When entering the Awards, please read through the following criteria for your chosen category (ies), which explain what the judging panel will be looking for when they consider the entries and select the final winners. 
The awards will be publicized internationally in the general and specialist fund media. All finalists will be honored - and the winners announced at our evening event, hosted in New York on October 4, 2018.
Entries for the 2018 awards will open in May 2018.
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2017 Fund Operations Category Criteria
Best Fund Administrator Overall
This award is designed to reward mutual fund administrators that showcase best-in-class attributes regardless of the size of assets under administration. Firms must show growth and innovation within the last 12 months, as well as a mixture of customer and revenue success. Additionally, administrators should demonstrate strong brand development.
Criteria:
• Sales/market share figures
• Demonstration of product innovation
• Description of future development possibilities
• Positive customer feedback submitted via testimonials
• Illustrate commercial and business growth
Best Administrator for Technology and Reporting
This award is designed to reward administrators that have shown excellence and innovation around reporting and technology services rendered. Success in this category depends on providing examples of how new requirements — such as Form N-PORT, Form N-CEN, Form N-Liquid and investor reporting documents — are being handled and improved. Candidates should show how their technology services contribute to winning new business and improved customer experience.
Criteria:
• Demonstration of product innovation
• Description of future development possibilities
• Positive customer feedback submitted via testimonials
• Illustrate commercial and business growth
Best Administrator Under $100bn
This award is designed to reward mutual fund administrators that are responsible for less than $100bn in assets under management. Firms should have shown growth in assets and improved innovation to garner new business over the last 12 months. Success depends on a mixture of new thinking, revenue growth and product development.
Criteria:
• Sales/market share figures
• Demonstration of product innovation
• Description of future development possibilities
• Positive customer feedback submitted via testimonials
• Illustrate commercial and business growth
Best Administrator Over $100bn
This award is designed to reward mutual fund administrators that are responsible for more than $100bn in assets under management. Firms should have shown growth in assets and improved innovation to garner new business over the last 12 months. Success depends on a mixture of new thinking, revenue growth and product development.
Criteria:
• Sales/market share figures
• Demonstration of product innovation
• Description of future development possibilities
• Positive customer feedback submitted via testimonials
• Illustrate commercial and business growth
Best Custody Services
This award is designed for custodians that showcase best-in-class attributes regarding fund custody services. Firms should have shown superior client service over the last 12 months. Success depends on a mixture of assets under custody growth, if the firm has introduced any new innovative thinking (such as new technology) into the custodial services process, and brand development.
Criteria:
• Demonstration of product innovation
• Description of future development possibilities
• Positive customer feedback submitted via testimonials
Best Law Firm
This award is designed to honor the law firm that has developed a holistic suite of effective services targeted for mutual fund company needs. Firms should have demonstrated over the last 12 months a consistently high standard in providing legal services. Success in this category depends on demonstrating superior customer services and detailing examples where client advice or counsel made a real difference for clients.
Criteria:
• Commercial success
• Demonstration of an increase in services
• Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials
• Examples of key areas of recent advice on timely industry issues
Best Law Firm – Fund Start Ups
This award is designed to honor the law firm that has displayed effective services for mutual fund startup companies. Firms must have demonstrated a high standard in legal services over the course of the last 12 months. Success in this category is dependent upon demonstration of superior customer services, and detailed examples where counsel has made a different for clients at the early stages of their firm’s growth.
Criteria:
• Commercial success
• Demonstration of an increase in services
• Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials
• Examples of areas of recent advice that led to growth for a startup fund
Best Law Firm – SEC Regulatory
This award is designed to honor the law firm who has best served the mutual fund industry as it navigates regulation from the Securities and Exchange Commission. Firms should have proven over the last 12 months a consistently high standard of legal advice, as well as superior knowledge of regulatory compliance. Success in this category is dependent upon demonstration of superior customer services, displayed knowledge of compliance law and detailed examples where client advice or counsel made a true difference for clients.
