Benoît Durteste, CEO and Chief Investment Officer (CIO) of the globally active private markets specialist ICG, is the first recipient of the newly created Leadership Alpha Award; finews reported on this. An independent international jury unanimously named him the winner of the award for 2026, the initiators announced in Zurich on Wednesday.

The prize honors leaders in European asset management who combine sustainable investment success with strategic foresight, a strong corporate culture, and responsible governance.

From specialist to global provider

Durteste has headed ICG as CEO and CIO since 2017. Under his leadership, the company evolved from a provider focused primarily on structured financing solutions into a broadly diversified, globally active investment firm for private markets.

The jury particularly emphasized that Durteste has succeeded in combining the company’s growth with a clear investment philosophy and a distinctly entrepreneurial culture.

In addition to strategic expansion, the panel honored his commitment to talent development, a culture of personal responsibility, and the company’s long-term orientation. It also positively assessed his willingness to confront openly the challenges posed by the growth of private markets and their increasing opening to new groups of investors.

Growth and corporate culture in harmony

“Benoît Durteste combines clear investment convictions with the discipline to build a institution that is successful over the long term,” said jury member Jonathan DeSimone, former CEO of Alcentra and Bain Capital Credit. His leadership showed how growth, corporate culture, and long-term judgment can reinforce one another.

ICG described the award as recognition for the entire company and its consistent focus on investment discipline as well as long-term alignment of interests with clients.

Prominent international jury

The Leadership Alpha Award was launched by Eleway, an executive search and board advisory firm specializing in the asset management industry. The annual award is intended to honor leaders who, beyond short-term business success, make a sustainable contribution to the development of their companies.

The assessment is based on five criteria: investment expertise and innovation, strategic execution and organizational resilience, corporate culture and governance, trust and integrity, as well as responsible corporate leadership.

The selection process is based on a comprehensive analysis of leading European asset managers and their CEOs. The final decision rests solely with an independent jury.

Its members include Sheila Patel, former CEO of Goldman Sachs Asset Management International, Fiona Frick, former CEO of Unigestion, and Elisabeth Stheeman, board member at M&G. Other members are Arno Kitts of Aberdeen Group, Nick Ring of UBS Asset Management UK, and Jonathan DeSimone.

Leadership as a decisive success factor

“We launched this award to make visible the leadership achievements behind long-term success in asset management,” explained Christian Haas, managing partner of Eleway, and Arnaud Tesson, senior advisor to the company.

With the Leadership Alpha Award, presented for the first time, the initiators aim to establish a new benchmark for leadership quality in the European asset management industry. The focus should not be solely on short-term investment performance, but also on the ability to build robust organizations and lead them successfully over the long term.