Two fund managers were singled out for special recognition at the Canadian Investment Awards presented Wednesday night in Toronto.

The awards recognize leadership in the investment industry and represent Canada’s wide range of investment products, including mutual funds, pooled funds and hedge funds. Awards are determined by panels of industry expert.

“Our goal each year is to recognize innovation, leadership and commitment to long-term investing in Canada,” said CIA founder Sabine Steinbrecher. “Never before has leadership and long-term vision been more important to recognize than in these markets and we are proud to showcase those at the forefront.

This year, the Morningstar Fund Manager of the Year Award was expanded into two awards: equity fund manager of the year and fixed income fund manager of the year.

Eric Bushell, senior vice president, portfolio management and chief investment officer of Signature Global Advisors, a division of CI Investments Inc., took home the award for equity fund manager of the year.

“Eric Bushell rarely tops the performance charts in any given year, but consistency has been his hallmark,” said Philip Lee, Senior Analyst, Morningstar Canada. “We attribute much of his success to his ability to tactically shift assets between countries, currencies, sectors, and asset classes. Despite a challenging and volatile year, he’s adroitly juggled all of the fund’s moving parts and produced a respectable return.”

Bruce Corneil, senior vice president, fixed income, Beutel, Goodman & Company Ltd., won the award for fixed income fund manager of the year.

“Bruce Corneil is a manager we’ve long admired,” said David O’Leary, manager of fund analysis, Morningstar Canada. “He and his team have produced outstanding returns for over 15 years, and are an integral part of a firm that we regard as one of the better stewards in Canada. The past year has showcased Corneil’s credit research, as he avoided corporate bond issues from troubled banks and insurance companies. This paid off handsomely during the market meltdown.”

Corneil: Only the best

The Analysts’ Choice Investment Fund Company of the Year Award went to CI Investments Inc. This award is chosen by the Investment Fund Analyst Committee. The criteria include performance and risk, management, breadth of offerings, investor and advisor education; fund governance and communication to investors.

The Advisors’ Choice Investment Fund Company of the Year Award, sponsored by Investment Executive
was won by Dynamic Funds. This award is voted on by Canadian advisors, who vote for their favourite fund company each year.

This year’s Career Achievement Award winner was Glorianne Stromberg. Stromberg, a former commissioner of the Ontario Securities Commission and now chair of the Public Accountants Council for the Province of Ontario, was honoured for her long-term contributions to the financial services and investment funds industry through her ground-breaking reports, as well as her important contributions to regulatory change and policy development.

Stromberg: Champion of change


2009 Canadian Investment Award winners:

• Asian Equity Fund Award, Dynamic Far East Value Fund, Dynamic Funds

• Canadian Balanced Fund Award, CI Signature Canadian Balanced

• Canadian Dividend & Income Equity Fund Award, CI Signature Dividend

• Canadian Equity Fund (greater than 50% Canada) Award, Dynamic Value Fund, Canada

• Canadian Fixed Income Fund Award, Beutel Goodman Income

• Canadian Small/Mid Cap Equity Fund (greater than 50% Canada) Award, Dynamic Focus + Small Business

• Emerging Markets Equity Fund Award, AGF Emerging Markets

• European Equity Fund Award, Mackenzie Ivy European

• Global Balanced Fund Award, Mawer Canadian Balanced RSP

• Global Equity Fund Award, Mackenzie Ivy Foreign Equity

• Global Fixed Income Fund Award, Templeton Global Bond

• Global Small/Mid Cap Equity Fund Award, Templeton Global Smaller Companies

• Healthcare Equity Fund Award, TD Health Sciences

• High Yield Fixed Income Fund Award, PH&N High Yield Bond

• International Equity Fund Award, Mawer World Investment

• Natural Resources Equity Fund Award, CI Signature Canadian Resource

• Precious Metals Equity Fund Award, RBC Global Precious Metals

• Science and Technology Equity Fund Award, CI Global Science & Tech

• US Equity Fund Award, CI American Value

• US Small/Mid Cap Equity Fund Award, Mackenzie Universal American Growth

• Canadian Balanced Pooled Fund of the Year Award, Beutel Goodman Balanced

• Canadian Equity Pooled Fund of the Year Award, Beutel Goodman Canadian Equity

• Canadian Income Pooled Fund of the Year Award, Beutel Goodman Income

• Canadian Small Cap Pooled Fund of the Year Award, Beutel Goodman Small Cap

@page_break@• Global Balanced Pooled Fund of the Year Award, Mawer Canadian Balanced

• Global Equity Pooled Fund of the Year Award, Hexavest World

• International Equity Pooled Fund of the Year Award, Hexavest Europac

• US Equity Pooled Fund of the Year Award, McLean Budden American Equity

• Socially Responsible Investment Fund Award, Inhance Monthly Income Fund

• Best Directional Hedge Fund Award, JC Clark Preservation Trust

• Relative Value Hedge Fund Award, Picton Mahoney Market Neutral Equity Fund

• Multi-strategy Hedge Fund/Fund of Hedge Funds Award, Niagara Legacy Fund

• Best Hedge Fund Newcomer Award, Rosalind Capital Partners

• Investor Education Award — Sponsored by Investment Funds Institute of Canada — “Snapshots”, Dynamic Funds

• Canadian Investment Marketing Award, “Hartford Portfolios Launch”, Hartford Investments

• Advisor Education Award, “Snapshots”, Dynamic Funds

• Best New Initiative Award, “ETF DRIP, PACC, SWF Program”, Claymore Investments Inc.

• Best Use of Technology Award, “SmartForms”, International Financial Data Services Canada

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