Criteria:
• Commercial success
• Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials
• Examples of key areas of timely recent advice on regulations published by the SEC
• Demonstration of an increase in services provided
Best Advisory Firm for Regulation
This award is designed to honor compliance professionals in the adviser space that have demonstrated expertise in providing mutual fund clients with regulatory advice. Success in this category depends on a mixture of demonstrating customer services and revenue growth, as well as illustrating how new regulatory requirements are being handled. Firms should detail new and innovative initiatives and showcase compliance products that have aided in business growth over the last 12 months.
Criteria:
• Commercial success
• Demonstration of an increase in clients
• Demonstration of specific product innovation
• Detail examples where advisory services has helped clients
• Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials
Best Transfer Agent and Shareholder Services
This award is designed to honor firms that have demonstrated superior shareholder and client services in a market increasingly saturated with intermediaries. Firms should showcase innovation in technology that has helped to grow business and assets over the last 12 months. Success depends on demonstration of an increase in shareholder accounts and enhanced recordkeeping services.
Criteria:
• Commercial success and business growth
• Demonstration of an increase in accounts
• Demonstration of technology innovation
• Positive customer feedback submitted via testimonials
Best Accounting and Audit Services
This award is designed to honor service providers that have made advances in providing superior accounting and audit services to mutual fund clients. As an outsourced fund accountant, firms should showcase any innovative technology or software that they have used over the last 12 months that aided business growth. Candidates should detail examples of how new products or services have been able to improve effectiveness.
Criteria:
• Improved commercial success
• Demonstration of product innovation
• Description of future development possibilities
• Positive customer feedback submitted via testimonials
Best Tax Advisory
This award is designed to honor firms that demonstrate an ability to keep up with complex and evolving tax laws by increasing the efficiency with which these services are provided for mutual fund clients. Success in this category depends on services provided— such as tax preparation for returns, audit and non-audit client capabilities, etc. — and innovation around tax technology.
Criteria:
• Improved commercial success
• Demonstration of product and technology innovation
• Description of future development possibilities
• Positive customer feedback submitted via testimonials
Best Communications and PR Firm
This award is designed to honor companies that have showcased an ability to manage the media and reputation of mutual fund clients. Success in this category depends on illustrating client and customer growth, revenue growth and detailing how PR campaigns or outreach has represented the best interest of clients.
Criteria:
• Demonstration of client numbers and client wins over the last 12 months
• Specific example of where communication advice helped a client
• Positive customer feedback submitted via testimonials
Best Fund Distributor
This award is designed to honor distributors that have showcased superior client service, particularly in the midst of regulatory uncertainty under the DOL that has been impacting distribution fees and arrangements. Firm should also detail how they have handled pressure on 12b-1 fees from the SEC. Firms should demonstrate a strong marketing ability and improved client services over the last 12 months, specially in the realm of client communications.
Criteria:
• Demonstration of service innovation
• Description of future development possibilities
• Positive customer feedback submitted via testimonials
• Illustrate commercial and business growth
• Showcase how services have acted in the best interest of shareholders
Best Cybersecurity Service Provider
This award is designed to honor the technology vendor that has shown a commitment to keeping shareholder assets safe amid a growing number of cyber threats. Candidates should provide examples of how they have been responsive to cyber threats, how they have used innovative technology and processes to guard against cyber attacks and how their technology, platform, software or infrastructure has made a positive impact on clients’ security. Success in this category depends largely on customer service, demonstration of cyber protection and outperformance in a large peer group.
Criteria:
• Description of an exceptional new product or service
• Examples of key areas of advice or technology implementation that made a genuine difference to clients
• Description of high-level of client service
• Demonstration of business growth over the last 12 months
• Positive customer feedback submitted via testimonials
2017 Fund Technology Category Criteria
Best broker-dealer overall
This award is designed to reward a broker-dealer firm who has shown growth and innovation over the course of the last 12 months in financial services. Success in this category depends on providing examples of how the firm has demonstrated innovation, responsiveness and made a difference in client business development, as well as innovation in both technology and operational capacities.
