The stage of the famed Mossovet Theatre was the venue of choice for the November 1 ceremony to present the SPEAR’S Russia Wealth Management Awards 2012, the first annual awards presentation in Russia organized to celebrate the achievements of professionals and firms from private banking, wealth management and related industries. The event was hosted by Ivan Urgant.

Alfa Bank (A-Club) was named Russian Private Bank of the Year. Raiffeisenbank was selected Foreign Private Bank of the Year providing services to HNWIs in Russia. Bank Julius Baer & Co. was distinguished as the best foreign private bank servicing wealthy Russians outside the country.

Third Rome turned out, for the second year running, to be the Wealth Boutique of the Year. The cream of asset management companies was GHP Group (formerly Fleming Family & Partners), while the best head-hunters were Odgers Berndtson, with Ingosstrakh crowned best insurers.

UFG Wealth Management was named the Family Office of the Year, while Rietumu Banka was declared the Best Private Bank in CIS and Baltic States.

The title of Speaker of the Year went to Alexey Golubovich of Arbat Capital, and Ewgeni Smuschkovich of Julius Baer was crowned Investment Consultant of the Year. The Judging Panel recognised the Law Firm of the Year to be Padva and Partners, while the best Tax Adviser was Ernst & Young. Skate’s Art Market Research, meanwhile, won in the Art Consultant of the Year nomination.

This year's Gentleman of the PBWM Industry was Petr Terekhin of Promsvyazbank, while the industry's First Lady was Irina Kaminskaya from M2M Private Bank. Deutsche Bank’s Pavel Teplukhin was declared the PBWM Industry Legend in Russia, while the world title went to Dr. Hans Vontobel, the honorary president of Vontobel Holding AG.

Special prizes were also awarded. Stolichnaya Financial Corporation was recognised for the most original approach to business, while the best interview to SPEAR'S Russia magazine won a prize for Andrei Degtyarev, chairman of the board at KIT Finance. Prizes also went to the international charitable foundation Giving Hope and PRIME, as the best concierge service.

The Judging Panel of SPEAR’S Russia Wealth Management Awards 2012 included Dominic Gualtieri, Maxim Nogotkov, Gleb Fetisov and Pavel Fuks. The Panel was chaired by Alexander Gafin, Editor-in-Chief of SPEAR’S Russia magazine.

The event was organised by SPEAR’S Russia magazine and PBWM.ru, as well as official partners CHIVAS 18, Jaguar Land Rover, Samsung and Yanush Gioielli. PwC was the Independent Consultant.

Detailed information about SPEAR’S Russia Wealth Management Awards 2012 is available at the project’s official website.