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Alpha Financial Markets Consulting is pleased to announce the opening of its new office in Hong Kong, marking an important milestone in the firm’s continued expansion across Asia Pacific.

This survey aims to collect essential data from firms in the UK investment platforms sector to understand their operational, technological, and strategic dynamics.

A key theme running through this five-part series is that Enterprise Architecture (EA) has never been more essential to organizations facing rapid technological change and growing business complexity. As enterprises strive to align strategic objectives with operational execution, EA provides the structural backbone that connects vision to delivery. This installment outlines some of the foundational elements required to build an effective, scalable EA practice that integrates business priorities with data, application, and technology capabilities to drive clarity, agility, and long term value across the organization.

Alpha FMC completed its third annual Global Operations Survey, drawing inputs from 75 Asset Managers and Asset Owners globally with a combined AUM of $28 trillion

Alpha FMC, leading global consultancy to the financial services industry, today announces the appointment of Zoe Kohli as Senior Partner, Global Partner Executive in its Asset & Wealth Management practice.

The global insurance industry is entering a new phase in which investments in technology, data and automation must translate into tangible improvements in underwriting performance, capital efficiency and customer outcomes, according to the 2026 Outlook for insurers from Alpha FMC, a leading global consultancy to the financial services industry.

Our latest Insurance Outlook is available now. The industry is entering a new phase where investments in technology and AI must deliver measurable performance improvements. After years of modernization, the focus is now on execution, efficiency, and outcomes.
While insurers have remained resilient amid economic uncertainty and rising risk, increasing volatility, regulatory scrutiny, and evolving distribution models are reshaping the landscape.

The global asset and wealth management (AWM) and alternatives industries are entering a new phase in which firms need to translate years of investment in artificial intelligence (AI), private markets and data platforms into performance improvements as regulatory and fee pressures intensify, according to the latest AWM and Alternatives Outlooks from Alpha FMC, a leading global consultancy to the financial services industry.

Our latest Alternatives Outlook is available now, and it’s clear the industry is entering a more disciplined phase of growth. With private markets expanding and product complexity increasing, firms must move beyond innovation to operational excellence and scalability.

This article ties together our ideas about AI business transformation and how investment managers should think differently about their customers.

Our latest 2026 Asset & Wealth Management Outlook is out, and the message is clear: the industry is shifting from innovation to execution. After years of investment in AI, data platforms, and private markets, firms are now under pressure to deliver measurable results. Despite market resilience, growth is increasingly driven by operational discipline, strong data foundations, and strategic clarity. As fee pressure, regulatory scrutiny, and evolving client expectations intensify, firms that can translate investment into performance will lead the way.

Alpha Financial Markets Consulting has entered into an agreement with the owners to acquire JBSP, a specialist SimCorp-focused technology consulting and implementation firm.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) recent move to enable private credit, private equity, and other alternative assets within 401(k) retirement savings plans is best viewed as an acceleration of an existing trend, rather than a step change in its own right.

This survey aims to collect essential data from firms in the UK investment platforms sector to understand their operational, technological, and strategic dynamics.

Our Insurance Practice has published its assessment of what is happening and what best-in-class insurers are doing about it right now , across five operational imperatives: operational resilience under extreme stress, customer experience in crisis. claims precision at scale, risk repricing and rerouting and reinsurance under structural pressure.

Leading insurers are now leveraging modern technology to model both asset and liability cash flows under multiple economic scenarios.

Advisors are increasingly turning to model portfolios as a means of streamlining portfolio construction, driving consistency in client outcomes, and scaling their practices more efficiently. Rather than building portfolios from the ground up, model portfolios enable advisors to outsource the time-consuming and resource-intensive process of portfolio construction and management.

Is the investment in an Enterprise Architecture (EA) practice and the value it can deliver understood and fully leveraged in organizations? In a five part series, Mike Quinlan DBA, MSSM, TOGAF L2, CSSLP, Enterprise Architect at Alpha FMC, discusses the foundations of an effective EA practice and how it can benefit an organization. The second installment addresses some of the organizational factors that need to be considered when establishing and maintaining an effective Enterprise Architecture practice.

We set out to cut through the noise of AI use within Investment Research and decided to conduct a pulse survey to quantify some of the discussions we were having with clients. Our pulse survey spanned asset managers (65%), wealth managers (15%) and asset servicers (10%). The findings are informed not only by survey data, but by the experience of our firm’s AI Working Group—professionals working hands‑on with asset and wealth managers as they deploy GenAI solutions.

The first round of disclosures for large investment managers under the UK’s Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR) were published on 2 December 2025. At Alpha FMC, we took this opportunity to conduct a benchmarking exercise to identify emerging trends and understand the key challenges managers faced in meeting the new reporting requirements. In this article, Lisa Aspinall, Carole Boissat, and Stephanie Taylor analyse a sample of these reports to explore practical lessons managers can apply to strengthen future SDR disclosures and how SDR reporting can support a broader, more strategic sustainability reporting narrative.

