Leading investment manager, Threadneedle Investments, recently announced that Singapore Management University’s (SMU) Agha Tariq Ali is one of the two winners of the 2013 Threadneedle Investment Award.  Agha Tariq, who is currently pursuing the Master of Science in Wealth Management Programme with SMU’s Lee Kong Chian School of Business, will receive £12,000 towards his studies, as well as an international internship at Threadneedle in London and Singapore.  The other winner is Jean Liu from Cass Business School.

Both winners emerged following a Threadneedle Investment Award essay competition that was opened to postgraduate finance students at each university earlier this year.  The essay competition saw entries which were of a particularly high standard, and both Jean and Agha Tariq were among three finalists shortlisted by each university and then interviewed by a panel of judges from Threadneedle, before they emerged champs.  Agha Tariq’s essay analysed how QE activities in USA and Europe have investment implications for emerging markets.

As an investment professional in Pakistan, Agha Tariq has always been fascinated by the investment landscape of emerging Asia.

“Drawn to the growing reputation of SMU as a world class institution and its tailor-made Masters programme for the asset management industry, MSc in Wealth Management, I decided to further my career ambition by moving to Singapore.  My aspirations are to further develop as an investment professional and eventually become a top tier portfolio manager,” he shared.

Elated about the achievement, Agha Tariq commented, “To have seasoned and highly accomplished professionals at Threadneedle find my ideas interesting was extremely motivating for me. The prize gives me a rare opportunity to learn and gain experience from an investment manager that adds real value for clients through emphasis on alpha and absolute return strategies. As far as career prospects in the investment industry are concerned, the Threadneedle award was a game changer.”

Professor Howard Thomas, Dean of the SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business, said: “We are very grateful to Threadneedle for extending this year’s Threadneedle Award to SMU.  It not only provides a platform for SMU’s finance postgraduate students to showcase their talents, but also gives the SMU winner, Agha Tariq Ali, the exceptional opportunity to learn from the best asset managers in the industry through an internship. This internship opportunity will no doubt enhance his career prospects in the global investment sector.”

The Threadneedle Investment Award is offered via the Threadneedle Foundation; through which Threadneedle builds partnerships that create a positive social impact, with a particular focus on initiatives that use education and art to facilitate social change.

[Photo: SMU student, Agha Tariq Ali, will have the exceptional opportunity to do an internship with Threadneedle Investment in London.]

“We are proud to continue our sponsorship of the Threadneedle Investment Award in 2013 and as an international asset manager we’re delighted to extend this award to a student at SMU as well as Cass this year.  We are keen to nurture global talent and our partnership with Cass and SMU brings together three organisations that are global leaders in investment thinking.  The Award recognises and celebrates talented and hard-working students and we are pleased to support Jean and Agha Tariq as they start their careers in investment management.  Both deserve congratulations, the standard of their essays was excellent,” said Campbell Fleming, Threadneedle’s Chief Executive Officer.

[Featured Photo: (Left to right) The Threadneedle Investment Award essay competition finalists from SMU, Chen Weixia and Barry Teo, and the winner, Agha Tariq Ali, with Mr Andrew Chan, Managing Director, Chief Administrative Officer & Head of Product Development, Asia Pacific at Threadneedle Investments.]