, manages asset portfolios that include sizeable stakes in the logistics and infrastructure, property, financial services, and healthcare sectors, amongst many others.

Waha Capital has established a solid track record with the deployment of capital in markets and segments that display strong fundamentals and have been earmarked for accelerated development by governments in the Middle East and North Africa. The firm also manages both global and regional credit and equity portfolios. This ensures high levels of liquidity while enhancing the company’s drive towards diversification.

Deploying its capital efficiently, and with a view to strong appreciation, has allowed Waha Capital to offer above-market sustainable returns to both shareholders and investment partners.

Starting out as a leasing company, Waha Capital evolved into an investment company as a logical progression from its expertise in the management of high-value assets. The firm has driven its expansion by organic growth and by establishing several strategic investment partnerships.

The company’s capital markets team has been particularly successful in global credit markets. Encouraged by the exceptional results, Waha Capital is expanding its scope to include portfolio management services to third-party investors. The CFI.co judging panel applauds the company’s dedication to operational excellence and client service, and wishes to recognise Waha Capital as winner of the 2016 Best Emerging Markets Investment Manager MENA Award.


Cyprus Development Bank: Best Corporate Bank Cyprus 2016

Established in 1963 as a public entity to help further economic progress, the Cyprus Development Bank (cdbbank) – privatised in 2008 – has become a major driver of private enterprise in its domestic market and abroad. Fully geared towards servicing the diverse needs of corporations with up-to-date and innovative products, the bank also helps private and institutional investors manage their portfolios.

Since its privatisation, cdbbank has carved out a significant niche by focusing on the local business community, catering to the needs of corporate and institutional clients. Widely recognised for its operational excellence and client-centric approach, cdbbank aims to respond flexibly and efficiently to customer requirements, leveraging its deep reservoir of in-house expertise as one of the country’s most venerable financial institutions.

In 1999, cdbbank established the Investment Bank of Kuban (IBK) in Russia’s Krasnodar Region on the northeast shore of the Black Sea. The bank was set up jointly with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. cdbbank also helped with the transformation of the Palestinian Development Fund into a bank.

cdbbank continues its dynamic growth by investing in and expanding its business operations and services. The bank has recently developed further in the International Banking sector and has invested in human resources, new premises as well as cutting-edge digital systems to continue providing high quality client service. In addition, cdbbank has also expanded its scope to include services to sectors earmarked by the government for accelerated development such as alternative energy and technology. The CFI.co judging panel commends cdbbank on its dedication to excellence in corporate and commercial banking, staying on top of technological developments, and applying its expertise to offer clients comprehensive, specialised services suited to their specific needs. The judges are pleased to offer Cyprus Development Bank the 2016 Best Corporate Bank Cyprus Award.


Akerton Partners: Best Corporate Finance Advisory Team Spain 2016

Spain has become an engine of economic growth in Europe. The country’s economy is set to expand by well over 3% in 2017. Emerging from a long recession, opportunity beckons with the value of corporate assets still lagging as the rather lacklustre performance of the IBEX35 indicates. However, investors are tuning in to the news from Madrid. Interest in Spain is markedly up and so are deals.

Akerton Partners, an independent consultancy specialised in the structuring of financial deals for corporates and their investors, stakeholders, and financiers, was founded in 2008 by a group of professionals who had earned their spurs in the financial and business worlds. The firm aims to create and sustain value for its clients by investigating every angle of a proposed deal, minimising exposure to risk, and implementing innovative solutions.

Akerton Partners enjoys a well-established reputation for effective out-of-the box thinking that yields consistent results. The firm is widely recognised as a formidable repository of knowledge on Spanish corporate finance. Its financial experts act as true partners to their clients’ businesses, offering insights rarely available elsewhere.

As an independent advisory, Akerton Partners stands at the very apex of its sector in Spain. The CFI.co judging panel is well aware of its formidable reputation. For a second consecutive year the judges have decided to award the firm a win. Thus, Akerton Partners is the recipient of the 2016 Best Corporate Finance Advisory Team Spain Award.


Philips: Most Innovative Healthcare Technology Global 2016

At the forefront of innovation in healthcare technology, Royal Philips recently announced the launch of its high-performance IntelliSpace Universal Data Manager which offers healthcare providers a fully scalable and secure way to gather, store, and move large volumes of medical data, including high resolution scans and other heavy files. The data manager collects input from multiple sources which allows clinicians spread across different facilities and companies to access, share, and collaborate in a single seamless process.

The IntelliSpace Universal Data Manager complements a comprehensive suite of healthcare informatics products including radiology workflow applications and the IntelliSpace Portal which offers medical professionals an advanced visualisation and quantification platform. The IntelliSpace suite succeeded in establishing an integrated healthcare management system that meets providers current and future need and enables a more holistic form of patient care.

In addition to its already formidable core functionality, IntelliSpace Portal may be enhanced by more than seventy add-on applications. The portal is available throughout the medical facility and was designed to improve collaboration between clinicians and departments and make data widely available within the organisation in order to reduce error margins and mitigate risk.

In addition to cutting-edge applications, Philips also sustains a full range of high-end medical equipment from advanced molecular imaging to fluoroscopy, respiratory care, and interventional x-ray, amongst many others. Recognising the company as one of the world’s premier provider of healthcare technology, the CFI.co judging panel is pleased to offer Royal Philips the 2016 Most Innovative Healthcare Technology Global Award.


Ahli United Bank: Best Regional Bank GCC 2016

Established in 2000 and with a reach now extending to Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, UAE, Egypt, Iraq, Libya and the United Kingdom, Bahrain headquartered Ahli United Bank has become one of the region’s top financial services providers. The bank offers a full range of products and services across all segments of the business from retail and corporate banking to private banking, wealth management and bancassurance. Additionally, Ahli United Bank offers its clients access to a full range of Sharia-compliant financial services.

