Assante’s recruiting efforts consist of a two-pronged focus on attracting experienced advisors who embrace its philosophy of wealth management, as well as younger advisors who will provide ongoing relationship continuity for clients as part of existing advisory teams. Assante continued to add new advisors in its network in 2012. 

Sound advice coupled with financial stability and operating efficiency is critical in fostering trusting relationships with clients in the continued uncertainty of today’s environment. Assante’s competitive advantages include the security of CI’s financial strength, the benefits of CI’s experience and support in operations, technology, client services and sales, as well as its portfolio management expertise and products. With this solid foundation, Assante is pursuing a growth strategy based on continuing recruitment and fostering the growth of our advisors’ practices through the provision of wealth planning expertise, enhanced systems support and sophisticated portfolio solutions. 

## Distribution Partners 

In distributing its retail funds, CI maintains solid relationships with financial advisors at numerous firms across Canada. However, our size and financial resources enable us to provide additional sales support and service to certain preferred partners: Assante, Sun Life advisors and Edward Jones. Our preferred partners continue to make signifi cant contributions to our sales and growth. Our goal is to strengthen our existing relationships and extend this model into new channels. 

## CIIAM 

CI Institutional Asset Management (CIIAM) experienced 12% growth during the year due to strong net sales and portfolio returns, and ended the year with $11.5 billion in assets under management. CIIAM operates in two general institutional markets: Alliance, which typically involves sub-advising mandates or participating in fund-of-fund programs at other financial institutions, and the more traditional area of pensions, foundations and endowments. The Alliance part of our operations was awarded two sizable new mandates in 2012. Our pensions and endowments business experienced another excellent year of client growth with six new clients, bringing the total to 20 new clients won in the past two years in this segment. 

As part of its growth strategy, CIIAM has boosted our commitment to a true multi-manager, multi-product institutional offering with a core Canadian equity fund, a global equity mandate and a series of target date funds joining our balanced mandate on our product shelf. The target date funds, the CI LifeCycle Portfolios, which were launched in 2012, are important solutions for defined contribution pension plans as well as other types of employer-sponsored group savings plans. 

## Driving growth through sales and marketing 

CI has successfully established enduring relationships with the thousands of advisors who sell our funds. This is a credit to our staff in our administration, client services and sales and marketing departments who provide crucial day-to-day support to advisors. However, our industry has become increasingly competitive and we are not taking advisors and investors for granted. 

