We spoke with Pedro Guazo, Head of International and Responsible Investing, to discuss the significance of this award.

 

What does it mean to win this award?

 

This recognition is proof of the strength of our index and quantitative platform and the clarity of our purpose: delivering precise outcomes aligned with client goals. We have built our capabilities over three decades, combining institutional-scale index implementation expertise with a quantitative platform that harnesses advanced research, alternative data, and AI-driven insights.

 

This award also validates our disciplined and adaptive approach. Our clients rely on us to deliver consistent performance through changing market conditions, and our combination of scale, customization and innovation drive that consistency.  

 

What have been your main achievements over the past 18 months?

 

We have continued to scale our index platform, refining implementation techniques to manage tracking error, liquidity, and costs with precision.

 

At the same time, we have strengthened our investment team through strategic hires to further expand the depth and rigour of our quantitative capabilities. Today, the platform combines academic insight, empirical research and techniques such as generative AI, machine learning and natural language processing to extract information from complex data sets.

 

A key example of this is the addition of our Adaptive Equity capability, designed to generate uncorrelated alpha across market regimes by combining diversified signals, dynamic risk management, and continuous innovation.

 

What sets you apart from your peers and contributes to this success?

 

We combine three key elements: risk-efficient precision, customization, and innovation.

 

First, our index heritage gives us deep expertise in delivering benchmark outcomes with consistency and efficiency. Second, we translate client policy into portfolios, ensuring solutions reflect each client’s specific goals, including ESG priorities. Third, we bring a quantitative platform that continuously evolves through research, alternative data, and disciplined validation.

 

Together, indexing provides efficiency and clarity, while quantitative strategies add insight and adaptability, creating a more resilient portfolio approach.

 

What are the key challenges facing pension scheme clients, and how are you helping them address these?

 

Pension schemes are navigating a complex environment: meeting return objectives, managing risk and demonstrating value for money, while incorporating sustainability considerations.

 

We address these challenges through flexible building blocks. Index strategies provide cost-efficient exposure and transparency. Customization aligns portfolios with policies, and quantitative strategies target additional sources of return and improved risk efficiency.

 

How will you continue to improve your services over the next 12 months?

 

We expect innovation to drive improvements, backed by investments in data, technology, and research to enhance how we identify and implement sources of return.

 

We expect to advance our use of alternative data and artificial intelligence to deepen insight, and we will continue to refine our index platform to deliver efficiency, scale, and customization.