CATEGORIES

Hedge Fund Allocator Categories  

• Public Plan of the Year
  Qualified nominees should be public pension plans that have demonstrated excellence in absolute return investing during the past year. Although 2023 investment returns are very important to the ultimate selection, consideration will also be given to investors’ long-term performance and overall ability to construct and manage a hedge fund portfolio.
• Corporate/Insurance Plan of the Year
  Qualified nominees should be corporate pension plans or insurance companies that have demonstrated excellence in absolute return investing during the past year. Although 2023 investment returns are very important to the ultimate selection, consideration will also be given to investors’ long-term performance and overall ability to construct and manage a hedge fund portfolio.
• Endowment of the Year
  Qualified nominees should be endowments that have demonstrated excellence in absolute return investing during the past year. Although 2023 investment returns are very important to the ultimate selection, consideration will also be given to investors’ long-term performance and overall ability to construct and manage a hedge fund portfolio.
• Foundation of the Year
  Qualified nominees should be foundations that have demonstrated excellence in absolute return investing during the past year. Although 2023 investment returns are very important to the ultimate selection, consideration will also be given to investors’ long-term performance and overall ability to construct and manage a hedge fund portfolio.
• Family Office of the Year
  Qualified nominees should be family offices that have demonstrated excellence in absolute return investing during the past year. Although 2023 investment returns are very important to the ultimate selection, consideration will also be given to investors’ long-term performance and overall ability to construct and manage a hedge fund portfolio.
• Health Care System of the Year
  Qualified nominees should be health care systems that have demonstrated excellence in absolute return investing during the past year. Although 2023 investment returns are very important to the ultimate selection, consideration will also be given to investors’ long-term performance and overall ability to construct and manage a hedge fund portfolio.   
• Sovereign Wealth Fund of the Year
  Qualified nominees should be sovereign wealth funds that have demonstrated excellence in absolute return investing during the past year. Although 2023 investment returns are very important to the ultimate selection, consideration will also be given to investors’ long-term performance and overall ability to construct and manage a hedge fund portfolio.
• Outsourced Investor of the Year
  Qualified nominees should be firms that have demonstrated excellence in absolute return investing on behalf of clients during the past year. This includes outsourced chief investment officers as well as large and small funds of funds. Although 2023 investment returns are very important to the ultimate selection, consideration will also be given to investors’ long-term performance and overall ability to construct and manage a hedge fund portfolio.
• Hedge Fund Consultant of the Year
  Qualified nominees should be consultants that have helped craft robust hedge fund investment programs for institutional investors; provided shrewd advice, and demonstrated their ability to explain complex hedge fund strategies to investment boards.

Hedge Fund Management Categories

• Institutional Hedge Fund Manager of the Year
  Qualified nominees should be hedge fund firms with an institutional-quality investment platform. Consideration will be given to overall firm performance, size and type of assets under management, senior management, reputation, innovation, firm culture, infrastructure, risk management, investor relations, and contribution to the hedge fund industry. Please include 2023 performance if possible.
• Emerging Hedge Fund Manager of the Year
  Qualified nominees should be hedge fund firms that have been in existence for no more than five years as of January 1, 2024, and have been recognized by their peers as being an outstanding investment management firm. Consideration will be given to overall firm performance, assets under management, team track record, firm culture, operational infrastructure, risk management, and investor relations. Please include 2023 performance if possible.
• Equity-Focused Hedge Fund Manager of the Year
  Qualified nominees should be hedge funds whose strategy relies primarily on equity investments. Fund strategies that qualify in this category include but are not limited to fundamental long-short equity, activist investing, short-selling, and emerging-markets equity. Although strong consideration will be given to 2023 investment returns, performance is not the sole determinant for selection. Other criteria include risk management, investment discipline and selection, portfolio management, performance track record, stability of investment team, investor relations, and back-office infrastructure. Please include 2023 performance if possible.
• Credit-Focused Hedge Fund Manager of the Year
  Qualified nominees should be hedge funds whose strategy relies primarily on credit investments. Fund strategies that qualify in this category include but are not limited to distressed debt, asset-based lending, emerging-markets debt, and long-short credit. Although strong consideration will be given to 2023 investment returns, performance is not the sole determinant for selection. Other criteria include risk management, investment discipline and selection, portfolio management, performance track record, stability of investment team, investor relations, and back-office infrastructure. Please include 2023 performance if possible.
• Multistrategy Hedge Fund Manager of the Year
  Qualified nominees should be multistrategy hedge funds. Although strong consideration will be given to 2023 investment returns, performance is not the sole criterion for selection. Other factors include risk management, investment discipline and selection, portfolio management, performance track record, stability of investment team, investor relations, and back-office infrastructure. Please include 2023 performance if possible.
• Activist Hedge Fund Manager of the Year
  Qualified nominees should be hedge funds whose strategy relies primarily on activist investments. Although strong consideration will be given to 2023 investment returns, performance is not the sole determinant for selection. Other criteria include risk management, investment discipline and selection, portfolio management, performance track record, stability of investment team, investor relations, and back-office infrastructure. Please include 2023 performance if possible.
• Event-Driven Hedge Fund Manager of the Year
  Qualified nominees should be hedge funds whose strategy relies primarily on event-driven investments. Fund strategies that qualify in this category include but are not limited to event-driven investments. Although strong consideration will be given to 2023 investment returns, performance is not the sole determinant for selection. Other criteria include risk management, investment discipline and selection, portfolio management, performance track record, stability of investment team, investor relations, and back-office infrastructure. Please include 2023 performance if possible.
• Macro Hedge Fund Manager of the Year
  Qualified nominees should be hedge funds whose strategy relies primarily on macro investments. Fund strategies that qualify in this category include but are not limited to fundamental macro strategies and managed futures. Although strong consideration will be given to 2023 investment returns, performance is not the sole determinant for selection. Other criteria include risk management, investment discipline and selection, portfolio management, performance track record, stability of investment team, investor relations, and back-office infrastructure. Please include 2023 performance if possible.
• Quantitative Hedge Fund Manager of the Year
  Qualified nominees should be hedge funds whose strategy relies primarily on quantitative investments. Although strong consideration will be given to 2023 investment returns, performance is not the sole determinant for selection. Other criteria include risk management, investment discipline and selection, portfolio management, performance track record, stability of investment team, investor relations, and back-office infrastructure. Please include 2023 performance if possible.
• Most Innovative Hedge Fund Manager of the Year
  Qualified nominees should be established hedge fund firms that have branched out into non-traditional business lines, or have otherwise broken new ground in areas such as investment strategy or business operations. An example (from outside the hedge fund world, so as to not bias nominations) would be a traditional private equity manager who built an insurance company. Although some consideration will be given to 2023 investment returns, performance is not the sole, or even primary, determinant for selection. Instead, strong nominees will be those that have shown a willingness and ability to expand their business, strengthen their client relationships, and produce strong outcomes through novel product/strategy innovations.
• Hedge Fund Rising Stars
  Qualified nominees should be early-to-mid career individuals who have demonstrated exceptional talent for hedge fund investing, either as an allocator or manager, and who are on the path to becoming next-generation industry leaders.