Following its capture of the 2019 insurance CIO of the year award, Wesleyan wins this year's Insurance Asset Risk insurance investment team of the year award through a broad range of initiatives and market performance.
The Birmingham-based mutual, which provides financial services for doctors, dentists, teachers and lawyers, manages or administers close to £7bn of assets and has built a strong insurance asset management business with its market-leading with-profits fund as well as a push to increase brand awareness in 2019.
With an annualised return of 6.2%, its flagship with-profits fund was rated top in its peer group of funds valued at more than £1bn for investment returns over a five-year period, by independent consultancy Barnett Waddingham.
Indeed, since their launch in June 2016, in the midst of Brexit uncertainty, more than two-thirds of Wesleyan's unit trusts have consistently outperformed respective sector peers as at the end of November 2019.
The 17-strong investments team – consisting of fund managers, analysts, chartered surveyors and support staff – has also made a push to increase awareness of its investment management proposition this year through initiatives like UK-wide roadshow presentations, hosting interactive sessions with Wesleyan colleagues, managing internships and launching a dedicated 'buy-side' FinTech hub in Birmingham, in partnership with The Investment Association.
"Our team has made a concerted effort to ensure that we work closer and more effectively with our clients – who have time-demanding careers – and our colleagues who serve them," Martin Lawrence, director of investments at Wesleyan said. "Improving our face-to-face communication has been a key priority as a result, and over the last 18 months we have supported and presented at more than 110 events across the UK."