AUB achieved a record net profit of $537.2 million in 2015, representing an 11.3% growth over the net profit of US$ 482.5 million in 2014. The strong financial performance of the Bank is driven by AUB’s well-managed business model based on diversification and cross border flows and on the success of its selective growth initiatives to increase operating income, manage costs and mitigate risk challenges in its target markets.

Despite tighter fiscal policy and weaker private sector activity resulting in lower liquidity in the banking system and moderate regional economic growth, AUB sustained its positive core performance trend in the first nine months of 2016 as it reported a net profit of $442.1 million, an increase of 5.5% as compared to $419.2 million in YTD Sep-2015.

Since its establishment in 2000, Ahli United Bank has adopted and adhered to a strict corporate governance framework, in line with the international best practices. Its solid embrace of prudent and balanced approach to banking has enabled Ahli United Bank to drive corporate, retail and private banking growth and to achieve additional momentum through targeted acquisitions. The bank’s corporate social responsibility initiatives have been recognised, amongst others, for their contribution towards enhancing micro finance in Bahrain through its shareholding in Family Bank.

The CFI.co judging panel commends Ahli United Bank on its continued progress. After an earlier win in 2014, the judges have agreed to affirm and recognise Ahli United Bank as the winner of the 2016 Best Regional Bank GCC Award.


GAINDE 2000: Best Digital Security Solutions West Africa 2016

Considered as a reference in digital services industry in Africa, GAINDE 2000 is a pioneer in several fields in term of paperless procedures and a key contributor in the Senegalese leadership in several aspects of the digital economy. GAINDE 2000 is recognized internationally since 2007 as the first prizewinner of the TIGA’s first edition (Technology in Government in Africa) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, doubled in 2012 with the prestigious 1st world place of the United Nations Public Service Award (UNPSA) in the category of improving the quality of public service.

A fresh look at GAINDE 2000’s initiatives showed a keen will to master appropriate information technologies to bring solutions to genuine problems while taking into account possible situations on the ground. This entitled GAINDE 2000 an acknowledged know how in Africa leading to the assistance of several governments in its domain of expertise.

Linked to other African companies, GAINDE 2000 initiated the African Alliance for Electronic Trade, an organization gathering 17 countries and working to facilitate E-commerce within the continent, in 2009.

However what has drawn the attention of the jury is works achieved by GAINDE 2000 over the two last years. Two core initiatives have particularly attracted the jury’s attention. First of all on the digital security plan, GAINDE 2000 set up one of the first public key infrastructures in sub-Saharan Africa enabling the issuance of secure certificates necessary for digital signature. A fact making Senegal one of the rare African countries where 100% digital documents are used to carry out valid public formalities. That requirement of security and quality has been confirmed by very demanding ISO certifications such as the 27001 and the 9001 both obtained by GAINDE 2000.

At the same time, GAINDE 2000 has also innovated by setting up on electronic payment means not to add an extra alternative among many other solutions already existing in Senegal, but developing a very secure federating platform that has as main purpose to aggregate all means of payment thus allowing a simplified and secure process to all payers and billers. That innovative approach is a sign of pragmatism from GAINDE 2000 which is a key stakeholder in digital development in Africa.

The CFI.co judging panel is excited that GAINDE 2000 actively helps streamline all sorts of procedures with its software. By doing so, the company significantly adds to the dynamic of the Senegalese economy. The judges are pleased to offer GAINDE 2000 the 2016 Best Digital Security Solutions West Africa Award.


Economena Analytics: Best Data Provider Middle East 2016

Every investor or stakeholder in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) grapples with the same challenge: finding consistently reliable data. A region of buoyant economies and exciting emerging and pioneer markets, MENA’s continued progress depends to a large extent on improving access to analytical data and other research-driven business tools that gauge corporate and macroeconomic performance and plot ways towards increased efficiency.

Beirut-based Economena Analytics is a well-established trailblazer in the provision of business research and analytical tools, plus ancillary services, that cover the entire MENA Region. With a staff of seasoned analysts, the firm produces a vast stream of data collected from hundreds of reliable sources and intelligently compiled for easy digestion. Economena Analytics offers clients a wide range of multilingual turnkey systems that offer both snapshots and in-depth analysis of economies, industry sectors, markets and individual companies. The Lebanese firm is plugged into a vast network of primary data providers which ensures that information is continuously updated. Clients enjoy instant real-time access to hundreds of thousands of indicators which may be combined, sorted, and visualised to detect trends and pinpoint opportunity.

Economena Analytics clients include risk and investment analysts, economists, policymakers, business writers, academic researchers and others who need reliable data to keep abreast of fast-paced developments.

The CFI.co judging panel understands that solid data underpins both business and governments. The judges recognise the value of the services provided by Economena Analytics and declare the firm winner of the 2016 Best Data Provider Middle East Award.


InvestSA: Best Investment Promotion Agency Africa 2016

Upgraded this year to manage South Africa’s investment promotion and facilitation efforts, InvestSA has set about its job with considerable gusto. The new entity works with a superior product: South Africa remains the continent’s powerhouse and one very much open for business. South Africa not only boasts a business-friendly environment but also an ascendant market with a buoyant middle class clamouring for up-to-date products and services.

InvestSA is an initiative of South Africa’s Department of Trade and Industry which has historically played a crucial role in the promotion of investment and now an enhanced facilitation service as a driver of national development. The department has managed to insert South Africa in a global web of trade and investment deals. As a result of that push, South Africa is now part of a growing global value chain that also includes neighbouring countries. In fact, InvestSA aims to promote South Africa as the natural gateway to the buoyant markets of Southern Africa and the East African seaboard. South Africa is currently recognised as a regional manufacturing hub.

InvestSA works in tandem with provincial investment promotion agencies to source opportunities for investors that, in turn, dovetail with both local and national development aims and goals. As the international investment arm of the Department of Trade and Industry, InvestSA has already made great strides in promoting packaged investment projects and promoting direct foreign investment. The CFI.co judging panel considers the entity a worthy winner of the 2016 Best Investment Promotion Agency Africa Award.


