Welcome to CIO’s awards season, now in its 12th year!

This year, we are celebrating those who have thrived and been incredible leaders as markets have turned rough and inflation and rates have risen. We are planning to gather in person to applaud their hard work on December 6 at Chelsea Piers in New York City.

As we selected these finalists, our mission was to search the industry for firms that have truly and reliably enhanced the portfolios and improved the work of their clients. While canvassing and reviewing the award nominations, we learned just how hard so many of you are working in the face of a global shift in monetary policy that has made markets challenging.

Many have reexamined long-held assumptions and are achieving success against the backdrop of geopolitical forces unwinding decades of globalization and other macro trends. We are also recognizing finalist firms that are working with asset owners to improve the technology and information they have access to about their portfolio, and those organizations that are working to increase diversity, equity and inclusion in this industry.

And in a year when the label has become a lightning rod, we are also recognizing firms for their work in environmental, social and governance-driven investing.

Since 2010, CIO has used this awards program to highlight truly innovative approaches to the challenges of institutional asset ownership and asset management. Our panel of industry judges will help us to select the winners from this qualified group of contenders.

The first group of finalists listed below comes from the nominees for asset managers and consultants. We received dozens of nominations in a wide variety of categories.

On December 6 at Chelsea Piers, we will host both the Influential Investors Forum and our Industry Innovation Awards celebration, where we will announce this year’s winners.

Save the date, because you’ll want to be in the room to meet finalists, talk with them about investing and join the excitement as our winners are announced. There is nothing like having a room full of peers to applaud your hard-won success.

The finalists are as follows:

Consultant of the Year

• Mercer Consulting, in recognition of the service of Cori Trautvetter
• NEPC, in recognition of the service of Kristin Reynolds and Allan Martin
• Aiperion, in recognition of the service of Sorina Zahan

Data and Technology

• Diligend
• Venn by Two Sigma
• SEI
• Intelligo
• Lumenai Investments LLC
• Vidrio Financial

Diversity

• Ariel Investments
• PIMCO
• Verus Investments
• NEPC

ESG

• Russell Investments
• TOBAM
• Boston Common Asset Management
• IOR, LLC

Hedge Funds

• Teza Technologies
• Lumenai Investments LLC
• Tectonic Investors

Liability-Driven Investing

• LGIM America
• Agilis
• Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM)
• Capital Group

Multi-Strategy Investing

• TOBAM
• LGIM America
• Capital Group

OCIO

• BERG Capital Management
• SEI
• Goldman Sachs Asset Management

Private Assets

• Principal Global Investors
• PIMCO
• Neuberger Berman

Real Assets and Infrastructure

• Principal Global Investors
• ABL Aviation
• Actis