International Pension Funds and their Advisers
Introduction
Steven Hinds, Editor
Welcome once again to a brand new edition of the worldwide pensions directory International Pension Funds and their Advisers. The object you hold in your hands is the Red Book’s tenth incarnation and its pint-sized sibling, the Pocket Red Book companion piece, is making its forth
appearance.
Much has changed in the international market place since the last edition rolled warm and weighty from the press. Not least is the long-expected arrival of an economic downturn, a consequential knock-on effect of the US subprime mortgage crisis. More so now than ever
before, pension funds are choosing to address significant pressing issues like environmental preservation, human rights and corporate governance. Many of them are adhering to new standards like the UN’s Principles of Responsible Investment (UN PRI) and urging other institutional investors to engage with the companies they invest in to arrest ethical transgressions. This is a testing time but the developed and mature pension systems of the world must prove to be robust enough to provide for their members reliably and consistently.
As ever this directory seeks to represent those vital institutions and service companies, in as many different countries around the world, as faithfully and as comprehensively as possible. This year sees the addition of sections covering the markets of India and South Korea in the Asia Pacific region and Turkey in the European region, stretching the Red Book’s coverage to a total of 57 countries globally.
There is also an added service section this year to cater for the new Class Action Law market in Europe and elsewhere.
This year we have an array of commentary from notable pension professionals, starting off with a Foreword by Chris Verhaegen, General Secretary of the EFRP. We have an article provided by Class Action Law firm Scott + Scott on the growing institutional litigation trend. Professor
Amin Rajan, CEO of research organisation, Create Network, has written an article discussing the erosion of consultants’ power base in the sector. Geneviève Reday-Mulvey of The Geneva Association meditates on the challenges presented to national pension systems by an ageing
populace. And Barthold Kuipers and Olaf Sleijpen, of pension administration giant APG, tackle the issues surrounding the Solvency II proposals by the European Commission.
In addition to this expertise we also have a much broader collection of country overviews researched and compiled by Allianz Global Investors, detailing the retirement systems of an extra nine countries bringing the total to 44 overviews thoughout the book.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the authors mentioned above and express our gratitude to the great many institutions and service companies who have provided their information for the benefit of this book. Your contributions are the lifeblood of this directory
and it is only with your continuing assistance that we manage to produce a publication of this magnitude in an ever-changing marketplace.
We endeavour to continue to improve this tool, making it an indispensable part of every pension professional’s inventory and we welcome every opportunity to do so.
We hope this directory meets your every need but if not please do let us know.