Sure Thinking for the Long Run

AIMCo’s clients require a unique combination of steady, responsible thinking and new, progressive strategies to realize their long-term goals. That is why it is so important to evaluate our progress while planning for the future. Our 2016 corporate objectives were highly client-centric, as they will continue to be for 2017.

Superior performance and client satisfaction rely on sound strategic planning that focuses on our ability to deliver exceptional investment performance while leveraging scale and efficiencies to reduce costs. Our Strategic Plan always has one goal in mind: to do business the right way, for the good of our clients.

Progress Against 2016 Corporate Objectives

Client Satisfaction

2016 Objectives

  • Improve enterprise-wide understanding of “what clients know and think about AIMCo” to provide all AIMCo professionals with a clearer understanding of AIMCo’s relationships with its clients.
  • Expand client survey to include a broader set of clients and improve overall client survey scores year over year by an agreed-upon metric.

Progress

Overall, AIMCo strengthened relationships with its clients in 2016, as evidenced by the feedback provided in our annual Client Satisfaction Survey and numerous anecdotal touchpoints. Clients value the level of operational transparency and the accessibility of our executives and subject matter experts.

Investment Performance

2016 Objectives

  • Collaborate with clients to develop innovative investment solutions that meet or exceed performance objectives.
  • Continue to integrate the pillars of Responsible Investment into investment considerations.
  • Continue to evolve our Investment Risk program.

Progress

AIMCo continued to generate value-add return for its clients in 2016, both in terms of investment results and continuing to strengthen our investment framework. AIMCo’s Risk Management function underwent a number of significant changes in 2016 in response to client feedback. Our Responsible Investment team has been working to forge stronger links and closer collaboration with each of AIMCo’s asset classes in recognizing environmental, social and governance issues throughout the investment process.

Financial and Operational Performance

2016 Objectives

  • Deliver all operational projects in a timely manner and within budget.
  • Ensure effective cost management.

Progress

AIMCo’s teams remain committed to seeking out efficiencies in all aspects of our business with a view to enhancing net value-add through lower costs to our clients. Effective cost management remains an ongoing organization-wide initiative. AIMCo continues to be a low-cost investment manager when compared to our peers of similar size under CEM Benchmarking, an independent global provider of cost benchmarking.

Strategic Performance

2016 Objectives

  • Provide high-quality investment management services beyond/in addition to investment return.

Progress

Strategically positioning the organization to best serve the needs of our stakeholders has become vitally important. AIMCo has been very proactive in assessing the strengths of the organization, involving a wide range of inputs and determining the most appropriate means of achieving our goal to be recognized for the unique role we play in Alberta, for Albertans.

Doing Business the Right Way

2016 Objectives

  • Continue to build on the strengths of our AIMCo team and continually evolve our People Strategy.
  • Increase emphasis on Core Values to ensure they are incorporated into our daily routines.
  • Further enhance our control environment, particularly AIMCo’s Enterprise Risk Management program.

Progress

“Doing Business the Right Way” has become a mantra at AIMCo, signified by strong employee engagement, reduced turnover among key employee groups and adherence to the organization’s policies and processes.

Key Objectives for 2017

To ensure AIMCo Board/Client Board leadership transitions are managed effectively and without disruption

To implement our Corporate Culture Action Plan

To continue to build internal capability and process to be a trusted strategic advisor

To initiate the implementation of Clients First 2.0, an enhanced strategy for serving and communicating with our clients

To continually mature our investment partnerships to ensure maximum value and optimized investment strategy and delivery

To evolve our system capability to maximize efficiency and decision-making, which will include having selected and started implementation of a new risk system

▶︎ Next Section: Investment Performance