2011 awards: several tight races emerge

Don’t miss your chance to influence the outcome in 35 categories making up the 2011 Global PERE Awards. There are a number of close races underway and, with the poll closing on January 20, your vote could make the difference.


Voting has been open for roughly three weeks in the 2011 Global PERE Awards, and frontrunners in the various categories and regions are beginning to emerge.

With the poll still open for just over two weeks (until midnight on January 20), the opportunity is still there for you to make a difference and ensure that the awards go to the most deserving recipients (to vote, click here). Furthermore, in several tight contests, your vote is all the more crucial.

For example, the Deal of the Year category is generating very close races across all three regions. In North America, it is a three-way race between The Blackstone Group’s $9.4 billion purchase of Centro Properties’ US portfolio, the $10 billion acquisition of Anglo Irish Bank’s US loan portfolio and Brookfield Asset Management’s takeover of three luxury resorts. In Europe, Blackstone’s purchase of Chiswick Park in the UK is battling the privatization of Minerva by AREA Property Partners and Delancey and Kennedy Wilson’s acquisition of the Bank of Ireland’s investment management business. Lastly, in Asia, Invesco Real Estate’s takeover of AIG Global Real Estate’s Asia business is neck-to-neck with Blackstone’s acquisition of Valad Property Group.

From that example alone, it is obvious that Blackstone is in contention for several awards. Beyond those already mentioned, the New York-based private equity behemoth is the frontrunner for Firm of the Year honors in the North America and Europe regions, as well as globally. Additionally, the firm’s real estate co-heads are leading the race for Global Industry Figure of the Year, with John Gray leading the same category for North America.

Many other races also are too close to call, particularly in Asia. For example, it is a virtual deadlock between the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation and China Investment Corporation in the Institutional Investor of the Year vote, with National Pension Service of Korea close on their heels. Meanwhile, intriguing three-way battles are unfolding between Macquarie Capital Advisors, Morgan Stanley and Jones Lang LaSalle in the Placement Agent of the Year category and between CBRE Global Investors, Aberdeen Asset Management and Composition Capital for Fund of funds/Secondaries Firm of the Year, with a significant write-in challenge from Partners Group.

Voting is easy. Simply visit our voting page and fire away. Each category has four nominations for you to consider. Or, if you think there is a strong candidate that has been overlooked, choose the write-in option. As with previous years, you can vote in all, some or even just one category; you just cannot vote for yourself or your own organisation.

Winners will be announced in our 2012 Awards & Annual Review issue, which comes out in March, as well as on our website.

Make your opinion count. Vote now!