If you would like to discuss the findings or explore how to enhance your SDR disclosures and wider sustainability reporting strategy, please get in touch

In a five part series, Alpha FMC discusses the foundations of and effective EA practice and how it can benefit an organization. In the first installment, the origins and evolution of EA are addressed. Each installment will discuss a different facet of the EA practice to include:

What EA is and what it should avoid becoming
Organizational factors that shape the EA practice
Foundational elements of the EA practice
Governance
Measuring Value

As investment professionals and model providers seek to optimize performance and efficiency in the model portfolio management and delivery space, the adoption of automation and AI-powered systems is emerging as a critical strategy.

Over the past few years, custom model portfolios have evolved from a specialized offering into an increasingly core component of an asset manager’s value proposition to their wealth advisors who build and deliver portfolio solutions for their end clients.

Insurers have historically relied on the comfortable, predictable income flows that investment grade bonds provide to their portfolios, allowing for clear attribution, risk analysis, and simplicity of matching their long-dated liabilities.

From courtroom decisions to state-led climate rules, ESG regulation is entering a new phase.
Our Q4 2025 North America update unpacks the latest developments—and what asset managers should be watching in early 2026 as compliance complexity grows.

In the fast-paced world of asset and wealth management (AWM), fund services providers grapple with an explosion of financial data—from market feeds and portfolio transactions to regulatory filings and client profiles. Yet, much of this data remains siloed and underutilized without inherent context and structure. The semantic layer acts as a vital bridge, infusing raw data with meaning, relationships, and interpretability to drive informed investment decisions and operational efficiency.

As we approach 2026, institutional players are carefully navigating this new frontier, eager to harness blockchain’s promise but mindful of its limitations. To understand where tokenization stands today and where it is headed, we must look closely at the use cases driving adoption, the benefits realized, and the hurdles that remain.

Over the past decade, the growing popularity of model portfolios (“models”) has prompted asset managers to continually expand their product suites and demonstrate their value to wealth management firms and their advisors in new and increasingly innovative ways. As client demand evolves and new technology offerings enhance the ability to customize and scale efficiently, asset managers across the board are constantly reassessing and refining their model offerings.

Gestion des données ESG : comment faire le bon choix du modèle cible pour affronter le mur opérationnel ? La conviction d’Alpha est l’inexistence d’un modèle unique, mais qu’il y a des choix structurants à faire en fonction de la maturité ESG, des ambitions stratégiques et du paysage SI de chaque acteur.

ESG Data Management: How to Make the Best Choice of Target Operating Model to Overcome Operational Challenges?
I.e. Buy, Build, or a Mixed Model?
Alpha’s conviction is that there is no single, universal model. Instead, there are structuring choices to be made depending on each player’s ESG maturity, strategic ambitions, and IT landscape.

The Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) introduces new regulatory obligations for financial services firms, including the requirement to maintain and submit a comprehensive Register of Information (RoI) covering ICT services, third-party providers, contractual arrangements, and dependencies.
Alpha RADAR is designed to help firms move beyond compliance as a one-off exercise, and instead establish a repeatable, auditable, and operationally embedded approach to RoI management.

Alpha has been partnering with market leading Budgeting and Planning platforms to build the future of Private Markets digitalization, and improve forecast accuracy, decision making, productivity and enable growth.

Personalization in asset management must be intentional, not improvised. The goal is to create a content wardrobe that feels tailored but is built to scale.

In Alpha FMC’s 2025 Asset Management Digital & Marketing Survey, we captured insights from 34 of the world’s leading asset managers, collectively overseeing around $28 trillion in client assets. Now in its eighth year, the survey has been refined to assess how firms are digitally enabling the full client lifecycle, providing an objective view of where true digital capability exists and where opportunities for development remain.

With the excitement about ETFs and the dual share-class model on the forefront of many firms, this white paper explores the benefits, complexities and operating model around ETFs and the dual share-class model.

Data and AI are reshaping how investment managers operate – and the ecosystem around them is evolving faster than anyone can track.

For the world’s leading asset managers, the question isn’t if these platforms deliver value – it’s how much. The payoff is clear: stronger client engagement, measurable ROI, and lasting commercial impact.

Workforce transformation explores how firms can design workforce structures that foster innovation, adaptability, and engagement, while being supported by a leadership team that enables transformation through structured and sustained change management.

The investment management industry is undergoing a significant shift, driven by the rapid integration of Digital Assets and Blockchain / Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT).

Without the right data architecture, most AI initiatives falter in production, plagued by hallucinations, siloed insights, and regulatory pitfalls. This is where knowledge graphs and graph databases step in as the critical enabler, transforming fragmented data into interconnected, context-rich networks that fuel precise, explainable AI.

Q3 2025 marked another turbulent chapter in ESG regulation. The SEC quietly bowed out of defending its Climate Disclosure Rule, the Department of Labor (DOL) hinted at tighter ERISA (from the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974) limits, and litigation filled the vacuum. States seized the moment—California pressed forward under Senate Bills (SB) 253 and SB 261, releasing guidance, timelines, and a 4,000-entity compliance list. New York’s Climate Superfund Act hit the courts, and Illinois and New Jersey joined the fray with new proposals. North of the border, Canada finalized International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)-aligned rules but deferred Scope 3 reporting to 2028.

