Zagreb, 25 May 2017 - Erste d.o.o. mandatory and voluntary pension fund management company (Erste Plavi) has won the Institutional Investor Peer to Peer Award for the best pension fund management company in Eastern Europe. The award for 2017 was presented on 17 May by Institutional Investor Institute. This award is presented to pension fund management companies that were chosen by the industry and whose innovative approach to asset management significantly contributes to business results.

The award was accepted by Management Board member Senka Fekeza Klemen who said: "We are very proud of our achievements, and particularly of the yields that greatly increased the pension savings of our members. By introducing new financial instruments and models we have further improved the investment process."

The introduction of new risk management software further improved the evaluation and monitoring of market risks and the analysis of achieved results. The company further confirmed its innovativeness by introducing the first online application for pension fund membership through a wholly digital process. Filling out the application form generates a payment slip with a 2D code which allows applicants to easily make payments using the Snap and Pay mobile banking service. In addition, the modernized website presents the mandatory and voluntary pension savings system in a simple manner, helps users choose the best pension savings options and provides useful tools which interactively inform users of the importance of voluntary pension savings. Web tools also help plan additional pension savings and choose the appropriate savings model.

The year 2016 was exceptionally successful for Erste Plavi pension funds, which is reflected in the highest yields achieved in the A and C mandatory pension funds category, while Erste Plavi Expert recorded the highest yield in the category of open voluntary pension funds on the domestic market. The yields ranged from 6-13%, depending on the type of fund.