EUROPE - E.on’s GPS service was the runaway winner of the evening at this year’s IPE Real Estate Awards as it picked up no less than five real estate investment awards and was named the Best European Pension Fund 2007.
Presented at the Moevenpick Hotel in Amsterday on Thursday, May 30, E.on’s Global Property Select (GPS) proposition was awarded the platinum status top prize as judges said GPS, which is aiming to achieve €2bn in real estate investment, had the best diversified indirect real estate portfolio of all corporate pension schemes in Europe, despite being up against some stiff competition.
As well as winning top title, E.on’s GPS division was given a gold award as Best Large Pension Fund and a silver title as best Pension Fund in the Benelux, alongside silver award accolades for Best Innovation and Best Indirect Investment Strategy, having initially been dedicated to being an internal investment platform for E.on’s pension schemes.
In 2006, GPS achieved an internal rate of return of 15% with its balanced core plus- value-added risk strategy, and any group scheme can structure its portfolio by investing in sub-funds and which again have a portfolio of 10-12 target funds with different strategies.
Lisette van Doorn, ceo of real estate association INREV was also voted by IPE Real Estate’s readers as the person most deserving of the platinum status Outstanding Industry Contribution award.
Judges noted van Doorn already headed the nominations from consultant and pension fund readers when the final shortlist of 10 was issued, and said INREV is going "from strength to strength" since her arrival in 2005 from ING Real Estate Investment Management.
Watson Wyatt was also voted by IPE Real Estate pension fund and asset manager readers for a gold award as Best Investment Consultancy while the remaining gold awards were presented to Pensam Liv and APK as Best Medium Pension Fund and Best Small Pension Fund respectively.
Elsewhere, LaSalle investment Management and ING Real Estate Investment Management shared the silver category award as Best Investment Manager.
Kommunernes Pensionsforsikring A-S (Sampension) was also presented with a silver award for Best Direct Investment Strategy while the Bank of Ireland Staff Pension Fund won Best Use of Core Investment.
The remaining silver awards were as follows:
Best Pension Fund in the UK: BT Pension Scheme
Best Pension Fund in the Nordic Region: PKA Pension Funds
Best Pension Fund in Ireland: Bank of Ireland Staff PF
Best Pension Fund in Germany-Switzerland-Austria: Nordrheinische Ärzteversorgung
Best Pension Fund in France: COREM