Across the segment, managers are encountering a new breakpoint: continue operating with legacy systems and fragmented processes, or invest in enterprise solutions that provide the scale, agility, and oversight required to enrich their competitive edge.

Transaction Monitoring (TM) has become the litmus test for the maturity of a Private Bank’s financial crime framework. It is the primary mechanism for detecting suspicious activity and a key measure for regulators assessing AML (anti-money laundering) controls.
For Private Banks, weaknesses in monitoring carry disproportionate costs: reputational damage, regulatory penalties, and loss of client trust. Many institutions remain constrained by outdated systems that excessively generate false positives, operate in silos, and fail to keep pace with evolving financial crime typologies. These problems are particularly acute in cross-border contexts, where fragmented data and privacy requirements limit oversight.
Recent Swiss enforcement actions confirm regulators’ sharp focus on monitoring and the cost of inaction. By investing in next-generation solutions, Private Banks can materially improve detection quality, reduce operational burden, and future-proof compliance infrastructure.

This survey serves as a unique barometer of how market data consumption is evolving across multiple channels. All survey responses are anonymised and collated into a report to explore data trends across the industry.

A Wealth Manager’s value proposition is a critical strategic foundation. It defines how the firm communicates and delivers unique value to target clients, whilst also shaping the overall market perception of the brand.

When designed effectively, it positions the wealth manager distinctly in a competitive environment and establishes a durable source of competitive advantage. A well-formulated value proposition ensures coherence between the bank’s strategic objectives and its operating model, aligning client expectations with product and service offerings, as well as front office execution.

This article explores the growing trend of Asset Managers outsourcing their dealing functions and highlights how Alpha’s deep expertise can guide you seamlessly through every stage of the journey, from initial vendor selection to full implementation.

Workforce operating models play a critical role in supporting an organization’s talent strategy, productivity, and collaboration across regions.

The strongest AI strategies start by asking the right questions – not just about the tools, but about the people, the adoption journey, and the measurable impact they’re designed to deliver.

In Q2 2025, the ESG regulatory map got a major redraw. While U.S. federal momentum hit the brakes — with the SEC stepping back from its Climate Disclosure Rule — states like California and New York hit the gas with ambitious new climate and transparency mandates. Meanwhile, Canada stayed the course, aligning with global norms by advancing toward mandatory climate disclosures

Effective content marketing is a critical differentiator in the asset management industry. Yet many firms struggle to capture the “voice of the client” – the authentic needs, preferences, and nuances of their varying audiences – in their content strategy. This white paper examines why typical team structures fall short in this regard and proposes a new operating model – channel-aligned pods – to embed impactful, channel-specific client insights into content development. We outline how this model works and how it bridges the gap between content strategy and production, ensuring timely, impactful, and measurable outcomes tailored to specific client segments and regions.

Outsourcing has long been the norm for Back Office operations, yet as it extends into the Middle Office, it’s clear there’s no one-size-fits all solution. With the Middle Office becoming increasingly complex and data-driven, Asset Managers are reassessing whether their current operating models can keep pace with evolving requirements and rising demands from clients and regulators. Within this article, we explore the evolution of outsourcing, where traditional models are beginning to strain, and how Asset Managers are reassessing the future of Middle Office, the role of outsourcing, and where the value truly lies.

This survey serves as a unique barometer of how market data consumption is evolving across multiple channels. All survey responses are anonymised and collated into a report to explore data trends across the industry.

Alpha FMC are collaborating with Snowflake on the release of their latest product offering, Openflow, to support clients with compliance with the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), which came into force in January 2025. In-scope firms have, to date, leveraged manual processes to comply with these standards. Alpha’s accelerator will allow for the full end-to-end automation of the process to meet the regulatory requirements.

While there are widespread examples of use cases for AI, this paper highlights three forward-looking AI applications that are being actively assessed by leading pension funds and outlines key considerations for scaling them effectively and responsibly.

Unreconciled data is a silent threat to asset managers. When positions, cash, or transactions don’t match across systems, the result isn’t just operational noise – it can bring costly missteps, regulatory breaches, or missed trades. Reconciliation is more than a routine middle and back-office function; it’s a frontline defense against financial and reputational risk.

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Alpha Financial Markets Consulting has entered into an agreement with the owners to acquire Auxo Solutions

In today’s world shaped by global interdependence and advancements in technology, workforce strategy plays a pivotal role in faring well against unforeseen systematic challenges and in optimizing costs across your organization.

Every June, financial institutions turn their logos rainbow in support of Pride Month, but few go beyond the surface when it comes to understanding and serving the financial needs of LGBTQ+ clients. The absence of these tailored solutions is a missed market opportunity.

Are your teams turning today’s data deluge into AI-powered insight, or still drowning in information?
We’ve seen that, with the right approach, firms can spot untapped mandates before competitors, free Sales, Marketing, Client Service, and Product teams for high-value conversations, and predict redemptions early enough to protect revenue. Read our insights on the enablers and critical success factors here.

A Total Portfolio View (TPV) allows an integrated, near-real-time picture of every holding, cash flow, and risk driver, giving asset owners the insight and agility required to navigate modern complexity.

