Babson Capital Management was named as one of the best places to work in money management in an annual ranking by Pensions & Investments magazine, based on a survey of employees.

Pensions & Investments partnered with San Francisco-based survey group Buck Consultants on the survey, which was designed to identify companies in asset management that have created positive work environments, recognize and share best practices and provide valuable feedback to participating companies that will help them improve employee satisfaction and engagement.

In its first year entering the magazine’s “Best Places to Work in Money Management” competition, Babson Capital ranked third among money management firms with 500 to fewer than 1,000 employees. Babson Capital associates who responded to the survey cited Babson Capital’s “corporate culture of integrity and respect” and the opportunity to work with “smart people” among the best things about working at the firm.

“This is our first year participating in the survey, and I am pleased and humbled by the results,” said Tom Finke, CEO of Babson Capital. “They demonstrate that our associates are passionate about the work they do, about the people they work with, and about serving our clients every day.”

“At a recent senior leadership team meeting, I was struck by how many associates spoke of the ‘true values’ of Babson Capital,” said Cliff Noreen, president of Babson Capital. “Our associates are smart, humble, professional and client-focused. They excel at what they do. The survey results reinforce how deeply these values run.”

Pensions & Investments unveiled the rankings in its December 9th edition, which includes a story about Babson Capital’s award-winning corporate culture.