Sakar Healthcare: Best SME Growth IPO India 2016

Sakar Healthcare of India manufactures a growing range of pharmaceutical formulations for both domestic and international markets. SAKAR has already proven a decade-long operational success in supplying diversified range of pharmaceutical products for premier multinational corporations for their domestic and overseas operations. Sakar Healthcare maintains a global network of distributors and has obtained brand in most major markets. It is currently in the process of expanding globally, foraying into regulated markets including European Union, looking out for overseas Strategic Joint ventures and Market acquisitions.

Seizing the moment, Sakar Healthcare debuted on the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) board of India’s National Stock Exchange (NSE) in September. The IPO raised funds to build a new lyophilisation facility, bolster working capital reserves, and finance registration processes abroad, amongst others. The company is also working on plans to market pharmaceuticals under its own brand name, potentially lifting the business bottom line.

Sakar Healthcare has established an enviable reputation for quality control enabling the company to broach new markets and quickly gain regulatory approval for its products. With state-of-the-art and fully-automated manufacturing facilities equipped with machines imported from Germany, Italy, Switzerland and a comprehensive product line, Sakar Healthcare is poised for sustained organic growth, leveraging its core competency.

The CFI.co judging panel notes that the company has expended considerable efforts at providing world-class pharmaceutical formulations and maintaining benchmark-setting quality levels attained by the continuous monitoring of its output. The judges also remarked that the company has timed its IPO to coincide with strong investor demand for shares in tech-heavy medium-sized businesses that are set for a breakout. The judges are pleased to offer Sakar Healthcare the 2016 Best SME Growth IPO India Award.


Pharnext: Best Life-Sciences IPO France 2016

Pushing the boundaries of medical research, French biopharmaceutical company Pharnext specialises in the development of drugs that help treat neurodegenerative diseases. The firm was formed by a group of renowned scientists led by Professor Daniel Cohen, a widely recognised pioneer in modern genomics.

Pharnext has received the green light for a Phase 3 international trial of a product for the treatment of Charcot-Marie-Tooth Type 1A, a designated orphan disease in the United States and Europe for which drugs may gain final approval via a much abbreviated procedure. The company has already obtained positive results for the Phase 2 trial of its PXT864 drug for the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Pharnext is a global leader in the development of PLEODRUG© which simultaneously target multiple disease pathways. The company has identified a number of synergic combinations of already existing drugs, effectively repurposing their use. This offers key advantages to patients and investors alike: PLEODRUG© are deemed effective, safe, and – crucially – enjoy protection under international intellectual property law.

In June 2016, Pharnext successfully debuted on the Paris Euronext Alternext stock exchange raising in excess of €30 million from mostly Tier-1 institutional investors. The initial public offering was significantly oversubscribed. The proceeds of the IPO will be invested in Pharnext’s already formidable research effort and provide liquidity for future undertakings.

The CFI.co judging panel congratulates the company on its flawlessly executed IPO and wishes to recognise this accomplishment by offering Pharnext the 2016 Best Life-Sciences IPO France Award.


NAWATechnologies: Best Nanostructure CleanTech Innovation Team Europe 2016

With businesses globally striving to minimise their environmental footprint and embracing sustainable practice, NAWATechnologies – home to fifteen years of research and development results in nanomaterials – is well-poised to reap the rewards of sustained efforts to help reduce the world’s dependency on fossil fuel. The company thrives on imagination. It is one of only a select few businesses that have managed to integrate nanotechnology and green-tech.

NAWATechnologies recently opened its first pilot production line to produce ultra-rapid carbon batteries that incorporate aligned nanostructures that vastly improve storage capacity while reducing charging times. The company has also developed three specific thermal interface materials – thin films of nanotubes that help manage the thermal properties of power components.

NAWATechnologies is a spin-off of the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission. Founded in 2013 and located in the south of France, the company has become a leading player in the technological side of sustainable development. NAWATechnologies aims to leverage the power of nanotechnology to reduce the power consumption of electronic components, move towards electric mobility and help the integration of renewable energy into the smart grids currently being developed. The company has woven a network comprised of high-tech businesses and organisations in order to benefit from synergies.

The CFI.co judging panel is awed by the practical applications NAWATechnologies has found for the results of its extended research. The company presents tomorrow, today. As such, NAWATechnology is declared winner of the 2016 Best Nanostructure CleanTech Innovation Team Europe Award.


KLCCP Stapled Group: Best Shariah-Compliant REIT Malaysia 2016

An Islamic REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) with a fully Shariah-compliant property portfolio, KLCCP Stapled Group offers investors optimal exposure to buoyant real estate markets in Malaysia. KLCCP Stapled Group is actively managed and tilted towards office and retail properties. KLCCP Stapled Group has an active acquisition strategy designed to ensure capital growth and provide unitholders regular and stable distributions. Adhering to a policy framework characterised by prudence and risk mitigation, the trust as a rule leverages up to 50% of its total asset value.

The KLCCP Stapled Group is focused on underpinning the long-term viability of its property portfolios by integrating sustainability principles into the decision-making process, thus ensuring that investment positions and development projects reflect and anticipate changing market conditions.

Additionally, the group maintains a number of corporate social responsibility initiatives and fully embraces up-to-date environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards with a view to ensuring the business’ sustainability and long-term profitability. KLCCP Stapled Group has, in fact, established benchmarks for corporate transparency as grounded in the PETRONAS Corporate Sustainability Framework, thus ensuring the highest standards of governance, business ethics, and integrity are maintained whilst the interests of all stakeholders are taken into consideration.

The CFI.co judging panel recognises the value of the sustainability principles and their ability to optimise corporate performance. The judges are pleased to offer KLCCP Stapled Group the 2016 Best Shariah-Compliant REIT Malaysia Award.


