Regions

GLOBAL - Pension funds' focus on alpha could have caused a 50% increase in active manager fees in five years, according to Watson Wyatt.

AEGON has rebranded its cross border pension solution business AEGON Global Pensions.

GLOBAL - Russell is to launch global style equity indexes in April, reflecting key growth and value segments of the Russell Global Index.

EUROPE - Credit Suisse has appointed Michael Rüdiger as chief executive officer of Credit Suisse in Germany, Austria, Luxembourg and Central Europe.

AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND - Russell Investment Group has merged its institutional and retail businesses, as investors increasingly demand services that cross the retail/institutional divide.

GLOBAL - Incisive Media is pleased to announce the winners of the Global Pensions Awards 2008 .

INCLUDING - UK - Burke joins Hewitt; ASIA - Asia Pacific appointments; US - Feckner re-elected CalPERS president; AUSTRALIA - Future fund positive returns; CANADA - Caisse de depot results; UK - NAPF welcomes risk sharing consultation

Kemal Ahmed and Joseph Mariathasan explain why the typical benchmarked approach to investing in emerging markets equities does not allow investors access to the full emerging markets story

HUNGARY - AEGON Hungary has bought 100% of the registered capital of UNIQA Asset Management Company and Heller-Saldo 2000 Pension Fund Management Company from UNIQA Insurance Company.

CZECH REPUBLIC - The Czech government has provisionally approved sweeping changes to the country's pension system, designed to curb massive potential future deficits and reform the economy.