Criteria:
• Business growth and commercial success as a firm
• Description of future development possibilities
• Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials
• Demonstration of increase in mutual fund clients
Best broker-dealer client services
This award is designed to honor the broker-dealer who has best shown commitment to their clients over the last 12 months. Success in this category depends on providing examples of how the firm has displayed responsiveness and innovation to boost client growth and potential, and detailed examples of how client advice has made a significant difference to the business development of a firm.
Criteria:
• Commercial success
• Business growth
• Examples of key areas of recent advice where this firm made a different for clients
• Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials
Best technology provider overall
This award is designed to honor a firm that has provided excellent service as a provider of technology infrastructure for the mutual fund industry. Success in this category depends on the demonstration of both customer and revenue growth, as well as detailed examples of how service provision has improved communication, IT and business development of a client or clients.
Criteria:
• Commercial success
• Business growth
• Demonstration of increase in mutual fund clients
• Demonstration of product innovation
• Detail specific examples of how advice has aided clients
• Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials
Best risk management solution – innovation
This award is designed to reward mutual fund risk management providers that have displayed growth and innovation while providing mutual fund traders, portfolio and risk managers with superior risk, scenarios and portfolio analytics across complex and multi-asset investment portfolios. Success in this category is determined by customer and revenue growth, and product development innovation that boasts significant positive customer feedback and success.
Criteria:
• Commercial success
• Business growth
• Innovative risk management platform or solution development (i.e. expansion into new asset classes)
• Demonstration of increased number of mutual fund clients
• Description of future development possibilities
• Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials
Best clearing and settlement technology
This award is designed to honor a technology provider that has displayed depth and success in their technology underpinning settlement and clearing of securities. Success in this category is determined by innovative technology advancements in settlement execution and clearing reconciliation, client satisfaction, and streamlined reconciliation processes. Technical advances in light of the move to a T+2 settlement cycle will also be considered.
Criteria:
• Displayed effort moving towards a T+2 settlement cycle
• Commercial growth and business success
• Undertaking innovative technology developments for reconciliation
• Client satisfaction through positive customer feedback testimonials
Best trading technology client services
This award is designed to honor a technology provider in the mutual fund trading space with an emphasis on client services. Success in this category is determined by demonstrated attention to clients’ needs and future needs from a trading perspective, submitted positive feedback from consumers on their experiences, a thorough focus on client engagement and consistent positive results from consumers using the technology.
Criteria:
•Commercial success and business growth
• Overarching positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials
• Demonstrated ability to utilize client feedback loop to update and create new technology innovation
• A focus on client engagement that surpasses other providers in the space
Best data management solution
This award is designed to reward a mutual fund data management provider who has displayed growth while providing innovative data management solutions to the asset management community. Success in this category is determined by customer and revenue growth, innovative product development that boosts customer success and a demonstration of significant business success in the last 12 months. Consideration will be given to firms that prove they have narrowed down the scope of implementing “big data” infrastructures and strategies and can illustrate tangible ways in which their data management program or platform creates operational efficiencies.
Criteria:
• Commercial success
• Business growth
• Innovative data management solution expansion
• Demonstration of increased number of mutual fund clients
• Description of future potential endeavors in the sector
• Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials
Best overall exchange
This award is designed to honor an exchange in the mutual fund industry who has displayed both success and growth over the last 12 months. Success in this category is determined by technology innovation that has aided traders along the exchange, innovation for streamlined cost and operational efficiencies across the exchange, proven dedication to client experience as well as a positive flow across the exchange.
Criteria:
• Commercial success and business growth
• An innovative approach to debuting technology advancements that aid the operation of the exchange
• Demonstrated client growth rates
• Demonstrated success for firms across the exchange
• Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials
Best FX trading platform
This award is designed to honor a broker-dealer or provider that has shown success and growth over the last 12 months in serving the needs of the foreign exchange platform. Success in this category is determined by customer and revenue growth, as well as detailing examples of how service provision has improved foreign exchange trading for clients.