Digital experience has become an essential component of a wealth manager’s client offering. As client expectations increase based on their experiences elsewhere, a poor digital offering erodes trust and impacts retention. Wealth Managers must invest in a credible digital strategy to empower Relationship Managers and meet client needs. Our article explores why this is crucial and outlines 5 principles for successful client-facing digital projects.

Alpha’s 2024 Global Operations survey highlights the increasing pressure on margins, which is driving a widespread industry commitment to cost optimization, efficiency, and automation.

Alpha announces the hire of John Hennessey and Jeremy Hunt as Senior Partners in its UK Client & Digital team.

In this whitepaper, we explore why management teams should embrace sell-side commercial diligence and how it can serve as a critical enabler of valuation preservation, narrative clarity, and process efficiency.

With increasing regulatory scrutiny and cost pressures, Private Banks must modernize their KYC screening processes. Many firms still rely on fragmented tools and manual workflows, leading to inefficiencies, regulatory risks, and poor client experiences.
In our latest article, we explore how wealth managers can adopt a risk-based, technology-driven approach to enhance compliance, streamline operations, and improve client satisfaction. From AI-enabled screening to integrated front office workflows, the future of KYC lies in automation and strategic optimization.

Polarization over ESG policy and regulatory fragmentation deepened in Q1 2025, further complicating compliance and risk management strategies for North American Asset Managers. Despite these regulatory shifts, there are tangible actions Asset Managers should be taking to ensure they can adapt.

Wealth Investment platforms are more and more designed to accelerate Private Banks Strategy. How these platforms could address services personalisation, product offering expansion and operational effectiveness optimisation? Alpha highlights the recent evolutions on wealth Investment Platforms.

Our latest Insurance Outlook is available now. As the insurance industry faces a complex mix of economic pressures, emerging risks, and evolving customer expectations – but AI-driven transformation and digital innovation present new opportunities for growth. Our 2025 Insurance Outlook highlights the key trends shaping the industry and the strategies insurers need to stay ahead.

Resilience, AI, and Innovation Continue to Shape the Future of the Industry

Our latest Alternatives Outlook is available now, and it’s clear the Alternatives industry is at a turning point. With private market exposure surging and AI-driven automation revolutionizing operations, firms must scale efficiently and innovate to stay competitive. Firms are doubling down on technology adoption, operational efficiency, and investor engagement to stay ahead.

Our latest 2025 Asset & Wealth Management Outlook is out, and the findings are clear: only 1 in 3 firms consider themselves strong innovators. In an era of AI-powered investment strategies, rising demand for private market assets, and evolving regulations, firms that embrace tech-driven transformation will lead the way.
In 2025, the Asset & Wealth Management industry remained resilient by evolving to meet shifting market, client, and regulatory expectations. Now firms are doubling down on AI-driven transformation, private market expansion, and operational agility to stay competitive.

A critical turning point for the Alternatives and Asset & Wealth Management industries, with innovation, AI integration, and operational efficiency identified as key success drivers in a competitive landscape.

Alpha’s Accelerated Approach to Aladdin Implementations: A Game Changer for Boutique Asset Managers. Alpha’s recent collaboration with BlackRock and BNY at a c.£25bn UK Asset Manager has proven that enterprise transformation can be achieved in 6-12 months after contract signature. Alpha is committed to replicating this approach for other Boutique Asset Managers, to deliver market leading technology and outsourced services in a shorter timeline than ever before.

The emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents efficiency and automation opportunities for Pension & Retail Investment firms utilizing contact centers as part of their operations. The capabilities offered by AI are becoming more common across the market as initial concerns around security and AI sharing untrue information are starting to alleviate. However, the majority of firms are very much at the start of their AI journey, with initial applications being 1-2 simple use cases to demonstrate potential benefits.

In Wealth Management, the ability to acquire new clients, deepen relationships, and drive growth is more critical than ever. Yet, without a structured Sales Management Framework, many Relationship Managers struggle – leading to missed opportunities and constrained business performance. With the right tools, leadership, and methodologies, Wealth Managers can transform their sales effectiveness and gain a competitive edge.

On January 23rd, Alpha FMC hosted a regulatory roundtable focused on the Digital Operational Resilience Act’s (DORA) Register of Information (RoI). Attended by over 20 firms from the asset and wealth management space (and representing a combined AUM of ~$50trn, the session provided valuable insights into industry-wide challenges and progress. With DORA having come into effect on January 17th, firms are now shifting their focus towards meeting the first RoI submission deadline in March/April 2025 (which varies by jurisdiction).

This survey aims to collect essential data from firms in the UK investment platforms sector to understand their operational, technological, and strategic dynamics.

Asset Owners allocating funds to sustainable investments in 2025 face a more mature investment landscape than ever before. With Asset Managers navigating enhanced regulatory measures – such as anti-greenwashing rules, Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) in Europe, and UK Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR) product labelling – Asset Owners gain access to greater product choice, accountability, and transparency.

