2021 Asset Manager and Strategist of the Year: Stellar Results in Extraordinary Markets
The 2021 Asset Manager and Strategist of the Year winners have what it takes to perform in unprecedented conditions.
Meet the 2021 winners of the Envestnet and Investment Advisor Asset Manager and Strategist of the Year Awards:
- Strategist & Overall Manager of the Year: WestEnd Advisors
- Large Cap Equity Manager of the Year: Columbia Threadneedle Investments
- Large Cap Equity Manager of the Year: Harbor Capital/Jennison Associates
- Fixed Income Manager of the Year: Brandywine Global Investment Management
- Small/Mid Cap Asset Manager of the Year: RMB Asset Management
- Small/Mid Cap Manager of the Year: Riverbridge Partners
- Global, International, Emerging Market Equity Manager of the Year: Schroders Investment Management/Hartford Funds
- Impact Manager of the Year: Brown Advisory
- Alternatives Manager of the Year: AQR Capital Management
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Every year comes with its own challenges for active managers, and 2020, with a global pandemic that caused a plunging stock market followed by soaring upward volatility, and a world economy pushed into chaos, meant asset managers had to be stellar in agility and risk taming ability.
In its 17th year, the Envestnet and Investment Advisor magazine Asset Manager and Strategist of the Year Awards program recognizes nine top performing active managers in seven categories from across the separately managed account spectrum. This year’s whipsaw markets in all assets made these winners especially talented.
As in previous years, analysts from Envestnet’s Portfolio Management Consultants group, Envestnet | PMC, pared down selections for each category using a systematic, proprietary and multi-factor methodology from thousands of strategies on its platform.
The qualitative and quantitative criteria used in the final selection includes firm profile, performance, tax efficiency, investment process and style, composite and customer service.
The selection committee, made up of representatives from Envestnet and Investment Advisor, then reviews the choices and makes the final selections.
To be eligible for one of the Asset Manager and Strategist of the Year awards, these managers must have a minimum of $200 million in assets under management and at least three years of experience. Also, the strategies they lead must be broadly available on the Envestnet platform and open to new investors.
In judging, “we’re not just basing these awards on performance, or just last year’s performance,” says Tim Clift, chief investment strategist for Envestnet | PMC. “We’re really focusing on consistency over the years — not just selecting from a hot year. We’re looking at a lot of metrics, including managing risk, the people and the process.”
In addition to nine winners in seven categories (two were selected in larger groups), the Envestnet/Investment Advisor committee also names an overall “champion” chosen from the nine winners.
This overall winner is selected after grading its performance against that of other category winners, which means this manager is up against an extremely talented group.
Due to the coronavirus, this year’s winners were announced during Envestnet’s Advisor Summit On-Demand 2021 held in mid-June.