Criteria:
• Commercial success
• Business growth
• Description of future development possibilities
• Demonstration of increased clients over the course of 12 months
• Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials
Best technology/infrastructure initiative
This award is designed to reward the technology provider or mutual fund firm who has proved excellence as a technology innovator in the space over the last 12 months. Success in this category is determined by customer and revenue growth, new and efficient technology, as well as infrastructure initiatives within the industry that can be implemented with ease. Examples of how a specific initiative positively impacted client growth are critical.
Criteria:
• Customer growth and business success
• Specific examples of success for clients based upon the technology initiative
• Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials
• An original initiative
Best cross-asset trading solution
This award is designed to honor a technology provider in the asset management space who has shown continued success for their clients with a trading solution for multiple asset classes. Success in this category is determined by growth of a client base, financial success and achievement by clients deploying the solution, innovative expansion to asset classes and streamlined operational capacities for firms utilizing the solution.
Criteria:
• Consumer growth and business success
• Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials
• Expansion of solution deployment potential to different asset classes
• Proven track record of operational streamlining for customers
Best cloud solution
This award is designed to reward a technology provider for the mutual fund industry who has proved excellence as a cloud-based solution provider over the last 12 months. Success in this category is determined by examples of how the cloud-based solution has streamlined client processes and time to market, demonstration of customer and revenue growth and detailing the success rate of assets for clients deploying the solution. Consideration will also be given to firms that can demonstrate the security of their cloud technology.
Criteria:
• A cloud-based solution that has proven results in streamlining operations for a mutual fund customer
• Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials
• Business and commercial success over the course of 12 months
Best mobile application
This award is designed to reward the technology provider who has debuted the best mobile application for the financial services in the last year. Success in this category is determined by examples of how asset management firms are utilizing the mobile application in daily use cases, demonstration of continued consumer and revenue growth, and detailed success of client growth when utilizing the application. Ease-of-use, interface and security will all be considered.
Criteria:
• Commercial success and business development
• Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials
• Examples of how the application technology has furthered operational and technical goals of a firm
Best new product overall
This award is designed to reward a technology provider who has debuted a product or platform for the mutual fund asset management community that aids in trading, client interfaces or operational capacities. Success in this category is determined by examples of how the product has benefited clients, including streamlining operations, faster time-to-market for trading platforms, reduced overall cost for firms and/or positive customer feedback.
Criteria:
• Commercial success and business growth
• Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials
• Examples of the product benefiting customers on operational and technical levels
• Demonstration of growth, revenue increase for clients using the product
Best OMS
This award is designed to honor an order management provider who has displayed excellent service over the last 12 months. Success in this category is determined by proven organizational and operational streamlining through technology advancements, proven cost reduction for clients and minimal security order errors.
Criteria:
• Commercial success
• Business growth and development
• Use of cutting edge OMS technology solutions and deployments
• Reduction of error and cost for customers
• Positive feedback via submitted testimonials by consumers
Best PMS
This award is designed to honor a portfolio management provider who has displayed excellent service to portfolio managers over the course of the last 12 months. Success in this category depends on technology with multi-asset capabilities, demonstrated capital growth for portfolio managers using the system, little to no operational errors, operational efficiencies and forward-looking technology ventures.
Criteria:
• Commercial success and business growth
• Proven operational efficiencies for portfolio managers, traders
• Forward-thinking technology undertaking
• Demonstrated capital growth for customers along the platform
• Positive feedback via submitted testimonials
Best EMS
This award is designed to honor an execution management provider in the mutual fund industry. Success in this category is scored based upon innovative use of new technology for seamless market data integration, optimizing trader efficiencies across trading platforms, and positive net growth for orders managed across the software.
Criteria:
• Commercial success
• Business growth and development
• Track record of optimization
• Proven growth by consumers
• Demonstration of seamless integration of market data with the software for traders
• Positive customer feedback via submitted testimonials