While discussions are on going about the future of the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative, asset owners remain steadfast in their expectations that asset managers have robust, credible transition plans in place. Alpha shares key insights from our recent peer benchmarking on how asset managers’ must evolve their Climate Transition Plans to meet asset owner expectations for portfolio decarbonization.

Within this article we explore how TPAs are looking to future proof their FA offerings to keep up with market and regulatory demands, whilst keeping the Oversight team experience front of mind.

In our latest article, Alpha share the best practices from early asset managers adopting Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR) labels and how they have shaped their Consumer Facing Disclosures (CFDs).

An exponential increase in the volume of Family Offices being set up reflects the globalization and professionalisation of investment management opportunities for an increasing number of Asset Owners. In this article, Alpha SMEs Barney Bracher and Nick Barbone explore drivers for setting up or relocating a Family Office, regional considerations, and foundational operating model elements critical for ongoing success.

Asset and wealth management client teams have been stuck using CRM the same way for a decade, creating significant hurdles to unlocking its full potential. Tedious data entry, inefficient workflows, and the struggle to extract actionable insights hinder productivity and the client experience. These challenges lead to missed opportunities and avoidable redemptions.

Embedding an AI assistant into CRM delivers a step change in the user experience by effortlessly connecting users to information available within CRM and other datasets in the distribution ecosystem, while automating monotonous data entry tasks.

Benefiting from the advances in AI technology doesn’t have to take months, with firms across the industry now incorporating AI into their CRMs to achieve rapid business value in a matter of weeks.

Discover Key Insights from the Latest Alpha FMC Annual Asset Management Product Survey:

We’re excited to share the findings from the 6th annual Alpha FMC Product Survey! In this iteration, we surveyed 23 leading managers with a collective AUM of over $20 trillion. Our research highlights the top priorities of leaders in product across topics such as the top focuses for product launches in 2025 and the technologies product teams are employing to improve operational efficiency and time to market.

Some firms may have already completed their Double Materiality Assessments (DMAs) and are looking ahead to the subsequent reporting requirements, whereas others will be prioritizing completing the DMA in early 2025. In this article, Alpha share their learnings from supporting clients with the DMA, and key questions to consider for those tackling this for the first time.

The outcome of the U.S. election in Q4 2024 may well signal a new era for sustainability regulation in the U.S. For some players in Asset Management, this will bring new opportunities to double down on their sustainability capabilities. In our latest Alpha U.S. ESG Regulatory Update, we explore which ESG regulations could be impacted, how regulators continue to crack down on greenwashing and what essential actions Asset Managers should take in 2025.

The transition to T+1 settlement in North American markets in May 2024 marked one of the most significant changes to securities settlement in recent years and is now proposed for UK and EU markets. This major shift, which reduced the settlement cycle from two days to one day after trade execution, impacted approximately two-thirds of world markets and required extensive preparation from investment managers globally. While the implementation successfully avoided the major disruptions many feared, it has nonetheless produced both intended and unexpected consequences for market participants. This article examines the current state of T+1 settlement in North America six months after implementation, explores its ongoing impact on global markets, and looks ahead to how other regions plan to rapidly adopt this new settlement paradigm.

At Alpha, we look to Futureproofing where firms must be FAAST: Flexible, Adaptable, Agile, Scalable, and having Total buy-in from all stakeholders. Real, targeted, strategic approaches. We believe it means that they must ensure their Operating Model adheres to being FAAST, taking the basic concept of Futureproofing to this much deeper, specific and detailed level to set themselves up for future growth and success in a highly competitive and shifting industry.

This article examines the challenges Alpha has observed in the industry, findings from the 18th December data quality workshop hosted by the European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs), and longer-term considerations for process optimisation.

The landscape for manufacturing Digital Assets investment products and widespread distribution is poised for significant transformation in the coming years. This shift is driven, in large part, by the convergence of “Crypto-Native” Managers striving to institutionalize their businesses similar to traditional Asset Management business models, and the growing interest of traditional Asset Managers to stand up a Digital Assets investment capability.

This paper explores considerations for custodians and the adaptations required in their service models to meet contemporary challenges. We conclude that a fundamental shift is required away from traditional mindsets to ensure custodians remain central to supporting the needs of asset managers and asset owners.

The Double Materiality Assessment (DMA) is a key first step towards compliance with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). The DMA is new concept for many firms, and is particularly tricky for asset managers. In this article, Alpha explores the key things to get right when doing your DMA for the first time, based on recent project experience.

Benchmarking is more critical than ever for asset owners and asset managers, helping to drive operational efficiency, enhance service quality, and stay competitive in a global market. Learn how your organisation can utilise benchmarking to give your business the edge you need.

Thriving in a soft market demands a different approach. With the right strategies, carriers can adapt to these challenges and position themselves for long-term success. In our latest article, we provide insights and actionable strategies from our experience, showcasing the tools, behaviors, and practices that will drive success in a soft market.

Amidst a ‘higher-for-longer’ interest rate environment, the evolving UK DB Pension landscape will have significant implications for Insurers, OCIOs and Asset Managers. In Alpha’s latest article, Rob Owen and Rob Gibbons discuss key factors driving these new market dynamics and how leading firms will position themselves for near-term and long-term success.

