Insurance Asset Risk has announced the winners of its annual UK & Europe awards for 2026, with Aviva Investors taking away three awards this year, while Aberdeen Investments, Invesco and Mirova each achieved double victories.
Aviva Investors won the Climate Mitigation Investment Initiative of the year award for its Climate Transition Real Assets LTAF, and the firm also won the Social Investing Initiative of the year prize and Stewardship Initiative of the year.
Aberdeen Investments won the Alternatives Manager of the year award in recognition of the depth and maturity if its private markets platform and won this year's Emerging markets manager of the year award, while Invesco won Passive Manager of the year and Real Estate Manager of the year, and Mirova clinched Equity Manager of the year and Infrastructure Manager of the year.
Elsewhere, the prizes were split between a further 13 insurers and asset managers, with AllianceBernstein's (AB) Insurance portfolio management team winning the Investment Team of the year - asset manager prize, while M&G retained the Bulk Purchase Annuities Solution of the year award, after its victory last year.
This year's prestigious CIO of the Year award went to Aileen Mathieson of Aspen, who was praised for her transformation of the firm's investment function and the high standards she has set for sustainability and inclusion in insurance investment management.
The whole of Insurance Asset Risk's team would like to thank the industry for its support, and the judges for their time and expertise.
This year's winners in full:
- Alternatives manager of the year Aberdeen Investments
- Emerging markets manager of the year Aberdeen Investments
- Investment team of the year - asset manager AB's Insurance Portfolio Management Team
- Chief Investment Officer of the year Aileen Mathieson, Aspen
- Investment team of the year - Re/insurer Aspen Investment Team
- Climate mitigation investment initiative of the year Aviva Investors
- Social investing initiative of the year Aviva Investors
- Stewardship initiative of the year Aviva Investors
- Private credit manager of the year Blackstone Credit & Insurance
- Investment strategy consultant of the year EY Investment Advisory Team
- Multi-asset manager of the year HSBC Asset Management
- Passive manager of the year Invesco
- Real estate manager of the year Invesco
- Investment innovation of the year L&G
- Bulk purchase annuities solution of the year M&G
- Equity manager of the year Mirova
- Infrastructure manager of the year Mirova
- Responsible investor of the year - Asset Manager Nuveen
- Technology provider of the year Ortec Finance – GLASS
- Fixed income manager of the year Royal London Asset Management
- Biodiversity/natural capital investment initiative of the year Swiss Life Asset Managers
- Responsible investor of the year - re/insurer Zurich
How the awards were judged
Judges reviewed the submitted entry material and then voted in a secret ballot. Votes were counted and verified by Insurance Asset Risk's team.
All judges are senior industry experts from re/insurers across Europe and the UK, each chosen for their knowledge and objectivity.
The judges' decision is final and neither Insurance Asset Risk nor the judging panel will enter into any correspondence regarding individual entries and/or the award winners.