Published on 02 November 2007
On November 1st, 2007 the third annual NPN Awards were handed out during a festive gala at Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky in Amsterdam. Dozens of pension funds, both big and small, took the time and energy to impress the NPN jury with their best practices this year. Guus Boender, currently on the Supervisory Board of ORTEC International, took home the most prestigious award of the night. Below are some excerpts from the commentary as it appeared on the FT Global Events website. (go to our Dutch language site for the link)
Category: Exceptional Contribution to the Pension Fund Sector
Many different parties make important contributions to the pension fund sector – from board members to politicians, investment experts to scholars, and from umbrella organisations to research platforms. Which person or organisation has been the most valuable player in the sector this year?
Winner: Guus Boender
This category is perfectly suited to give a lifetime achievement award, and if there is one person whose collected works deserve honourable mention, it is Guus Boender. “Throughout his long career, Guus has continued fighting for a collective and fair pension system. In doing so, he does not shun a deviant opinion,” according to one jury member. “If the entire population of the Netherlands is convinced in taking a right turn, Guus does not hesitate to consider if going left might be the best possible solution. Because of that independent attitude, Guus has for many years been a pioneer.” At the same time he stands up for what he calls ‘transparent solidarity’. Only a system that has the courage to calculate its own performance and is frank and open in its communication with the stakeholders will, Guus believes, have a sustainable future. When it comes down to calculations, his contributions have certainly been priceless. There are few pension funds in the Netherlands that do not utilize his many insights, either directly or indirectly, in professionalising their balance sheet management. “Like no one else, he is able to make extremely complicated matters easily comprehensible to the board members,” the jury stated. In the person of Guus Boender, collectivity and solidarity have found one of their most respected and authoritative advocates. Someone whose voice reaches far beyond our national borders, in academic circles as well as more practical-minded business environments. The manner in which Guus lends his professional expertise to the pension world has been received with universal acclaim. ‘His scholarly input in the pension world has been extremely important and still is. I truly appreciate him for bringing actual science into the sector,” one jury member explained. “As a consequence, the pension world is reaping many big rewards.”
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