Many financial institutions struggle to realize meaningful returns through their transformation efforts. In the second article of our Transformation Office series, Laura Karia discusses how successful firms leverage a Transformation Office and a robust governance model to bridge the gap between strategy and execution.

The state of data management across the Wealth and Private Client industries today is a mixed picture and many opine on the optimal data strategy to ensure success. However, few firms have a formal strategy in place that covers the approach, ownership, protocol etc around data. There are several constituents that firms should have in place as steps towards a robust strategy and Joe Marti, Partner at Alpha FMC explores why firm should have a rigorous approach to their data management and how to achieve this.

Despite investing heavily in multi-year initiatives, many financial institutions struggle to realize meaningful returns through their transformation efforts. In this article, Laura Karia explores how successful firms approach transformation planning and the steps that can be taken to ensure outcomes align with strategic objectives.

While active ETFs have gained considerable media attention as potential disruptors, questions remain as to how central they will be within the broader investment and wealth management landscape. In this article, Max van Baasbank and Diane Yoon discuss the active ETF landscape across the U.S. and Europe, exploring current market dynamics, key regional nuances, and implications for fund managers.

Eva Szczepanska and Alex Hayes from Alpha FMC, in collaboration with Merry Whitaker, Chief of Staff at Quirk Solutions, explore how aligning your organisation’s culture can drive substantial performance improvements and share actionable insights on how to foster an integrated, productive culture which aligns with your firm’s vision and values.

Alpha Financial Markets Consulting (“Alpha”) has launched an industry first Claims Inflation Index, a comprehensive index designed to provide insights into the cost trends associated with home insurance claims in the UK.

The UK Labour Government has just unveiled their first budget, targeting a pro growth agenda whilst increasing the tax burden on individuals and corporations. Alpha reviews the threats and opportunities this budget provides to the Financial Advice & Wealth Management markets.

Since the global financial crisis, regulators have aimed to reduce systemic risk and increase transparency by expanding the use of collateral—the exchange of cash or securities to mitigate default risk in financial transactions. The collateral market is expected to continue to innovate and diversify in the future, driven by the ongoing demand for liquidity and efficiency. Collateral optimisation is now the concern of both the back and the front office as funding costs and collateral based discounting should be incorporated in pricing before a derivative is traded. Opportunities for transformation must be strategically assessed as there is no one-size-fits-all model.

As asset management advances, firms crave faster, more accurate data to drive smarter decisions and cut costs. Yet, outdated systems and fragmented processes often leave firms struggling to connect the dots. A Consolidated Middle Office could be the solution.
With recent findings from Alpha’s Global Operations Survey, Consolidated Middle Office has been attributed to streamlining operations, improving efficiency and meeting rising demands from clients, investors, and regulators. The benefits? Better insights, quicker decisions, and a stronger competitive edge.

Artificial intelligence has seen explosive growth across industries, and financial services have been no exception. As AI capabilities evolve, a new paradigm is emerging: agentic frameworks, which can revolutionize financial workflows by utilizing multiple autonomous agents to manage complex, dynamic environments like trading, risk, and compliance.

In this article, we focus on the key themes of the CPS 230 regulation, provide a summary of the progress made by super funds to date and key areas that need to be considered to ensure compliance.

In this article, we explore how managers can develop multi-dimensional views of profitability to pinpoint the most valuable funds, asset classes and channels.

This article, in collaboration with Bipsync, explores essential change management considerations within the research functions of our clients.

Asset Managers operating in the U.S. continued to be challenged by regulatory uncertainty while those operating in global jurisdictions contend with incoming regulation.

Joseph Denton and Daniel Striebich report on the SEC’s focus on off-channel communications since 2021 as well as how asset and wealth managers can manage this issue through a culture of compliance and thoughtful vendor engagement.

Exchange Traded Funds have emerged as one of the most prominent and fast-growing investment vehicles in the North American market, offering investors accessibility to virtually every asset class, sector, region, country, commodity, currency, factor, theme, derivative, and strategy.

Long thought of simply as a ‘check-the-box’ activity, Disclosure Management is becoming increasingly important within the asset and wealth management industries as regulatory requirements have become more nuanced and complex, while the penalties for failing to honor them have only grown.

As financial services firms—particularly in asset management, wealth management, and insurance—navigate a rapidly changing competitive landscape, technology continues to be a critical lever for differentiation. Leading firms are leveraging technology to customise client offerings, drive operational efficiencies, harness data for advanced AI applications, and build scalable platforms to facilitate mergers and acquisitions.

Our whitepaper explores the underwriting workbench, offering valuable insights to help insurers make informed vendor choices.

Wealth Managers find themselves at an inflection point in the evolving landscape of Financial Services, where the rising demand for Digital Assets among clients is reshaping the traditional advisory relationship. Digital Assets are on the cusp of becoming an integral part of diversified investment portfolios, and Wealth Managers must find ways to provide exposure to their clients.

In this part 2 of a 3 part series, Alpha discuss the opportunity presented by the evolving landscape of Asset Servicers in the Middle East for Asset Owners to benefit from outsourcing many activities to these firms to create a future proofed operating model.