FundCalibre: Best Investment Fund Research United Kingdom 2016

In a universe of more than 3,000 funds available to UK investors, FundCalibre gives its Elite Rating to only around 150. With an in-house research team that boasts more than 50 years of expertise, the ratings house meets hundreds of managers each year to filter the list down to only those they believe truly stand out.

At the heart of FundCalibre’s evaluation process is the firm’s proprietary AlphaQuest tool, which not only analyses past performance, but finds the funds most likely to outperform based on their managers’ track records. A fund must achieve a certain AlphaQuest score before the team will even consider further qualitative research.

FundCalibre’s research analysts will then interview the managers face-to-face to better understand their investment process and style, and what gives them an edge. Finally, both quantitative and qualitative analysis is subjected to peer group review before deciding whether to award an Elite Rating.

FundCalibre enables experienced investors to help validate decisions and find hidden gems, while newcomers may benefit from its simple, easy-to-understand ratings system; straightforward, jargon-free research notes; and weekly editorial email to highlight and explain major financial news.

Due to investor demand, the Elite Rating now also includes a ‘Responsible Investing’ category, which looks at funds that set out to make a difference through both avoiding various sectors and trends, as well as actively seeking out companies that are leading the way in terms of environmental action and social responsibility.

Taking the guesswork out of the investment process, FundCalibre provides a valuable service to the independent investor. The CFI.co judging panel is pleased to offer FundCalibre the 2016 Best Investment Fund Research United Kingdom Award.


HSBC Germany: Best Debt Origination Team DACH

Offering highly innovative financial solutions for large corporates, institutional clients, and investors, HSBC Germany facilitates access to a wide array of services that build upon the bank’s global reach, its heritage, and vast reservoirs of local expertise.

HSBC Germany was an early adopter – if not pioneer – of a holistic style of banking that bundles the strengths of relationship managers and product specialists to design custom solutions for both domestic and international clients.

Taking the long view, the bank attaches great importance to the forging of lasting relationships that allow its professionals to gain a thorough understanding of clients’ present and future needs. HSBC offers a range of trade and supply chain services in addition to payments and cash management solutions, securities services, amongst others.

The bank’s Capital Financing Division ties in seamlessly with a client’s capital structure to provide integrated solutions that span the financial universe from equity and debt capital markets to leveraged and acquisition finance, and asset-backed finance.

HSBC Germany is one of the leading debt houses for all issuances in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Due to the strong  domestic roots and the group’s unrivalled global distribution capabilities, HSBC offers an extremely competitive mix of granular private placements in all formats, local currencies and sizable benchmark issuances in all currencies combined with the whole spectrum of derivate and liability management solutions The CFI.co judging panel commends HSBC Germany for its comprehensive support of Germany’s export-oriented economy by serving issuers with the most global and broadest debt capital markets platforms in Germany. HSBC has made a significant progress in the last 12 months in terms of client relations’ depth and breadth with leading league table positions in EUR, USD, and GBP as well as PP products, especially German Schuldschein.

The judges are pleased to extend the 2016 Best Debt Origination Team DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) Award to HSBC Germany.


Wafacash: Best Money Transfer Services Morocco 2016

There is more to transferring money than meets the eye. Speed is of the essence, as are products that meet client requirements at a price point that sustains business profitability. In a cash-intensive society, an effective mechanism to transfer money anywhere anytime provides the economic lifeblood without which business would crumble. Morocco’s Wafacash not only understands the supreme importance of its services; the company has designed a business model on the premise that both private and business clients need to move their funds quickly and cheaply.

Finely attuned to the markets shifting demands, Wafacash offers simplicity and flexibility. The company has managed to streamline customer transactions to a process that rarely takes more than three minutes. The largest money transfer platform in Morocco, Wafacash processes around five billion transactions annually through a nationwide network of over 1,500 branches.

Wafacash’ operations are backed up by a state-of-the art IT backbone that ensures the swift execution of transfers. Moroccan businesses have come to depend on the company’s services to pay invoices and settle receivables. Launched in 1991, Wafacash partnered with Western Union four years later and thus offered the American company its first toehold in Africa. Wafacash has since established close relationships with specialist branches of the UN to improve access to financial services throughout West Africa.

The CFI.co judging panel recognise the company as a pioneer in its field. The judges have declared Wafacash winner of the 2016 Best Money Transfer Services Morocco Award.


Teranga Gold Corporation: Best ESG-Responsible Mining Management West Africa 2016

Recognising that its mining operations may have both temporary and long-term effects on the environment and the communities in which it operates, Teranga Gold Corporation thoroughly assesses its impact long before the first spade is driven into the ground. The company, headquartered in Canada, operates Senegal’s only commercial gold mine and mill and does so with a keen eye for the sustainability of its operations.

Once Senegal updated its mining law with input from the World Bank, Teranga Gold applied for, and received, a concession in the Birimian greenstone belt along the country’s border with Mali. Estimating that its mine has a lifespan of at least another thirteen years, Teranga Gold has implemented a framework of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards that enables the company to engage all stakeholder and safeguard their interests. Teranga Gold also maintains a comprehensive corporate social responsibility programme.

The company’s success in Senegal has led to a drive to broaden Teranga’s geographical footprint. To that end, Teranga Gold recently completed the acquisition of Gryphon Minerals which holds a mining license in Burkina Faso where the company’s Banfora Gold Project remains undeveloped. Industry experts consider the Banfora Project a high grade, high quality asset in one of West Africa’s most stable jurisdictions.

The CFI.co judging panel recognises that Teranga has set the gold standard for mining operations in West Africa. The judges are pleased to name Teranga Gold Corporation winner of the 2016 Best ESG-Responsible Mining Management West Africa Award.


