Chances are, this week you've been in a mad rush to finalize transactions that need to be closed before the holiday deadline. But already we here at PERE have been reflecting upon 2013 as it draws to a close. Which is our way of saying it is time to once again open up the voting to the PERE Global Awards, now in its eighth year.
We know the market has been waiting for this moment because we’ve received many recommendations in the many award categories. We also know they mean a lot because they are independent. There is no sponsorship and no panel of judges. We’ve drawn up the short list, now it is up to our readers to vote for the people and organisations that made headlines in 2013.
To check out the nominees in the Global, North America, Europe and Asia categories, follow the link to our dedicated voting page and get voting. [Click here.] As you would expect, there is a healthy representation of the industry’s largest players and you can surely guess at some of the names. But what we noticed this year was the much larger array of fund raisings and transactions to ponder compared to years gone by.
Another trend that came through was the participation by global investors in so many significant transactions. As a result, we’re particularly excited about the institutional investor categories, where the likes of Canada’s Ivanhoé Cambridge are going head to head with the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), Australia’s Future Fund and GIC Private Limited in the global category.
Also noteworthy are the sums involved in the fundraising categories. Lone Star Funds, Starwood Capital, Oaktree Capital Management (and, oops nearly forgot, Blackstone) are in a eye-catching tussle to win in the Global Capital Raise of the Year category.
Beyond that, there is some great competition between regional firms that focus on doing business in the US, Europe or Asia. The European category for Deal of the Year was especially tough to whittle down to four contenders this time, which reflects the growing market for distressed assets. The truth is that two dozen deals could easily have qualified in this one.
There are plenty of other nominations and categories for you to reflect upon, and we look forward to monitoring each and every voting battle as they play out over the coming weeks. Voting closes at midnight EST on 10th January 2014, and results will be published at the beginning of March, both on perenews.com and in PERE’s Awards & Annual Review issue.
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. What you can’t do is vote for yourself or your own organisation.
So, which nominated individuals and firms deserve honors for 2013? Time for you to decide. We look forward to a robust final tally, and thank you in advance for taking the time to vote.
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