Broker Kaspars Kurmiņš from the Citadele Bank was named Broker of the Year 2011 at the annual Baltic Market Awards ceremony, which is organised by NASDAQ OMX Riga.
According to the exchange, Kurmiņš engaged in the largest number of securities transactions among all Latvian brokers in 2011 – more than 1,600 transactions in all. The exchange adds that Kurmiņš also ensured the highest revenues in trading, which involves shares from Baltic companies – EUR 2.5 million. Before being declared Broker of the Year, Kurmiņš posted one of the best results from a poll held among brokers, and he also received much praise from the exchange's Trading Department.
The Broker of the Year award has been presented each year for the past 15 years, and it allows the exchange to thank the best securities sales specialist of the past year, as well as to enhance the prestige of brokers in society.
The special prize from the exchange in 2011 was granted to Olainfarm board member Salvis Lapiņš, who responded to the exchange's invitation to take part in the first Web-based investor conference in the history of Latvia's securities market. These conferences are common at the international level in terms of allowing exchanges to communicate with investors, promote high-quality dialogue, and enhance their recognisability. The first seminar was an important step in improving the quality of investor relations among Latvian companies, and it also brought the exchange closer to Western standards in the area of investor relations. After the Olainfarm Web seminar, the exchange received many positive responses from investors, particularly foreign ones.
The special exchange prize has been offered ever since 2000 to people who have made a particular investment in the Latvian securities market and its development. In the past, the award has been received by people who work for banks or in the academic environment, as well as by media representatives and companies.