Pyramidal Technologies: Best Forensic Technologies Global 2016

[caption id="attachment_3772" align="aligncenter" width="837"] Jeff Felske and Ardavan Tajbakhsh[/caption]

Deploying the power of innovation and mathematics, Pyramidal Technologies has revolutionised forensics by taking  opinion out of the equation. The company has produced a breakthrough technology that transformed forensic ballistics from a subjective art into a fact-based science, enhancing criminal evidence provided in courts of law. Pyramidal Technologies has developed an open architecture for forensic ballistics capable of communicating with other systems such as those that process and analyse DNA, fingerprints, facial recognition systems, etc. in order to generate investigative leads and assist law enforcement officials with criminal investigations.

The company’s hardware-light, software-heavy applications offer the flexibility that allows users – law enforcement agencies, justice officials, the military, and other government entities – to fully customise their solution and, hence, their experience. The resulting bespoke systems are also significantly less expensive than competing products.

Pyramidal Technologies’ flagship Advanced Ballistics Analysis System (ALIAS) allows forensic ballistics technicians to analyse expended cartridges and bullets faster and with much more accuracy than before – setting a new industry standard. ALIAS renders true 3D high-resolution “digital clones” of crime scene evidence and offers both correlation and confirmation capabilities that vastly enhance examiners’ ability to reach definite conclusions. ALIAS produces scans of casings or bullets at better than two microns laterally and two hundred nanometres vertically creating detailed images unavailable with any other system.

ALIAS empowers law enforcement officials to create their own secure, scalable, hierarchical relational database that allows them to quickly search for mathematically close matches to the specific case under investigation, extending the capabilities of the investigator. The system also simplifies the work of ballistics analysts by giving them access to an intuitive solution that significantly reduces their workload when investigating violent firearms crimes.

The CFI.co judging panel commends Pyramidal Technologies for its string of achievements in advancing forensic science and providing new tools that increase both accuracy and user convenience. The judges are pleased to declare Pyramidal Technologies winner of the 2016 Best Forensic Technology Global Award.


International Watch Company (IWC): Best CSR Switzerland

[caption id="attachment_3395" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Yan Lefort, Global Department Manager Partnerships & Sponsorship[/caption]

IWC watches offer a timeless product, seamlessly blending traditional skills and the latest in technology. Aimed squarely at upmarket clients who appreciate both exquisite design and peerless craftsmanship, IWC watches do not convey fashion statements nor flash opulence. Rather, IWC watches just aim to tell the precise time.

Resisting the temptation to produce mass market watches with a lifespan roughly equal to their battery charge, IWC quietly does its part towards the furthering of sustainable manufacturing. The company was an early adopter of corporate social responsibility (CSR), embracing a number of practices that aim to deliver a tangible contribution to the well-being of all stakeholders. Already in 2007 the company achieved carbon neutrality, the first watch company to do so. 2017 will mark ten years since this market leading achievement.

Adhering to a holistic approach that permeates all corporate processes, IWC ensures its long-term success. The business is run with a view to guaranteeing profitability not just for the next quarter, but over the next century. IWC expects its suppliers to follow a similar approach, preferring to establish solid long-term partnerships, as opposed to incidental touch-and-go relationships.

The same philosophy is applied to IWC client relations. The company stands behind its products and offers to service any of its timepieces regardless their age: an IWC watch is meant for life and, indeed, to traverse generations.

The Swiss precision watchmaker has partnered with a number of entities serving equally timeless causes such as the Charles Darwin Foundation, the leading scientific research organisation on the Galapagos Islands. IWC offers its clients an opportunity to become benefactors to the foundation and thus gain access to insights and facilities not open to the general public.

The CFI.co judging panel commends IWC for not merely adhering to international best practices, but for setting the benchmark and offering others a model to follow. The company excels at fostering a corporate culture in which the bottom line is but one component in a comprehensive suite of performance parameters. The judges are delighted to offer International Watch Company the 2015 Best CSR Switzerland Award.


Tag Heuer: Best Watch Brand Switzerland

Tag Heuer means to watches what Jazz means to music; as timeless representatives of the Avante-Garde since their inception, they have both shaped and innovated through improvisation.

Long before Jazz would swing into modernity with oscillating time signatures, Heuer would change the course of chronography with the world’s first oscillating pinion in 1887 – a concept which is still integral in watchmaking today.

Heuer’s next pivotal move was in 1911, whereby Heuer introduced the first 12-hour dashboard chronograph for automobiles and aircrafts. Five years later, Heuer unveiled the first stopwatch accurate to 1/100th of a second.  Tag Heuer’s domination within the automobile industry, which continues to this day, was soon later set in stone upon the release of the Tag Heuer Carrera – the first wristwatch designed for professional drivers.

Now is the era of the Tag Connected; designed to stamp out high-end and low-end smartwatch disruptors alike. Set for a November release, the Android and IOS compatible Tag Connected watch features a 1.6Ghz Intel dual core processor, and will be offered at a mid-market rate. What is most impressive is the design; the sleek, classic exterior and a elegant choice of watch faces are a testament to Tag Heuer’s experienced craftmanship of over 150 years.

While the masses listen to bland time signatures and play with their Apples, the Avant-Garde search for a signature timepiece of which Tag Heuer has always consistently provided. For the company’s consistent dedication to perfecting technical innovation, the CFI Judging Panel awards Tag Heuer as the Best Swiss Watch Brand for 2016.


Arab Investment Company: Best Corporate Finance Advisory Team Kuwait 2016

A boutique investment firm with a comprehensive array of services, Arab Investment Company (AIC) operates as a classic merchant bank focused on quality and skills honed to perfection over time. Tapping into Kuwait’s heritage as a centre of financial expertise, AIC has established a strong reputation in corporate finance. The firm is one of the leading merger and acquisition facilitators in the country and has helped major multinational companies structure investment projects both domestically and abroad.

Part of the Bukhamseen Group of companies, one of Kuwait’s largest conglomerates, AIC has the reach and executorial power usually associated with larger firms whilst retaining the operational nimbleness of a boutique bank. The company is one of only a handful of firms that is already fully compliant with Kuwait’s broadened capital market regulatory framework which aims to allow local financial services providers to easily adapt to, and embrace, global standards. Recognised as a trendsetter, AIC helped shape the new framework by providing the market regulator with significant input throughout the drafting process.

