Best Overall Group: Shortlisted

GAM International attributes its success since launch in 1983 to one overriding principle: "Everything we do is designed to outperform the market and our clients' expectations."

This is illustrated by the long-term performance records of the group's single manager hedge funds.

GAM International has developed a reputation as a results-oriented specialist asset manager with a strong track record of preserving capital and delivering alpha across investment styles. The group's expertise lies in equities and bonds, single manager hedge funds, funds of hedge funds and structured products delivered through in-house investment teams and third party managers.

The group has grown its business where it has found "significant talent", adding in-house teams and funds based on the strength of its due diligence process.

GAM has built its suite of hedge funds at a modest rate, a considered approach that is indicative of the group's commitment to delivering "quality investment to clients instead of following product fads and trends", it says.

The group's single manager funds focus on delivering consistent, positive absolute returns with controlled volatility. The current offering includes 18 funds using a variety of strategies including equity long/short, arbitrage, trading and fixed income and currency strategies. Total assets under management were approximately $9.6 billion at December 31, 2009.

The group of 12 in-house managers and three external hedge fund managers have been grown by selecting fund managers the group believes have the ability to identify opportunities others may overlook.

GAM hires managers relatively early in their careers believing they will thrive and develop as well as those already established in their careers. Thsee are attracted to GAM as an alternative to setting up their own hedge funds.

The qualities GAM says it looks for in a manager include an independent spirit, a passion for investing and the integrity to stick to their convictions as investors.

GAM offers an environment in which each investment team is able to manage assets according to their own individual philosophies and investment styles. There is no house view.

There is no centralised research department. Each investment team is responsible for research and investment management in their area of expertise. All research and analytics are carried out in-house.

None of the teams rely on the recommendations of third party research for investment decisions. It is their own convictions that drive the portfolios and determine the performance.

Most in-house teams take a fundamental approach to evaluating markets and securities, usually with a top-down thematic element. How this information is then interpreted and applied to investment strategies is unique to each team.

The investment teams are supported by dedicated client service professionals and an advanced technological and operational infrastructure including analytical tools, information systems, independent risk management oversight, trading platforms and administration.

The group believes its operational integrity and support is one reason it has a high retention rate of its in-house managers.

The long-term success of the group will be based, it believes, on clients valuing GAM International's dedication in meeting and exceeding their investment objectives and also in providing them with proactive service while sharing its investment knowledge.