Central Banks
Consultancy and advisory services provider of the year: BlackRock Solutions
A key partner to major central banks engaging in complex asset purchases, asset quality reviews, resolution mechanisms and strategic asset allocations
Risk management services provider of the year: Wall Street Systems
A powerful real-time risk-calculation engine, consistent high-quality support and broad central-banking experience make this treasury management offering the best in class
Lifetime achievement award: Zeti Akhtar Aziz
Zeti has played a crucial role in efforts to modernise Malaysia’s financial system, and has worked tirelessly to promote Islamic finance, financial inclusion and South-east Asian integration.
Global custodian of the year: Northern Trust
As the custody and asset servicing provider wins new business in an expanding list of territories, clients praised its technological capabilities and regulatory nous
Asset manager of the year: State Street Global Advisors
SSGA has helped official institutions to address a complex policy context at a high intellectual level while continuing to offer technically excellent investment services around the world
Sovereign investor of the year: Future Fund
Australia’s sovereign wealth fund took the restrained decision not to increase its risks to chase returns in 2015. Instead it focussed on improving its operational framework
Foreign exchange dealer of the year: HSBC
HSBC has catered to sovereign client needs across a broad range of currencies including the shift out of euro assets and into the renminbi
Payments provider of the year: Intellect Design Arena
The payments system provider has helped the Reserve Bank of India to implement an overarching infrastructure to facilitate mass financial inclusion being implemented in India
Market infrastructure provider of the year: LCH.Clearnet
LCH.Clearnet is a driving force behind compression of over-the-counter derivatives and a leader in tackling too-big-to-fail concerns linked to central counterparty clearing
Technology provider of the year: BearingPoint
BearingPoint's Abacus/Regulator system is helping central banks cope with the vast volumes of data that come with new regulatory reporting requirements
Banknote and currency services provider of the year: Leonhard Kurz Stiftung & Co
The foil provider has developed cutting edge security features for some of the world's largest central banks in a bid to tackle ever more sophisticated counterfeiting
Transparency award: Bank of Israel
Bank of Israel has improved its already strong communications by holding press events after monetary policy announcements, releasing new financial stability reports and introducing forward guidance
Website of the year: European Central Bank
The European Central Bank built one new website and overhauled another in the year under review – adopting the best practices in responsive design and tailoring both for a mobile audience
Sarb deputy governor sees growing inflation risks ahead of MPC meeting
South African Reserve Bank policy-makers must assess ‘very carefully’ whether its stance remains appropriate, Mminele says; MPC meets January 21
BoE moves to close bonus clawback loophole
Under new proposals, banks will no longer be able to circumvent malus and clawback rules by buying out new employees’ bonuses
Europe needs ‘consistent’ policy on solvency issues, Lautenschläger argues
Decisions needed on whether the SSM has competence in solvency issues currently dealt with at national level, Lautenschläger argues; calls for reform to ‘routine’ decisions process
SNB’s Zurbrügg lays out considerations around interventions
Vice-chairman of governing board says there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ method for deciding when or how to intervene in the foreign exchange market
Monetary policy easing increases systemic risk-taking, paper finds
Brazilian domestic monetary policy is more statistically significant in this regard than foreign monetary policy, working paper suggests
Survey data offers chance to assess eurozone macro-prudential policies, paper argues
Data from the eurozone’s Bank Lending Survey can be used to analyse the effectiveness of different macro-prudential policies, an IMF working paper argues; subject is little known, researchers say
RBI, BIS gain access to China interbank foreign exchange market
Second batch of official investors receive permission to trade FX spot and derivatives onshore; MAS and BoK also among the seven institutions
Senate blocks proposal to conduct ‘full audit’ of the Fed
‘Audit the Fed’ bill fails to secure support needed to proceed to Senate floor; Bernanke joins ranks of current and former Fed officials warning of potential threat to independence
New bank business models could undermine stability, panellists warn
Panel including Mark Carney and Agustín Carstens raises concerns over the way regulation and low rates are forcing banks to adapt in unpredictable ways