In a market that not only requires expertise to navigate but also a degree of who-you-are and who-you-know confidence, AIC towers well above the crowd. The CFI.co judging panel notes that the big boys of global corporate finance and asset management regularly call upon AIC to help structure and seal complex deals. The judges are indeed pleased to offer the Arab Investment Company the 2016 Best Corporate Finance Advisory Team Kuwait Award.


MauBank: Best SME Bank Mauritius 2016

[caption id="attachment_3784" align="aligncenter" width="500"] CEO: Sridhar Nagarajan[/caption]

Formed after a merger between two of Mauritius’ financial services providers, MauBank has revitalised and shaken up the banking sector, gaining wide and almost instant recognition as one of the nation’s most dynamic banks – and generating healthy profits within 6 months of the merger.

The MauBank brand has been positioned as one promoting entrepreneurship, underwriting the efforts of small and medium-sized businesses and empowering micro-enterprises and sole traders to scale up their undertakings. Straddling the divide between a commercial bank and a development bank, the institution squarely aims to provide a boost to the local business community. Over a quarter of MauBank’s assets are committed to support SMEs.

MauBank’s experienced management team works closely together with clients to seize business opportunities via a suite of fully scalable and flexible products and services, tailored to meet – and exceed – their specific requirements. Thus, MauBank often acts more as a partner to business than a mere financier. The bank also boasts a number of facilities that enables businesspeople to hone their skills and tap into yet unexplored markets or niches.

After the merger that created the institution, MauBank recruited the best and brightest professionals to shape its operations. The bank has progressively streamlined internal and external processes in order to better and quicker respond to the needs of its clients.
The CFI.co judging panel congratulates the bank on its many accomplishments since the merger and declares MauBank winner of the 2016 Best SME Bank Mauritius Award.


Park West Gallery: Best Independent Fine Art Auction House Global 2016

It’s all about the artists. Park West Gallery has helped more than two million customers around the world add to their collections of fine art. The firm represents some of today’s most celebrated artists such as Peter Max (79), a pop art master whose bright colours immortalised the 1967 Summer of Love, and Yaacov Agam, a leading pioneer of kinetic art.

Park West Gallery was the first to bring fine art auctions to cruise ships, allowing passengers ample time and opportunity to become acquainted with the works offered. It still is the largest business in shipboard auctions, selling more than 300,000 pieces annually.

The gallery also organises fine art auctions at select Ritz-Carlton hotels. Uniquely, the company is not merely focused on selling art, but also seeks to further enhance public awareness and knowledge of the art world. To that end, Park West Gallery invites critics and artists for talks at large events. This way, the company aims to make art more accessible to the public.

The largest privately-owned art dealer in the world by volume of sales, Park West Gallery maintains two facilities: its classical Greco-Roman headquarters in Michigan with no less than 23 exhibition spaces and a sprawling distribution centre in Florida. Park West Gallery employs well over 1,200 people.

The CFI.co judging panel wishes to recognise Park West Gallery’s superior performance and declares the company winner of the 2016 Best Independent Fine Art Auction House Global Award.


Rolls-Royce: Best Luxury Heritage UK

Rolls-Royce is a brand synonymous with success; a British symbol of excellence and engineering offered only to the best of the best – from celebrities to CEOs. Designed to be distinguished, every Rolls-Royce is adorned with the famed hood ornament, the Spirit of Ecstasy, the original design of which is still shrouded in mystery today.

To this day, every Spirit of Ecstasy is a unique work of art, each finished and polished by hand. Many of the cars are one-offs. Customers can sit with Rolls-Royce designers, craftspeople, and engineers at the company’s headquarters in Goodwood to commission their own bespoke models.

An example of one of the company’s first forays into bespoke car design began with the infamous Phantom IV – one of the rarest Rolls-Royce’s in the world – with only eighteen ever made. This model was designed exclusively for the British monarchy in 1950, with Queen Elizabeth II receiving the very first. Rolls-Royces have been favoured by the royal family ever since.

The company’s status as a British heritage has stood strong for decades, true to a business model which combines the spirit of ingenuity, class, and customer service of its founders: Charles Stewart Rolls, the gentleman enthusiast; Henry Royce, the brilliant engineer; and Claude Johnson, the business genius.

The CFI.co judging panel feel that Rolls-Royce deserves the finest acclaim for its dedication to both quality and its customers for over a century. The judges thus offer Rolls-Royce the 2016 Best Luxury Heritage UK Award.


Bridgestone Firestone: Best CSR Manufacturer Asia Pacific 2016

The Bridgestone Firestone Group is the world’s largest tyre manufacturer since 2015. As the company grows, so too does its social responsibility.

The group has been working fervently to achieve its CSR vision through its core mission of “serving society with superior quality”; words famously uttered by Bridgestone’s founder Shojiro Ishibashi.

The company’s two-pronged approach to CSR includes a focus on both management level – through its products and corporate activity – and individual level – through employee activities. However, Bridgestone Firestone’s larger initiatives surrounding mobility in Asia and the Pacific have been the most impressive: the company’s involvement in the Bangkok Traffic Congestion Elimination Project is often cited as an example.

Bridgestone Firestone’s stance on the development of mobility sees a recycling-orientated society as a necessity. Through establishing the OneTeam environmental programme the company has developed a framework where both leadership and teammates are focused on methods to achieve the company’s environmental goals.

Because of this, Bridgestone Firestone Americas has moved forward with its vision of achieving a waste-free tyre industry under the Tires4ward programme. With this, the company aims to ensure that for every tyre that it sells in the US, it will repurpose an out-of-use tyre. Since the programme launched in 2012, Bridgestone Firestone has recycled almost 120,000 tyres from communities nationwide.

