Superannuation Arrangements of the University of London (SAUL) chief executive Penny Green has won the portfolio institutional industry achievement award.

Green was awarded the accolade at a glittering gala dinner held at the Royal Exchange in London last night after being selected as winner by the portfolio institutional awards’ 35-strong judging panel from a shortlist of four, which had been compiled by portfolio institutional readers’ votes from a longer list of 10 individuals.Presenting the award, Buck Consultants principal and head of pensions policy Kevin LeGrand said throughout her career Green had focused on the “real issues” for pension schemes, in the process demonstrating the “focus on innovation, commitment and forward-thinking required of the winner”.He added: “As a result there are a great many pensioners and future pensioners who owe her a debt of gratitude.”Accepting the award, Green said: “It is not often I am speechless. I am enormously honoured and want to thank everyone who voted for me.”Green joined SAUL in 1998 and is responsible for both investments and benefits delivery on behalf of the trustee board. She has served as chair of the Pension Administration Standards Association and was the first female president of the Pensions Management Institute.In November she announced she would retire from her role at SAUL by the end of 2014 after 16 years at the firm.Other names on the industry achievement long-list were former Royal Mail Pensions Trustees chief executive and independent trustee at Law Debenture Gerry Degaute; Towers Watson senior consultant and former NAPF chairman Mark Hyde Harrison; John Lewis Partnership head of trustee services Martin Mannion; Society of Pension Consultants president and PAN Trustees director Roger Mattingly; former The Pensions Regulator chairman Michael O’Higgins; NAPF chief executive Joanne Segars; and former London Pensions Fund Authority chief executive Mike Taylor.The awards, now in their third year, seek to recognise excellence in institutional investment across 11 categories.The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) was a big winner after picking up two accolades for best pension scheme II (over £1bn) and best risk management.Commenting on the PPF’s entry in the best pension scheme II (over £1bn) category, the judging panel said: “This year’s winner has outperformed the liability benchmark over one and three years by a meaningful amount. The in-house team also has a good understanding of risk, including an explicit volatility target/budget, which has helped it maintain a strong funding position on a prudent basis.”This year for the first time there was a joint winner in one of the categories. The PPF and Electricity North West Group of the Electricity Supply Pension Scheme shared the honours for best risk management after the judges decided it was too difficult to pick one overall winner in that category.The National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) and Rentokil Initial were highly commended by the judges in the best risk management category.Other winners on the night included the TT Group (1983) Pension Scheme which won best pension scheme I (under £1bn), New Look which won best corporate treasury and the Environment Agency Active Pension Fund which scooped best implementation of responsible investment.In addition, the Church Commissioners for England won best use of alternative asset classes (BOC Pension Scheme was highly commended), while the BOC Pension Scheme took home best portfolio structure and the Nuffield Foundation scooped best charity/trust/foundation.The best investor in property category went to the Santander UK Group Pension Scheme (highly commended: Church Commissioners for England) and the Volkswagen Group Pension Scheme won this year’s best DC pension scheme category.Guests including pension fund investors, insurers, investment consultants, academics and economists were also treated to a pre-dinner keynote speech from one of Yale Economic Review’s ‘five hot minds in economics’ Tomas Sedlacek, who spoke on the subject of The fetish of economy. Full list of awards winners:Industry achievement: Penny GreenBest pension scheme II (over £1bn): Pension Protection FundBest implementation of responsible investment: Environment Agency Active Pension FundBest investor in alternative asset classes: Church Commissioners for EnglandHighly commended: BOC Pension SchemeBest investor in property: Santander UK Group Pension SchemeHighly commended: Church Commissioners for England Best pension scheme I (under £1bn): TT Group (1993) Group Pension SchemeBest corporate treasury: New LookBest risk management: Pension Protection FundElectricity North West Group of the Electricity Supply Pension SchemeHighly commended: National Employment Savings Trust and Rentokil InitialBest portfolio structure: BOC Pension SchemeBest charity/trust/foundation: Nuffield FoundationBest DC pension scheme: Volkswagen Group Pension Scheme