Challenger Limited Wins the SimCorp StrategyLab Growth Award 2012

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SimCorp StrategyLab, the independent research arm of SimCorp, today announced Australian Challenger Limited the winner of the 2012 SimCorp StrategyLab Growth Management Excellence Award. The award was presented at one of the largest investment management industry events, the SimCorp Dimension International User Community Meeting, in Geneva earlier today.

“Challenger provides an excellent illustration of how, when well-managed in a focused manner, IT and growth strategies are highly interdependent, and one cannot thrive without the other. The case shows that when business and strategy interact in a constructive way with IT and operations, the results can be impressive.”

More than 400 senior delegates of the global investment management industry saw Challenger receive the award. Commenting on the winner, director of SimCorp StrategyLab, professor Ingo Walter said that Challenger is an impressive success story of a focused growth strategy in asset management in the Australian market.

“The Challenger case highlights diversity and flexibility in the marketplace, and the associated success is brought by solid execution,” Walter said. “Challenger provides an excellent illustration of how, when well-managed in a focused manner, IT and growth strategies are highly interdependent, and one cannot thrive without the other. The case shows that when business and strategy interact in a constructive way with IT and operations, the results can be impressive.”

“We are honoured to receive this award. Challenger’s IT strategy is closely coupled with its operational strategy which has allowed the business to adapt and uniquely position itself for growth in an evolving fund management and life industry,” says David Mackaway, General Manager, Operations.

Challenger was named the winner after a thorough evaluation by an international panel consisting of Walter, professor Stephen Brown of New York University, professor Paul Verdin of Leuven University and SimCorp CEO Klaus Holse.

The award has been established to acknowledge, reward and promote best practices in risk, cost and growth management in the global investment management industry. This is the fourth year that SimCorp StrategyLab has presented the Excellence Award; previous winners include MEAG, Nordea Savings and Asset Management, Edmond de Rothschild Asset Management and Dealis Fund Operations, respectively.

About Challenger

Challenger Limited is an ASX listed investment management company managing in excess of $33 billion in assets. Challenger is Australia’s leading annuities provider and manages around $10bn on behalf of over 60, 000 policyholders. Challenger’s funds management division also includes the wealth management business Fidante Partners. Fidante Partners manages around $19bn across 11 individually branded boutique fund managers who strive to deliver sustainable superior performance across a broad range of investment strategies including fixed income, global credit, inflation-linked bonds and global equities.

About SimCorp StrategyLab

SimCorp StrategyLab is a private research institution, headed by Mr Ingo Walter, Seymour Milstein Professor of Finance, Corporate Governance and Ethics at Stern School of Business, New York University. SimCorp StrategyLab research work focuses on identifying, understanding and suggesting solutions to issues pertaining to mitigating risk, reducing cost and enabling growth in the investment management industry. www.simcorpstrategylab.com.

Enquiries regarding this announcement should be addressed to:

Susan Peter, SimCorp North America, +1.917.546.4654