The Church Commissioners for England was named as best real estate investor at the IPE Awards & Conference in Berlin on Thursday.
The UK invetsor also won awards for climate risk-related management, and environmental and social governance.
Ärzteversorgung Westfalen-Lippe won the award for infrastructure investments, as well winning the fixed-income and Germany categories.
The National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) was the big winner, taking home the coveted gold award for Best European Pension Fund.
The UK defined contribution pension fund – launched just five years ago – also won the Best Small Pension Fund award.
Fiona Miller won the Pension Fund Achievement of the Year award for her commitment to the recent pooling concept among the UK’s local authority pensions, while Bernhard Wiesner took home the final Gold Award for Outstanding Industry Contribution for his pioneering efforts at the Bosch scheme in Germany and Europe.
For the first time in the history of the awards, a single category was won by three contenders, with Swedish buffer fund AP4 and the UK’s British Steel and Merchant Navy Officers pension funds sharing the Gold Award for Best Long-term Investment Strategy.
The full list of the winners
Gold Awards
Long-Term Investment Strategy: AP4, British Steel Pension Fund and Merchant Navy Officers Pension Fund
Pension Fund Achievement of the Year: Fiona Miller
Outstanding Industry Contribution: Bernhard Wiesner
Best European Pension Fund: NEST (National Employment Savings Trust)
Silver Awards
Active Management: Bosch Pensionsfonds
Passive Management: KB First Pension Company JSC Skopje
Best Corporate Pension Fund: Bosch Pensionsfonds
Best Multi-employer/Professional Pension Fund: Almenni Pension Fund
Best Public Pension Fund: ABP
Best Small Pension Fund: NEST (National Employment Savings Trust)
Best Sovereign Reserve Fund: Pension Reserve Fund of the Republic of Srpska
Bronze Awards
Alternatives: SEB Life & Pension
Equities: SEB Life & Pension
Fixed Income: Ärzteversorgung Westfalen-Lippe
Themed Awards
Climate Related Risk Management: Church Commissioners for England
DC & Hybrid Strategies: Bosch Pensionsfonds
Diversification: Santander UK Group Pension Scheme Common Fund
Emerging Markets: Royal County of Berkshire Pension Fund
ESG: Church Commissioners for England
Infrastructure: Ärzteversorgung Westfalen-Lippe
In-house Investment Team: British Steel Pension Fund
Innovation: Bosch Pensionsfonds
Portfolio Construction: PMT
Real Estate: Church Commissioners for England
Risk Management: Trafalgar House Pension Trust
Smart Beta: FRR
Specialist Investment Managers: FRR
Country Awards winners
Best Pension Fund in Austria (Pensionskasse): APK Pensionskasse
Best Pension Fund in Austria (Vorsorgekasse): fair-finance Vorsorgekasse
Best Pension Fund in Belgium: Amonis
Best Pension Fund in Central & Eastern Europe: Swedbank Pension Plan Dinamika
Best Pension Fund in Denmark: Industriens Pension
Best Pension Fund in Finland: Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Company
Best Pension Fund in France: CRPNPAC Caisse de Retraite du Personnel Navigant Professionnel de l’Aéronautique Civile
Best Pension Fund in Germany (bAV): Bosch Pensionsfonds
Best Pension Fund in Germany (Versorgungswerk): Ärzteversorgung Westfalen-Lippe
Best Pension Fund in Ireland: RetireSmart (ESB Defined Contribution Pension Scheme)
Best Pension Fund in Italy: Solidarietà Veneto Fondo Pensione
Best Pension Fund in The Netherlands: Stichting Pensioenfonds ING
Best Pension Fund in Portugal: Fundo Pensões Santander Totta
Best Pension Fund in Small Countries: Almenni Pension Fund and Frjálsi Pension Fund
Best Pension Fund in Spain (corporate scheme): Pensions Caixa 30 FP
Best Pension Fund in Spain (multi-employer scheme): Caja Ingenieros Multigestión PP
Best Pension Fund in Sweden: SPK
Best Pension Fund in Switzerland: CPEG (Caisse de Prévoyance de l’Etat de Genève)
Best Pension Fund in the UK: ICI Pension Fund
