PineBridge Investments Named Emerging Markets Manager of the Year by Insurance Asset Risk

New York, 11 October 2023--PineBridge Investments (“PineBridge”), a private, global asset manager focused on active, high-conviction investing, has been recognized as Emerging Markets Manager of the Year by Insurance Asset Risk’s Americas Awards for 2023. Insurance Asset Risk, a leading news and analytics provider for the insurance industry, recognizes the very best in insurance asset management and spotlights established and emerging industry leaders through its annual awards program.

PineBridge’s winning submission highlighted the firm’s extensive emerging markets capabilities, having one of the largest dedicated emerging market debt (EMD) teams across the globe, which has historically delivered strong performance through diligent portfolio management, a focus on credit selection, and capitalizing on market dislocations.

“Our insurance clients have gravitated toward emerging market debt because it’s well-suited for insurance balance sheets and our investment process prioritizes rating stability while also minimizing potential downside risks,” said Jeannine Heal, Head of Insurance Investment Solutions, Americas. “Client service, education, and support are cornerstones of the partnership between PineBridge’s EMD and Insurance Investment Solutions teams, which work hand-hand to educate insurance clients and prospects on the merits of the asset class, which is historically under-allocated by this industry.”

One client, a California-based health insurer, shared that “over the past two years, since our relationship with PineBridge began, the team has done tremendous work in educating and assisting us in adding EM as a diversifying fixed income asset class in our portfolio. Through the in-depth analyses and reporting the PineBridge team provides, we’ve successfully navigated through several recent economic crises.”

The firm’s EMD team has been managing insurance assets for nearly 20 years and has one of the longest track records in the industry, with its first global emerging market bond strategy dating back to 1998. Today, its 33-member global EM fixed income team distinctly positions the firm with a comprehensive depth of coverage to navigate global risks and opportunities on behalf of its client base.

“This recognition is a testament to the deep cross-team collaboration that PineBridge has always prided itself on,” said Jonathan Davis, Client Portfolio Manager for Emerging Markets Fixed Income. “This has contributed to the growth of our business across insurer types, and our AUM of EMD insurance mandates has nearly doubled in less than four years.”PineBridge’s Insurance Investment Solutions team has also experienced remarkable growth, with insurance assets now representing one-third of total firm AUM and investor count doubling between 2018 and 2022. The team has a keen understanding of the complex needs of insurers amid evolving regulations, changing rating agency capital models, varying accounting standards, and a challenging investing environment.

Read PineBridge’s winner profile here.

Read Jeannine Heal’s Q&A with Insurance Asset Risk here.

Award Methodology:

In the first round of judging, a small group of category judges reviewed the submitted entry material and then scored the entries in a secret ballot. Votes were counted and verified by the Insurance Asset Risk editorial team. The top scoring entries in each category were shortlisted and put through to a larger judging panel who scored the entries for a second round of voting by secret ballot to determine the winners. All judges are senior industry experts from across the Americas, each chosen for their knowledge, objectivity, and credibility. The judges’ decision is final and neither Insurance Asset Risk nor the judging panel will enter into any correspondence regarding individual entries and/or award winners. PineBridge did not directly / indirectly compensate any party or organization to be considered for this award.

About PineBridge Investments

PineBridge Investments is a private, global asset manager focused on active, high-conviction investing. We draw on the collective power of our experts in each discipline, market, and region of the world through an open culture of collaboration designed to identify the best ideas. Our mission is to exceed clients’ expectations on every level, every day. As of 31 March 2023, the firm managed US$147.4 billion across global asset classes for sophisticated investors around the world.