Research Affiliates Recognized for Thought Leadership & Education at 2024 ThinkAdvisor Luminaries Awards

PRESS RELEASE

Rob Arnott of Research Affiliates Honored with 2025 ETF.com Lifetime Achievement Award

Recognition highlights Arnott’s pioneering work in smart beta and decades of transformative contributions to quantitative investing

 

NEW YORK, April 24, 2025—Research Affiliates, LLC, a global leader in smart beta, enhanced index strategies and asset allocation, is proud to announce that Rob Arnott, founder and chairman, has been named the recipient of the 2025 ETF.com Lifetime Achievement Award.

Arnott is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the world of quantitative and systematic investing. He is best known for his foundational work in smart beta, particularly the development of Fundamental Index™ strategies, which challenged traditional capitalization-weighted indexing and opened new frontiers in portfolio construction and long-term asset allocation.

Under Arnott’s leadership, Research Affiliates has become a global powerhouse in investment research and strategy design. Since its founding in 2002, the firm has collaborated with leading asset managers around the world to bring data-driven, cost-effective investment solutions to a broad range of investors. As of December 31, 2024, more than $150 billion in assets are managed worldwide based on strategies developed by Research Affiliates.

“I’m deeply honored to receive this recognition from ETF.com,” said Arnott. “This award reflects the collective effort of a wonderful team dedicated to challenging convention and advancing investor outcomes. From the beginning, we’ve believed that systematic, research-based approaches can deliver better results—and that mission continues to drive our work every day.”

Arnott’s impact spans academic research, product innovation, and thought leadership. His early work on fundamental indexing laid the groundwork for a generation of smart beta products, including widely adopted indexes that track non-cap-weighted indices. Beyond product design, Arnott has authored over 185 articles and peer-reviewed journals and received multiple Graham & Dodd Awards for excellence in financial writing.

Last night’s ETF.com awards ceremony, attended by more than 350 industry professionals, honored the most influential, innovative, and impactful global players in the ETF industry in 18 different categories, as determined by an expert panel of editors and judges. 

His enduring commitment to investor education and transparency is evident in Research Affiliates’ free online platform, Asset Allocation Interactive (AAI), which marked its 10th anniversary in 2025. AAI offers institutional-grade capital market expectations and asset allocation tools, empowering advisors and investors alike to make informed portfolio decisions.

The ETF.com Awards celebrate outstanding individuals and firms whose contributions have shaped and elevated the ETF industry. The Lifetime Achievement Award, in particular, honors those whose careers have left an enduring legacy on the ETF ecosystem. The 2025 award ceremony was held in New York City and attended by industry leaders, advisors, and asset managers from around the globe.

For more information on the ETF.com Awards and a full list of 2025 honorees, please visit ETF.com/Awards.

About Research Affiliates
Research Affiliates is a globally recognized investment advisor established in 2002. Its mission is to challenge conventional wisdom and revolutionize the investment community for the benefit of investors through innovative research and product development. The company offers industry-leading smart beta and enhanced indexing, quantitative active equity, and multi-asset products. Research Affiliates believes that because market prices are not perfectly efficient, systematic investment strategies can provide opportunity for improved investment performance. It partners with some of the world's largest investment managers and offers mutual funds, ETFs, commingled funds, and separately managed accounts. As of December 31, 2024, the firm has over $150 billion in assets under management through strategies developed by Research Affiliates.

Web: www.researchaffiliates.com
LinkedIn: @Research-Affiliates
Twitter: @ra_insights

About ETF.com

ETF.com is the single source for ETF intelligence providing real-time ETF news and analysis to educate investors and drive financial knowledge in the space. ETF.com’s personalized and accurate information, alongside industry-leading financial tools, are depended upon to develop winning investment and financial decisions. ETF.com strives to serve both the individual investor as well as the professional financial advisor to educate and grow the ETF community. 

The ETF.com Awards honor the most influential, innovative, and impactful global players in the ETF industry. The expert panel of editors and judges have captured and carefully analyzed each nomination for their significant contributions to the ETF industry. 

Contact:

Tyler Bradford
Hewes Communications, Inc.
+1 (212) 207-9454
hewesteam@hewescomm.com

Disclosures

RAFI Indices, LLC does not offer or provide investment advice or offer or sell any securities, commodities, or derivative instruments or products. The RAFI trademark is used under license by RAFI Indices, LLC. The RAFI Indices, LLC, corporate name and all related logos are the exclusive intellectual property of RAFI Indices, LLC.

 

The trademarks Fundamental Index®, RAFI®, and the Research Affiliates® trademark and corporate name and all related logos, are the exclusive intellectual property of Research Affiliates, LLC, and in some cases are registered trademarks in the United States and other countries. Various features of the Fundamental Index methodology are protected by various patents of Research Affiliates, LLC. (See all applicable US Patents and protected trademarks located at https://www.researchaffiliates.com/legal/disclosures#patent-trademarks-and-copyrights, which are fully incorporated herein.) Any use of these trademarks, logos or patented methodologies without the prior written permission of Research Affiliates, LLC, is expressly prohibited. Research Affiliates, LLC, reserves the right to take any and all necessary action to preserve all of its rights, title, and interest in, and to, its intellectual property.

 

© 2024 RAFI Indices, LLC. All rights reserved. Duplication or dissemination prohibited without prior written permission. 

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