insto - Australian financial markets

VENUE: Art Gallery of NSW
ATTIRE: Black Tie
TIME: 6:15pm
DATE: Thursday 4th February 2010

NEW: Winners announced and photos from the evening

Introduction

The Insto Distinction Awards are the benchmark for achievement in Australia’s finance and capital markets. The Insto Distinction Awards are a credible measure of performance representing a long-term commitment to accuracy, independence and relevance.

Quality

Objective third-party input is sought in all phases of the nomination and selection process. The methodology and due diligence include standardized nominations from all relevant individuals and houses active in Insto Distinction Award fields. Insto expects both in-house and external reference and collateral information to clarify and augment each nomination.

Over thirty leading international institutional investors with responsibility for buying; equity, debt and structured derivatives are interviewed. Similar interviews are conducted with the treasurer or CFO of Australia’s most active borrowers in the Australian and international capital markets.

Follow-up interviews with short-listed candidates are also conducted by an in-house editorial panel.

Insto’s Awards Edition includes the 2009 review and outlook for 2010 as seen by the CEOs of international investment banks in Australia and the heads of institutional banking for Australian financial institutions. These interviews allow for unpublished reasoning on who should win each category of Insto’s Distinction Awards.

Quantity

Running alongside Insto’s qualitative process above is the quantitative aspect that confirms Insto’s position as the voice of the markets. Once a shortlist for most categories has been identified, Insto opens up the Distinction Awards to on-line reader voting. Some categories are excluded from this process, including Banker of the Year and CFO of the Year.

On-line votes are variably weighted depending upon demographic and category. Voting for yourself, your deal or your institution will reduce the weighting of your vote.

Conclusion

This exhaustive and rigorous process is part of Insto’s commitment to furthering the growth and reputation of Australia’s capital markets.

Such has been the success and status of this awards process that many of the recipients are now using the Distinction Awards as part of their national and global advertising campaigns. The striking tombstone design Distinction Awards trophies are handed out during the annual formal dinner. In previous years, our Distinction Award winners have used this as an opportunity to pay tribute to their in-house teams as well as to invite valued clients to this premier event.

We look forward to the 11th Annual Insto Distinction Awards dinner on February 4th 2010 at the NSW Art Gallery.

Check this page soon for information about nominations, timing, methodology, the voting process, how to book a table, the agenda and much more.