NZ Super Fund world’s “most innovative”

The NZ Superannuation Fund has been named the world’s most innovative sovereign fund.

The fund won the prestigious Sovereign Wealth Fund category in the 2012 aiCIO Industry Innovation Awards in New York. The other finalists were the Australian Future Fund; Singaporean fund GIC; Norges Bank Investment Management and the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan.

Chairman Gavin Walker said the award was just recognition for CEO Adrian Orr and a talented team who had worked hard to keep the Fund at the forefront of international best practice. “It’s great as a New Zealand organisation to complete with global peers and win,” said Mr Walker. Saying “NZ Super is pushing further and faster than any of its competitors,” award organisers aiCIO commented on the Fund’s transparency, consensus-based decision-making and shift away from a traditional asset allocation ‘bucket’ approach to investing.