(Pictured: Greg O’Neill)

La Trobe Financial has negotiated a partnership for its annual CIO and COO Awards with the Fund Executives Association Ltd (FEAL), also agreeing to sponsor the Awards for the next three years.

The two Awards, which each carries a $10,000 prize, will be next announced at a standalone ceremony on November 11 in Melbourne. The ceremony, which traditionally has taken place in May, normally attracts about 150 industry attendees.

To be called the ‘La Trobe Financial FEAL CIO & COO Awards’, the focus is to remain on fiduciary investors, such as super funds and government funds, which fits within the FEAL charter.

Greg O’Neill, the La Trobe president and CEO, said joining forces with FEAL was the right partnership given the association’s “special focus on recognising efforts made by decision makers looking after our retirement savings”.

They will complement FEAL’s long-standing Fund Executive of the Year Award, which is sponsored by AMP Capital and takes place at a members’ dinner ahead of the association’s annual conference in August. It is possible that the two events will be merged in future years.

La Trobe said that the CIO & COO Awards’ judging panel would remain in place, with FEAL’s chair, Neil Cochrane, joining the committee*. He takes the spot vacated early this year by former Telstra Super CFO Christina Liosis, who has joined systems provider FNZ as its CFO. The other committee members are David Coogan of PwC, Jeff Bresnahan of SuperRatings, Chris Page of Rainmaker, Greg O’Neill and Greg Bright, a consultant to La Trobe.

*Note: Greg Bright is the author of this report.