Avec une concurrence accrue et des avancées technologiques rapides, les assureurs transforment leur gestion et leur reporting des investissements. Des analyses basées sur l’IA à la centralisation des données, ces innovations améliorent l’efficience et la fiabilité dans un marché compétitif.

With increasing competition and rapid technological advancements, insurers are transforming their investment management and reporting. From AI-driven insights to data centralization, these innovations are enhancing efficiency and accuracy in a competitive market.

Alpha FMC completes double acquisition of White Marble Consulting and Bankside Financial Solutions Consulting

Alpha Financial Markets Consulting (“Alpha FMC”) is pleased to announce the opening of a new branch in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM)

2024 Global Long-Term Investing Hub

With the January 2025 deadline of the new Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) regulation racing towards us, firms need to be focusing their attentions on ‘mission critical’ deliverables as well as overcoming the various implementation ‘hurdles’ being faced by the industry. In this article Alpha considers what those hurdles are and how firms can leverage tools and technology to help them leap over them and sprint towards compliance.

This article highlights a discussion of some of the research management challenges facing our fixed income clients to understand the key factors an investment manager should consider when thinking about a Research Management System (RMS).

Alpha’s Troy Mortimer and Carole Boissat discuss the main insights from TCFD year two reporting and what Asset Managers can practically apply now that TCFD has formally moved under the International Sustainability Standards Board (‘ISSB’).

In this article, Alpha’s Christian Pellegrino and Kenji Walker discuss why Asset Managers should be defining their Digital Assets’ strategy now in order to futureproof their business.

This article highlights the importance of Operations Due Diligence (ODD) and how Alpha has supported clients through this process to deliver a successful M&A experience.

The ongoing ESG debate continued in Q2 with opposition groups denouncing the SEC’s latest regulatory proposals, while ESG proponents continued urging progression of compliance efforts.

Today, the Wealth and Private Banking industry is awash with large scale change and transformation programs.

Our 7th annual survey highlights significant progress in digital transformation among leading asset managers, focusing on driving scale, reducing costs, and enhancing client acquisition and retention.

This Whitepaper explores Japan’s evolving financial landscape, and how the government is driving a major shift in the asset management industry, creating the environment to drive household savings into investments.

La directive sur le reporting de durabilité des entreprises (CSRD) représente une étape majeure dans l’évolution de la réglementation européenne en matière de transparence et de durabilité.

The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) represents a major step in the evolution of European regulations on transparency and sustainability.

Alors que l’Intelligence Artificielle révolutionne des secteurs entiers et redéfinit les contours de notre quotidien, elle engendre également des risques complexes à assurer.

While AI is revolutionizing entire sectors and redefining the contours of our daily lives, it is also generating risks that are complex to insure against.

Alpha’s Joe Harris and Nathan Dunford review how Labour’s known polices could impact the Life, Pensions and Retail Investment Market.

Alpha’s Asset & Wealth Management Industry AI & Data Science Lab

The Wealth Management marketplace is increasingly competitive and fragmented. To stand out from the crowd, firms must focus on defining a clear client value proposition that sets them apart from their peers and establishes a competitive advantage.

In this article we discuss why the client value proposition is now more important than ever, and outline how Alpha can support Wealth Managers to define and clarify their proposition.

What has historically been a critically important but highly complex and labor intensive process, Client Reporting has emerged as a prime candidate for firms looking to improve operational efficiency and ultimately manage cost.

Alpha’s 2024 Operations survey aims to assess the state of Operations challenges and trends across the industry.

In this insight article, we explain why it is important to use the latest release and provide a framework to manage ongoing upgrades, delivering a business ready platform efficiently and effectively.

Customer experience, security, and cost are always key priorities for our clients. However, early digital solutions have had their shortcomings. Despite efforts to digitize customer communication financial services firms in the UK continue to incur a substantial annual costs due to outdated digital communication systems.

Alpha FMC looks at some of the ways that AI is going to impact this sector, and explores how wealth managers and private banks can prepare themselves for AI’s impact on the market and its uses in their businesses.

Chris Walker joins as a Partner to further develop Alpha’s commercial due diligence, value creation and strategy capabilities

In the Middle East, Asset Owners are increasingly recognising the necessity of establishing a formalised Middle Office due to factors such as asset type diversification and heightened demands from the Front Office. This shift is also driven, in part, by the need for real-time data visibility and specialised post-trade support. In the first article of our three-part series, Alpha delves into the advantages of establishing a Middle Office and shares insights from our client engagements in the region.

Dans cet article, Alpha vous donne 7 conseils pour anticiper le développement de l’IA dans la sphère financière et préparer au mieux son intégration dans votre organisation.

In this article, Alpha gives you 7 tips on how to anticipate the development of AI in the financial sphere and best prepare for its integration within your organization.

Crafting an effective Consumer Duty Board report requires effective planning and use of information from monitoring and engagement throughout the firm. The purpose of this whitepaper, delivered in collaboration with PIMFA, is to provide insight into how to produce an effective annual Consumer Duty Board report.

Gone are the days when assets were allocated solely based on historical performance. Now, an understanding of the robustness, sophistication and independence of an investment risk management and oversight function is influencing allocation decisions.

