Fund Manager of the Year 2014: ETF Provider of the Year
Winner
Vanguard Investments Australia
Finalists
BetaShares Capital
Blackrock Investment Management
Vanguard Investments Australia has been named ETF Provider at the Money Management/Lonsec Fund Manager of the Year Awards, improving on its standing as a finalist in this category last year.
Vanguard head of market strategy and communications Robin Bowerman said the group's efforts in educating financial planners about the use of exchange traded funds (ETF) in constructing a portfolio had boosted its profile, while a wider range of ETFs had appealed to more planners.
"Asset allocation is the most important decision that needs to be made when building a portfolio, with ETFs a solution to fill the product area that follows that decision. Post-GFC, planners have been wary of new product structures, and so we have committed to educating them about their use," Bowerman said.
"In the past planners were also unable to build a full portfolio using ETFs, but they can do so now and we have focused on keeping costs low and providing an attractive product that leads to client success."
Last year's winner of this category - Blackrock Investment Management - was named a finalist this year, with head of ETF product and strategy John Howie saying the group had maintained its intense focus on ensuring that the quality of its fund offerings was the highest it could be.
"What we did well in 2013 was what we have done over the long term, and that is to build a product set that meets the needs of our investors and provides good outcomes," Howie said.
BetaShares Capital Limited was also named as a finalist in this category, which managing director Alex Vynokur said was due to the manager being focused on the Australian investor while offering a home-grown, robust process that delivered low cost returns.
"Investors deserve a local player that focuses on their needs and provides them with support while also demonstrating how ETFs can be used as a tool for investors," he said.
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