Robert Burgess
& team
Deutsche Bank
In third place for a second year running is Deutsche Bank’s team of five under London-based Robert Burgess, who notes that performance of markets in emerging Europe, the Middle East and Africa is dependent on global factors. “It really does start with the U.S., and eventually that should create a better environment for Europe — and that in turn should be good news for EMEA,” Burgess believes. However, much will depend on when and how central banks begin exiting their quantitative easing initiatives. Countries that have availed themselves of cheap external financing to rebuild their balance sheets should do well as the environment starts to normalize, he says, pointing to Poland and Romania as examples. The Deutsche team — with economists in Russia, South Africa, Turkey and the U.K., “stays focused on the big picture,” attests one appreciative client. — Carolyn Koo