Sponsor list

With 77 years’ experience in fund management, Pioneer Investments has a history few asset management companies can match. Innovation is part of our heritage. At the forefront of the establishment of the modern US mutual fund industry, Pioneer Investments is an industry leader in the development of this market in Europe. We were the first asset management company to launch investment funds in Italy, first in Germany to register US mutual funds under the Foreign Investments Act, and first to distribute open-ended investment funds in Poland. We recently acquired Momentum Group, which in keeping with Pioneer Investments’ tradition of innovation, is one of the founders of the funds of hedge funds industry. In October 2000, UniCredito Italiano S.p.A. (“UCI”) completed its acquisition of the Pioneer Group, Inc., further bolstering the capabilities of its asset management operations in Milan and Dublin. UCI has strong credit ratings (Moody’s Aa2, S&P AA-) reflecting its reputation as one of Europe’s leading and best managed banks. Through the consolidation of these powerful investment houses, Pioneer Investments is ideally positioned to expand its global reach and penetrate deeper into each market.



IXIS Corporate & Investment Bank offers an extensive range of services on the fixed income, foreign exchange and equity markets, including origination, market-making, brokerage, structuring as well as financial and economic research.  It is specialized in high added-value products such as financial solutions in alternative investments to customers worldwide.  It is one of major players in providing principal protection to hedge funds and customized MTNs (CFO and other) linked to hedge funds. (www.ixis-cib.com)


As the first German provider of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), INDEXCHANGE Investment AG is not only a pioneer in this segment but also an index-tracking specialist. ETFs are passively managed exchange traded mutual funds. Through a single stock market transaction, the investor acquires a basket of securities that very precisely tracks an index. Investors are increasingly coming to appreciate the wide variety of possible applications and the simple handling of Exchange Traded Funds. In the first 11 months of 2005, INDEXCHANGE assets under management rose by 65% to a total of 10.2 billion Euro. ETFs are accordingly one of the fastest growing market segments in the financial world.



Citco Bank is the recognized world leader in providing specialized trading and custody for the international fund holdings of its clients. For institutional clients, Citco Bank offers a unique custody service to alleviate these institutions from the administrative burden of locating, subscribing in and keeping track of investments in international funds for their private banking customers. These services allow clients to deal in both mutual funds and alternative investments in a fully automated environment.  Citco’s clients benefit from real-time access to electronic statements including portfolio holdings, pending transactions and access to historical transactions data including corporate actions.  
www.citcobanking.com