Final three Asset Management Award winners announced

Following the conclusion of our Asset Management Awards gala on May 22, we are proud to finally announce the winners of three final award winners.

We are delighted to announce the winners for Asia Fund House of the Year - International, Asia Fund House of the Year - Domestic and Asset Service Provider of the Year.

Congratulations again to everyone and a big thank you to our esteemed judging panel for their valuable insights and assessments.

Asia Fund House of the Year (International): J.P. Morgan Asset Management

Global reach combined with strong local execution garnered J.P. Morgan Asset Management the Asia Fund House of the Year (International) award this year.

Judges were impressed by the firm’s deep dive into Asia’s retail and defined contribution spaces, and by the way it tapped into the growing appetite for global and thematic exposures.

In Japan, JPMAM gained multiple new mandates from major public pension clients while also making early inroads into the country’s emerging active ETF market. Judges praised its nuanced approach to distribution and its continued investment in thought leadership, including proprietary surveys and institutional forums.

In China, J.P. Morgan Asset Management broke new ground as the first and only foreign asset manager to launch a full suite of locally listed passive ETFs.

Its digital-first investor education campaigns — featuring gamified WeChat content, livestream integrations, and a strong presence on platforms like TikTok — helped reshape engagement in one of Asia’s most dynamic markets.

Across Australia and New Zealand, the firm’s active ETF expansion, strong traction in private wealth and institutional segments, and its partnership with Craigs Investment Partners stood out. Judges also highlighted its client-centric use of technology, including SMART Dashboards and Next Best Call.

Meanwhile in Hong Kong, the firm marked its 100th year with product innovation – launching the first equity income fund in Asia with a systematic options overlay – while playing a leading role in active ETF development and regulatory engagement.

Judges were united in their praise for the firm’s ability to blend global capabilities with local relevance. Its use of AI-powered platforms like SpectrumGPT and ThemeBot further underlined its commitment to scalable innovation.

For its consistent performance, regional depth, and future-facing execution, J.P. Morgan Asset Management stood out as the clear winner among Asia’s fund houses.

Asia Fund House of the Year (Domestic): Krungthai Asset Management

Krung Thai Asset Management (KTAM) delivered standout performance across the board during the eligibility period, underpinned by strong business growth, client-centric innovation, and expanding institutional engagement in Thailand’s asset management market.

KTAM’s assets under management rose by $5 billion to reach $28.4 billion as of September 2024 – an 11.8% average annual increase over the past decade. This growth vaulted the firm into third position in the Thai mutual fund industry and reflected success across a diversified range of strategies, including fixed income, equities, REITs, and private funds.

Key product launches included the record-setting VAYU1 fund, which raised $5.4 billion with $1.3 billion in oversubscriptions, and a pair of US private credit funds that raised $160 million within five months – demonstrating KTAM’s ability to capitalise on market demand for alternative assets.

Client engagement was equally robust.

KTAM expanded its institutional client base through tailored offerings, digital innovation, and strategic partnerships. The KTAM Smart Trade platform and a digital-first approach, including chatbot functionality and seamless onboarding, contributed to a 56% increase in digital users year-on-year.

The firm also deepened loyalty through education, hosting over 250 training sessions and workshops to boost financial literacy and resilience among investors.

KTAM further strengthened its industry position through market-leading innovation. It was the first Thai asset manager to launch USD-denominated funds in Thailand, raising $400 million in its debut year.

It also advanced ESG investing through a proprietary rating system and expanded its ESG-aligned product suite, including the ThaiESG series.

Judges noted KTAM’s consistency, adaptability, and innovation as hallmarks of its institutional service, saying that its efforts in digitalisation, alternative asset access, and sustainability integration marked it as a standout asset servicer in one of Asia’s most competitive markets.

Asset Service Provider of the Year (Winner): HSBC Securities Services

Throughout 2024, HSBC Securities Services reaffirmed its leadership at the intersection of digital innovation and asset servicing.

Central to this vision has been the expansion of HSBC Orion, the bank’s proprietary tokenisation platform, which enables the issuance, trading, and custody of digitally native bonds across key global markets.

Judges praised HSBC Securities Services which showed “clear leadership in digital infrastructure and an ability to drive real-world transformation at scale”.

Throughout the awards period, Orion played a pivotal role in landmark issuances—from the world’s first GBP-denominated digital bond for the European Investment Bank under Luxembourg law, to Project Evergreen 2 in Hong Kong, which saw the largest and first-ever multi-currency digital green bond issuance.

HSBC’s successful rollout of a corporate HKD digital bond further reinforced its leadership, setting new precedents for private sector adoption in Asia.

Beyond fixed income, HSBC has extended its digital asset capabilities to include tokenised gold for retail investors and digital custody services for institutional clients, integrated seamlessly into its traditional infrastructure.

Its Digital Vault solution currently secures more than $20 billion in private placement assets, providing real-time transparency through blockchain technology.

HSBC also took a prominent role in shaping industry frameworks.

It contributed to both Project Guardian (with Singapore’s MAS) and Project Ensemble (with Hong Kong’s HKMA), helping establish standards for settlement, custody, and interoperability in the digital asset ecosystem.

Judges said that by combining technical innovation, regulatory foresight, and global execution capability, HSBC Securities Services is redefining what it means to be a modern asset servicer.