The CFI.co judging panel commends Bridgestone Firestone on its deep involvement with the development of mobility alongside CSR and offers the company the 2016 Best CSR Manufacturer Asia Pacific Award.


eDreams ODIGEO: Best Online Travel Partner Global 2016

One of Europe’s largest and most-recognisable e-businesses, eDreams ODIGEO manages a number of premier brands that set the pace of the buoyant online travel industry. The company’s portfolio comprises five brands – each a market leader in their geography – that offer clients a growing palette of travel-related services such as bookings on charter, low-cost, and regular airlines in addition to hotel, cruise, and car rental reservations. eDreams ODIGEO also sells complete packages to clients looking to streamline their travel plans.

Present in 44 markets on six continents, and with a staff of over 1,700 dedicated professionals, eDreams ODIGEO maintains a network of fifteen offices that serve over 17 million clients. The company registers in excess of 750 million monthly searches across its 143 websites. Listed on the Madrid Stock Exchange, eDreams was set up in 2000 with help from US and European venture capital funds.

Growing into a conglomerate that helped shape the online travel industry, the company absorbed a number of competitors via mergers and acquisitions. In 2013, eDreams ODIGEO bought Liligo – a search engine that enables visitors to compare the pricing of travel products. Liligo pioneered a multi-modal search facility to allows users to search for the best price across a range of travel options including air, rail, and road.

For the second year running, the CFI.co judging panel agrees that the company is a worthy winner. The judges are pleased to offer eDreams ODIGEO the 2016 Best Online Travel Partner Award.


Oracle: Best Database Software Global

One of the world’s most widely used open source database applications has found a safe and nurturing home in Oracle – the second-largest software company in the world. After it acquired Sun Microsystems in 2010, Oracle became the keeper of MySQL – a relational database management system originally developed in Sweden and released as a fully-functional free version under the terms of the GNU General Public License. Proprietary commercial versions with added functionality are also marketed.

MySQL is a favourite amongst web designers worldwide and powers more than a quarter of the world’s websites as part of a software stack that also include server and scripting software. MySQL also sits at the heart of countless open source content management systems such as WordPress and Drupal. Easily scalable, MySQL drives websites with large traffic volumes such as Facebook, Twitter, and even Google – though not for its searches.

Oracle’s acquisition of MySQL, albeit indirect, initially caused considerable concern for the database’s future as open source software. However, Oracle has not only maintained support for MySQL but increased the frequency of updated releases as well – thus proving that a large corporation can be an excellent guardian of open source software. Oracle also supports, maintains, and updates JavaScript – one of the web’s most popular programming languages.

The CFI.co judging panel commends Oracle on its support of MySQL and a series of other essential open source projects. The judges are pleased to offer Oracle the 2016 Best Database Software Global Award.


Savills Investment Management: Best Global Real Estate Portfolio Manager United Kingdom 2016

With its roots in fund management, Savills Investment Management was set up in late 2003 as a platform for actively administered real estate investments in Europe and – more recently – Asia. Aiming to generate higher risk-adjusted returns, the firm’s portfolio was designed with a view to securing increased income streams from rentals. Savills Investment Management actively pursues properties that require major refurbishment or additional development that offset an initially higher exposure to short-term risk with improved long-term rates of return.

Following a hands-on approach to the investment process, the company’s board is heavily involved at all stages in order review opportunities, ensure risk mitigation, and monitor adherence to client and in-house guidelines.

Savills Investment Management has gained industry-wide recognition for its thorough research which covers both the macro and micro aspects of the real estate market. The resulting data allow the firm to assess the overall market and identify, early-on, opportunity.

Savills Investment Management’s team of experts are able to match investors to tailor-made portfolios that dovetail with individual requirements and tolerance to risk. The strategy is fully data driven and augmented by on-the-ground monitoring by the firm’s experienced officers.

The CFI.co judging panel agrees that successful real estate investment necessitates access to a wealth of reliable data which, in turn, requires both specific expertise and experience. The judges are pleased to confirm Savills Investment Management’s win of the 2016 Best Global Real Estate Portfolio Manager United Kingdom Award.


FreeBalance: Most Innovative Public Sector Management Solutions Global 2016

FreeBalance helps governments around the world manage their resources with public financial management solutions that enhance transparency and accountability. The firm offers a unified governance platform that allows public officials to place financial management and resource planning at the core of their smart government decision-making processes.

FreeBalance works closely with its customers through the FreeBalance International Steering Committee (FISC) to ensure that its solutions evolve in tandem with global governance standards and customer expectations. To date, the governments of 25 countries are leveraging public financial management solutions from FreeBalance as the foundation for smart government.

Aware of its far-reaching responsibilities, FreeBalance adheres to the highest ethical standards and partners with local professionals to develop strong and lasting ties with clients. With a mission to make the world a better place through smart technology, the firm believes it is possible to accelerate development by applying robust financial management techniques that combat waste and increase efficiency.

The unified governance platform from FreeBalance improves the performance of smart government by providing a single view of data from government priorities (budget) through execution and results. FreeBalance customers include national, state or provincial, and local governments trying to improve country prosperity, well-being and the stewardship of public funds through digital transformation.

The CFI.co judging panel applauds the firm’s hand-on global approach to the management of government resources and is pleased to offer FreeBalance the 2016 Most Innovative Public Sector Management Solutions Global Award.


Barclays Africa Group: Best SME Partner Bank Africa 2016

Small and often tiny businesses are responsible for generating around a third of Africa’s GDP. Include medium-sized businesses, and fully half of the continent’s economy is accounted for. SMEs create more jobs than any other sector and employ over half of the continent’s workforce. Finally, SMEs are recognised for pushing economic diversification and strengthening their markets’ resilience to external shocks.

Barclays Africa Group has long assumed a leadership role in championing the cause of small businesses, providing support and helping improve both efficiencies and economies of scale. The group maintains a range of initiatives that aim to empower business owners via learning programmes and networks that facilitate access to markets, amongst others.

