What does SLI stand for?

At the fund management arm, Standard Life Investments, total assets under management leapt pounds 15.

And at Standard Life Investments, total assets under management have jumped thanks to strong inflows across its overseas markets and the recent recovery in markets With some analysts concerned about its UK focus, it might be wise to sit tight to find out how the strategy pans out when finance director David Nish takes the reins from Sir Sandy Crombie at the end of the year.

Nish faced tough, internal competition from Keith skeoch, the boss of standard life investments.

The fund - the Standard Life Investments (global liquidity funds) - has been affected by the pricing of mortgage-backed securities caused by the "continued deterioration in liquidity conditions".

Keith Skeoch, boss of Standard Life Investments, received just under pounds 2million while Trevor Matthews, the insurer's UK retail chief, was paid pounds 1.

Coupled with the excellent progress at Standard Life Investments, the group is well positioned.

Footnotes In a survey last year, Standard Life Investments was ranked as the 11th largest property investor in the world (Watson Wyatt/Global Investor Alternatives Survey 2005) Standard Life Investments manages over [euro]1bn of property in France, Spain, Belgium, Ireland and Portugal making it unique amongst UK institutional investors in its breadth of property investment experience across European property markets At [pounds sterling]2.

It has been bought by the Standard Life Investments Property Income Trust in one of the biggest single deals concluded during the current financial year.