GERMANY – Peter Koenig, chairman of the investment committee at German pension body ABA, has become managing director of the German investment analysis and asset management society.

He took up the post at the Deutsche Vereinigung fuer Finanzanalyse und Asset Management, or DVFA, today. He retains his post at ABA – although he said the ABA board would meet on Friday to discuss the appointment.

Koenig is a member of the pensions working group of the German Fund Management Association, the BVI. He was head of institutional investment management for Central Europe at Morgan Stanley, a post he left in June 2003.

Koenig is expected to closely work with DVFA managing directors Frank Ralf and Ulrike Diehl.

In his new capacity, he will be responsible for the “standards for the financial industry, and for DVFA’s training programs for investment professionals”, DVFA said in a statement.

“We currently see a strongly increasing importance of funded pensions in Germany and in Europe, and at the same time we are faced with a much more complex capital markets business,” said Koenig in a statement.

“The qualification of capital markets experts and the creation of high professional standards are instrumental for the future development of the financial and pensions industry,” he added.

He said the DVFA “will continue, together with other organizations in the financial industry, and develop best practice standards and professional training to the benefit of the industry and its customers”.

The DVFA and European analysts’ body EEFAS introduced a system to measure analysts’ performance last November called Information System for Analysts, or ISfA.