AsianInvestor Wealth Awards: Market and Marquee winners, explained

In this series of detailed write‑ups, we present the winners of AsianInvestor Wealth’s Market Awards and Marquee Awards.

These awards are designed to recognise leading wealth managers and institutions across Asia’s private wealth landscape.

Today, we outline the rationale for the winners in these categories.

The Market Awards recognise top wealth managers within individual markets across the region. The Marquee Awards highlight best‑of‑the‑best institutions and standout capabilities at a regional level.

All submissions were carefully reviewed by our judging panel. The judges assessed the shortlisted candidates and determined the ultimate winners following discussion and comparison across entries.

The AsianInvestor Wealth editorial team conducted a further review to ensure consistency in the final selections.

In the sections that follow, we explain the reasoning behind our chosen winners and, where relevant, highlight highly commended firms.

Congratulations to all our recipients, and a thank you to our esteemed judging panel for their valuable insights and time.

MARQUEE AWARDS

BEST INTERMEDIARIES STRATEGY: KKR

KKR distinguished itself during the awards period by continuing to deliver its institutional-quality alternative investment capabilities to the intermediated wealth channel through strategic distribution partnerships and innovative structures.

Across its K-series suite of private equity, infrastructure, real estate and credit offerings, the firm’s AUM surged to $35 billion by Q4 2025, from $18 billion in the prior year. In Asia, K-Series is onboarded with top-tier private wealth platforms, featuring a single layer of fees and direct access to deal flow across asset classes. 

By broadening access to alternative investments with appropriate liquidity features, minimum investment sizes and reporting capabilities, KKR has shown its deep understanding of intermediary needs, commitment to education and support, and ability to structure products that meet the unique requirements of wealth management channels.

Beyond its offering, KKR also provides comprehensive advisor support via a blend of investor toolkits, educational content, monthly commentaries, events, and a KKR Academy where private bank advisors can interact with wealth teams and investors across different asset classes.

BEST CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR: Eastspring Investments

Eastspring earned recognition for executing its impactful marketing campaign, “Think Asia. Think Active.” As a bold call to unlock Asia’s opportunities for growth and income through active management, the goal was to champion diversification, as well as remind distributors and investors to look through the noise and beyond headlines.

The campaign demonstrated creativity, strategic insight and measurable results in engaging investors and building brand awareness.

Integrated marketing strategies spanned digital, social media, events and traditional channels, with a cohesive narrative that highlighted regional expertise and investment capabilities.

The campaign also leveraged data analytics to optimise messaging, targeting and channel selection, ensuring maximum impact and efficiency.

Eastspring's creative approach to content development included interactive tools, educational resources and thought leadership pieces. Regional roadshows and webinars brought the campaign to life, combining brand storytelling with product deep dives. These events were complemented by media roundtables and client appreciation sessions, creating direct engagement opportunities.

The reach was impressive – 10 million eyeballs offline across Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan; and 38 million online impressions across Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Malaysia.

Ultimately, the firm saw measurable improvements in brand awareness, engagement metrics and business outcomes.

MARKET AWARDS

HONG KONG SAR: KKR

KKR was able to stand out from the competition in the asset management landscape in Hong Kong during the eligibility period, bringing its institutional-quality alternative investment platform to wealth clients.

The firm's commitment to this segment has yielded impressive results, with its K-Series – an open-ended suite spanning private equity, infrastructure, real estate and credit – demonstrating significant growth during the awards period. Private wealth continues to represent a strategic priority for KKR.

In Asia, K-Series is now onboarded with top-tier private wealth platforms.

In Hong Kong, KKR's operations continued to serve as a key market for the firm's Greater China and broader Asian investment activities, benefiting from the city's strategic position as a gateway to mainland China and role as a leading international financial centre.

Specific activities helping the firm stand out in Hong Kong during the eligibility period included educational partnerships and industry engagements, such as with Women in Finance Hong Kong and the Private Wealth Market Association Hong Kong.

The firm also hosted infrastructure and private equity-focused events. Additionally, they launched an inaugural Mandarin-speaking Private Markets Symposium, demonstrating "local-to-local" expertise.

SINGAPORE: KKR

KKR earned recognition in Singapore during the eligibility period, leveraging the city-state's position as a regional financial hub to deliver on growing investor appetite for private markets assets.

Singapore also serves as KKR's Southeast Asian investment hub providing a strategic base for investment activities across the ASEAN region, along with the broader Asia Pacific markets. The firm's comprehensive platform demonstrates deep understanding of Southeast Asian markets and a proven ability to execute complex transactions across private equity, infrastructure, real estate and credit strategies.

KKR has used this approach to build deep relationships with top tier private banks, family offices and the broader wealth community, enabling access to high-quality investment opportunities via a disciplined approach to capital deployment to generate strong returns across diverse sectors including technology, healthcare, financial services and infrastructure.

Among Singapore-focused initiatives, KKR has been involved in organizing a KKR Mandarin Day for multiple distributors across macro and private markets, including the successful execution of its inaugural Mandarin-speaking Private Markets Symposium for regional distributors.

The firm also hosted an event with General David Petraeus, Chairman of the KKR Global Institute, for key partners to address geopolitics headlines.