Barclays Africa Group offers a range of financial products and services tailored to the needs of SMEs. The bank is actively engaged in the promotion of business development and provides entrepreneurs with the tools that enable them to start and grow their businesses. The group’s Enterprise Development Centres complement incubator, accelerator, and supply chain development programmes designed to help entrepreneurs aim for, and attain, success.

Via its innovative online procurement portal, Barclays Africa Group helps SMEs connect with opportunities offered by corporate and government buyers.

The CFI.co judging panel commends the group on its proactive approach to helping small businesses succeed and prosper. The judges wish to recognise the sustained efforts of Barclays Africa Group, a repeat winner, by offering it the 2016 Best SME Partner Bank Africa Award.


Raffles Dubai: Best Luxury Hospitality Leadership Middle East

Standing, proudly, at the apex of splendour and perpetuating the grandeur of a time almost lost, Raffles welcomes its overnight guests to a painstakingly crafted world of unhurried luxury. The original Raffles Hotel in Singapore, birthplace of the legendary Singapore Sling and a home away from home to nearly all of the world’s greats, remains a celebrated landmark – and a national monument – in the city state at the crossroads of civilisations.

From its founding in 1887 as a ten-room guest lodge overlooking the South China Sea, Raffles has been synonymous with style and elegance, a magnet for the wealthy and powerful craving for a respite from their hectic surroundings. Offering a veritable oasis of tranquillity, and its fabled Long Bar where Ernest Hemingway and Somerset Maughan found inspiration, Raffles left no detail to chance and soon set the benchmark for luxury hotels the world over.

That legacy remains alive today as Raffles expands overseas. In addition to the original in Singapore, eleven Raffles Hotels have been opened across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Instead of pursuing uniformity, Raffles has awarded each of its hotels a set of unique characteristics whilst remaining true to the brand’s hallmark of unsurpassed quality.

Raffles Dubai lends its surroundings a touch of class with an understated, yet ever-present, refinement – an art acquired through heritage rather than by learning.

The CFI.co judging panel cannot help but offer Raffles Dubai an ode to its accomplishments: successfully replicating that what is unique by its very definition. Thus, Raffles Dubai is offered the 2016 Best Luxury Hospitality Leadership Middle East Award.


KPMG: Best Tax Team Germany

Known as one of the Big Four auditing firms, KPMG is a professional services company specialising in audit, tax, consulting, and deal advisory.

In Germany alone, the company boasts 9,800 employees in over twenty locations and its tax advisory team includes interdisciplinary specialists with access to KPMG’s top-of-the-range data-management system. Each specialist operates within his/her own key industry group in order to fully understand specific tax issues within each industry.

Germany’s tax transformation is set to take the country by storm, thanks to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s global action plan on base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS). This plan includes fifteen action points to ensure international tax rules are fit for today’s globalised world; adequately taxing multinational companies and closing tax avoidance loopholes.

With a verbal commitment to BEPS, as well as a first draft law to implement the action plan, Germany is well on the way to changing its corporate taxation matrices – and KPMG is well prepared for this. The firm is already advising clients on how to meet their compliance responsibilities and act on planning opportunities. The German team not only has access to dedicated resources across the global network, but can also draw from the deep knowledge base of the global offices for multinational tax queries.

The firm’s industry-orientated organisation and depth of resources only adds to the fantastic wealth of knowledge and experience of its employees. The CFI.co judging panel is pleased to offer KPMG the 2016 Best Tax Team Germany Award.


Exotix: Best Frontier Markets Investment Banking Team - UK 2016

With analysts covering more countries than any other frontier markets firm in the world, Exotix has been renowned for its thought leadership and dominance within the field for over 15 years.

Having traded since the time frontier and illiquid markets were still dubbed “exotics”, the company has had time to build invaluable relationships and expertise within the industry, allowing its clients to benefit from the innovative financing structures it can offer.

The firm’s stronghold spans across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin America, and provides investment banking services to over 130 companies, financial institutions, investment funds and governments. Not only that, but Exotix enjoys a leading market share of trading across Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Exotix is also quick to jump on the new opportunities and trends its famous research team swiftly uncovers; the firm is currently planning an expansion of the core global loans business and coverage of Latin America, where it has seen major gains.

The firm’s ongoing global deals are a testament to its success, including a range of upcoming IPOs and energy projects – from renewables to oil and gas. Exotix also recently announced a landmark deal with a Tanzanian company, Swala Oil and Gas, to place corporate bonds of up to a value of $120 million in order to finance a material transaction.

The CFI.co judging panel commends Exotix on its dominance and knowledgeability of its market, and awards the firm with the Best Frontier Markets Investment Banking Team in the UK for 2016.


Coseer: Best Intelligent Workflow Technology United States 2016

Providing superpowers to repetitive and predictable workflows via tactical cognitive software allows companies to free-up valuable staff time in order that workers may concentrate on creative tasks and exercise judgment at crucial junctions. Confined and entrusted to technology, routine tasks – the bane of many a professional – are effectively outsourced.

Coseer, a pioneer of language processing, has developed and implemented a fully scalable technological platform – comprising a growing number of modules – which executes tasks that previously required large teams. Coseer’s comprehensive suite of cognitive software can be set up to emulate and automate any language-driven workflow. While deployment times depend on complexity, systems can achieve over 95% accuracy in four to twelve weeks.

Coseer workflow technology allows businesses to quickly become more responsive, better informed, and significantly smarter. The company’s products are suitable to businesses of all sizes, ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500 corporates.

Coseer’s platform of technologies is able to process language without grammar and develop new language comprehension on-the-fly. As such, the company has broken a long-time barrier by being able to effectively parse information without depending on the grammatical structure of language. Thanks to artificial intelligence, Coseer systems understand language the same way a human does.

The CFI.co judging panel finds much to be excited about in Coseer’s approach to cognitive software. The company provides rich detail to what was previously uncharted territory. Coseer is declared winner of the 2016 Best Intelligent Workflow Technology United States Award.