Risk Awards

Derivatives categories:

• Derivatives house of the year

Dealers nominating themselves for derivatives house of the year should be strong across a number of asset classes. Submissions should include case studies detailing how the dealer has best met the needs of clients. Tactical and strategic adaptation to regulatory and market changes will be important, as will discussion of new technology initiatives – and risk management, as always, is a key criterion. Submissions must include details of risk management processes and systems, how the firm reacted to difficult market conditions and to regulation, and granular detail on performance. We will require evidence to back up claims. In addition, customer references should be included – they have often made the difference in deciding the winner.

• Interest rate derivatives house of the year
• Currency derivatives house of the year
• Equity derivatives house of the year
• Credit derivatives house of the year
• Inflation derivatives house of the year
• Structured products house of the year
• Risk solutions house of the year
• Flow market-maker of the year

Submissions should include case studies and notable deals. Firms should include details of risk management processes and systems, technology initiatives, engagement with and adaptation to regulatory change, and granular detail on performance. We will require evidence to back up claims. As well as meeting with the relevant heads of desk, we may also need to meet risk managers – market risk, counterparty risk, XVA – and may need a demonstration of risk systems. We will need client references, including names, numbers and email addresses. There's no limit to the number of categories dealers can make submissions in. 

Risk management categories:

• Bank risk manager of the year
• Credit portfolio manager of the year
• Sovereign risk manager of the year

These awards recognise achievement by an institution’s risk function, not by an individual risk manager. The ‘bank risk manager’ award focuses primarily on market, counterparty, liquidity and other trading risks. Submissions should outline risk and capital management processes, policies and systems, and describe any improvements made to the risk and capital management functions at the firm over the past year. Particularly important is how teams have responded to regulatory and market changes and how they have contributed to strategy and performance. Ideally, the value of the risk function will be demonstrated in one or more case studies, showing how the firm has managed a particular source of exposure, anticipated or responded to a market move.

Investing categories:

• Investment house of the year
• Hedge fund of the year

Open to discretionary or quant managers, as well as those who blend the two approaches, these awards recognises investing success and innovation in traditional and alternative investing. Performance is one criterion, but the sophistication and effectiveness of a firm’s risk management is another important factor. Pitching firms will be judged on a wider range of considerations as well – how they are adjusting to new technology, changing investor expectations, and unusual market conditions. 

• Quant investment firm of the year

This award is given in recognition of a firm’s success in applying evidence-based systematic investment techniques to deliver good risk-adjusted returns. The emphasis is on the firm’s approach and research – not only performance – and may highlight creativity, robustness, technical rigour or technological innovation. 

Market structure categories:

• Exchange of the year
• Clearing house of the year

Our exchange and clearing house of the year should be able to boast a range of achievements – from volume growth to product or geographic expansion. Risk management and resilience will be key considerations, especially for clearers. Submissions should include details of processes and systems, technology initiatives and evidence of adaptation to regulatory and market changes.
 

• OTC trading platform of the year

This category encompasses all OTC derivatives platforms – single-dealer, multi-dealer, Sef, MTF, aggregator. Pitching firms can highlight success in a range of ways: increased volumes, product or geographic scope, adaptation to regulatory change, popular or creative trading protocols or order types, reliable technology, etc.

Service categories:

• Derivatives client clearer of the year

This category recognises the client clearing business in listed and/or OTC derivatives markets – bank and non-bank providers are welcome to pitch. Submissions should focus on the sophistication and effectiveness of the firm’s risk and collateral management functions, as well as engagement with CCP, regulatory and client stakeholders on the development of the service, and the rules around it.

• Prime broker of the year

An award for prime brokerage in any asset class. Interested parties can pitch in a single class – FX or equity, for example – or multiple ones. Pitches should focus on organisation and governance, risk management, pricing and financial resource consumption, technology, as well as the ability to support less vanilla client needs.

• Law firm of the year

Firms pitching for these awards should be able to show (and be willing to discuss in detail) a track record of work on derivatives- and risk-related cases/topics, including work related to post-crisis markets reform and/or prudential regulation.

Technology categories:

• Technology vendor of the year
• Innovation in technology

Pitches are not required for the technology vendor of the year category – the winner will be one of the firms that has also won one or more categories in Risk’s separate technology awards, and will be based on information gathered during that process.

Individual awards:

• Rising star in quant finance
• Buy side quant of the year
• Quant of the year

These categories are a little different. For the Quant of the year award, Risk asks past and present contributors to the Cutting Edge section of the magazine to vote for the papers published in Risk over the previous 12 months and their authors. The winner of Buy-side quant of the year is chosen in the same way, from among contributors to the Cutting Edge Investments section. The Rising star is chosen by a panel of leading quants, more information on this award can be found here.

• Lifetime achievement

This will be awarded to a person that has made a significant contribution to the development of the derivatives/risk management industry. The winner is selected from a shortlist drawn up by the editorial team, but nominations can also be made by the candidates themselves, by colleagues or by employers/customers. Nominations should outline why the candidate should win the lifetime achievement award and demonstrate their contribution to the development of the market.