EXCELLENCE & INNOVATION

The P&I WorldPensionSummit Excellence & Innovation awards are honouring innovative ideas and recognise organisations that are excelling in terms of their strategy, execution or delivery. Pensions & Investments wants to highlight and celebrate the pension funds/plan sponsors that are leading the charge, and these awards aim to inspire organisations and honour them for their creative thinking and solutions.

Honouring excellence
What innovation means for one organisation may be considered as standardised for another. Innovations also differ regionally, with less developed pension systems, for example, needing different forms of innovation vs. more mature systems. It is important to recognise and honour these differences, so we can further learn from them, be inspired and encourage future developments. 

We believe our industry and the people that work in it have a constant drive to do good, do the right thing, to rethink and to recallibrate in changing circumstances and changing worlds, in order to ensure a dignified retirement for all people in this world. Difficult times require out-of-the-box thinking and can inspire organisations to become creative solution finders. The urge to make a change and tireless efforts to improve, creates outperformers that lead by example in our industry — organisations and thinkers that can inspire others and help boost reform and outcomes around the globe.

We are therefore recognising and rewarding pension funds/plan sponsors that are using excellence or innovation to drive their pensions forward through innovative investment, new plan design, excellent technology and participant communication or any way that may help to drive successful outcomes for plan participants. Past winners were selected for their cutting-edge ideas and projects. 

The awards recognise innovation as a team effort, so we are rewarding the organisation (read: pension fund), not the individual. We allow pension funds to be nominated by their own employees or by an external organisation: Help your peers by sharing your own innovation and receive recognition for your ingenuity!

Entries are accepted from organisations from around the world. The winners and runners-up will be announced and recognised at the Pensions & Investments WorldPensionSummit during the Excellence & Innovation Awards Ceremony, to be held on 5 November 2026. Stay informed and sign up for the P&I WorldPensionSummit newsletter: SIGN UP

Criteria for Excellence & Innovation Award nomination:

• Only pension funds/plan sponsors (we are honouring organisations) can be nominated for an Award.
• We encourage nominations by external organisations for pension funds that have excelled and/or innovated. In that case the pension plan is the nominee and the submitter will be acknowledged as external champion, if applicable.
• We encourage nominations from around the globe
• There is no fee to enter. 
• Approved nominations are expected to join the Excellence & Innovation Awards ceremony on November 5th (1 free delegate pass is provided per organisation)
• Only one entry per organisation, per category.

Your nominee benefits include:

• A global platform for sharing your ideas and successes and recognition for your hard work as a pension fund professional
• Corporate pension funds are invited to apply for a complimentary delegate pass (send an email to mguldemond@pionline.com)
• Recognition via our online Pensions & Investments platforms
• Recognition in the P&I WorldPensionSummit Excellence & Innovation Awards booklet
• Logo listing as a nominee during the awards ceremony
• Winners and runners-up take home a beautiful handmade glass award
• Winners and runners-up are chosen by an expert jury and recognized and announced at our awards ceremony on November 5th

JOIN US AT THE SUMMIT

The WorldPensionSummit 2026
The Pensions & Investments WorldPensionSummit has been developed for and by pension professionals to offer a truly global learning and networking experience. Our summit provides a platform for attendees from all around the world to discuss innovative ideas and strategies, tackle the challenges around the future of retirement and get fresh perspectives from thought leaders on achieving sustainable pension provision. The P&I WorldPensionSummit is scheduled for 3 - 5 November 2026. For more details and to register go to www.worldpensionsummit.com Read on and find out more about our 2026 theme.

Preparing & Securing Pensions for a Less Predictable World
As markets swing, lifespans lengthen, policies evolve and global risks intensify, retirement systems must become stronger, more adaptive and more forward-looking than ever before. Geopolitical fragmentation, technological disruption, demographic shifts and the climate transition are reshaping the global investment and retirement landscape. For pension funds, long-term certainty can no longer be taken for granted; resilience, strategic foresight and adaptability are now defining characteristics of success.

The P&I WorldPensionSummit 2026 will explore how pension funds can prepare for a world that is structurally less predictable. How can long-term investors navigate heightened uncertainty while still delivering stable retirement outcomes? What does resilience look like in portfolio construction, governance and operations? And how should funds balance short-term shocks with enduring obligations?

Across asset allocation, risk management, private markets, sustainability and technological innovation, the summit will focus on building pension systems that are robust, flexible and future-ready. Sessions will examine scenario planning, liquidity management, geopolitical risk, climate adaptation, demographic pressures and the evolving role of stewardship in turbulent times.

As economic regimes shift and societal expectations evolve, collaboration and knowledge-sharing are more critical than ever. The P&I WorldPensionSummit 2026 will bring together global asset owners, policymakers and industry leaders to exchange insights and develop practical strategies to safeguard retirement security in an era defined by uncertainty. In a less predictable world, preparation is not optional — it is the foundation of long-term trust, stability and sustainability.

We look forward to you joining us in November!

Share