Against a backdrop of evolving employee expectations and high workforce turnover, companies are faced with the challenge of interpreting and prioritizing the somewhat intangible concept of organizational culture and accordingly, creating an employee value proposition that differentiates them and resonates with their workforce

Insurance groups’ finance departments have encountered a number of regulatory and operational challenges in recent years. For these departments – which manage large quantities of data of all kinds on a daily basis – Artificial Intelligence is far from being just a “buzzword”, and is establishing itself as a powerful vector of transformation

Les directions financières dans le secteur de l’assurance font face à de nombreux défis réglementaires et opérationnels ces dernières années. Pour ces directions, qui gèrent quotidiennement de grandes quantités de données de tous types, l’Intelligence Artificielle est bien plus qu’un « buzzword » et s’impose comme est un vecteur puissant de transformation.

In this article, Alpha’s global experts share their hands-on experiences on Asset Management through an international lens to give a flavor of the challenges that incoming asset managers need to address to succeed in new markets

Each ETF service provider will have its own strengths and weaknesses that need to be weighed differently according to your organization’s specific needs

Despite ongoing politicization of ESG issues in the U.S., regulatory momentum continues with the passage of Climate Disclosure Rules, bringing more standardization to how climate related risks are reported to investors.

Welcome to Alpha FMC’s 2024 SimCorp Survey

In the dynamic and ever changing landscape of global financial markets, the concept of thought leadership has emerged as a guiding force for organisations and individuals striving to make informed and strategic decisions. Thought leadership goes beyond mere expertise; it involves shaping and influencing industry perspectives.
Investment guidelines serve as the foundation for strategic decision-making in asset and wealth management and navigating the complex terrain of financial markets. These guidelines encompass a set of principles and parameters that govern how assets are allocated, diversified, and monitored.

In Part One of our article we explored the FCA’s anti-greenwashing rule and how sustainability risks are exposing vulnerabilities in asset manager operating models. Part Two sets out what asset managers should be doing to address these vulnerabilities and enhance their end-to-end operating models.

In this article, Alpha FMC compares some of the key requirements under the FCA’s Operational Resilience regime and ESMA’s Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), casting a light on areas of divergence and providing key considerations for firms in the lead up to go-live in January 2025.

In this two-part article, we discuss the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) incoming anti-greenwashing rule and how it interplays with sustainability risk management more broadly. In Part One, we explore what anti-greenwashing is and how sustainability risks are creating vulnerabilities for asset managers.

This article emphasizes the importance of determining whether a new product is best positioned to thrive in the current market by assessing three key areas: the product’s Total Addressable Market, the product’s targeted marketplace and related trends, and the product’s channel strategy.

Alpha explores key focus areas for asset managers looking to make the most of an outsourced, global Middle Office model, and reviews what distinguishes successful outsourced relationships in terms of a cultural and organizational alignment.

While recent macro events have put noticeable pressure on managers’ financial performance, clients’ expectations are higher than ever in the digital age. These two industry trends are pushing managers to explore new strategies to control costs while continuing to meet growing investor demands. Now, industry players are realizing that content can become their competitive differentiator as clients increasingly demand engaging, personalized messaging that is delivered quickly and in diverse formats.

Global regulatory change is requiring product governance frameworks to continually adapt and try to be the ‘glue’ the brings the increasing requirements into one place.

The UK Government’s 2024 Spring Budget 2024 has set the stage for significant shifts in the UK financial landscape. Read our latest article which delves into the intricacies of these changes and their implications for the life, pensions and retail investment market.

Single Family Offices (SFOs) and Multi-Family Offices (MFOs) globally are facing challenges brought on by macroeconomic factors and ever-changing expectations from the families they serve

Every investment manager agrees that the pace of regulatory change has increased. Following a bumper year for regulation in 2023, the outlook for 2024 and 2025 looks similarly challenging. Identifying relevant regulatory requirements, deciding what needs to change and then embedding these changes across the organization has become a key skill for investment managers.

Alpha provide an overview of the main regulatory reporting reforms, the key impacts on responsible entities, and the opportunities available to harmonise and streamline global reporting and oversight processes and controls.

In our latest article, Alpha’s Nicola Pritchard and Daniel Walsh explore the contrasting perspectives of hybrid working and the impact on financial service companies

Alpha FMC has hired Ross Scott as a Director in its UK wealth management and private banking (wealth) team.

Key trends shaping up the digital transformation will include use of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), developments of efficient digital wealth management platforms and focus on open, flexible investment data platform to address fragmented data across organization

Turning data into a strategic asset goes beyond being a mere mantra and requires investment, diligent effort, and cultural shift within a firm.

Alpha FMC are excited to present our General Insurance & Specialty Barometer 2024. In this year’s Barometer, we outline some key considerations for general insurers and brokers as they enter 2024.  Despite improving premium and profitability forecasts for the general insurance market, the industry will continue to face challenges. Therefore, being ‘good’ is no longer ‘good enough’ and we suggest actions are required to stay competitive in the year(s) ahead.

The FCA’s Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR) and investment labels bring about significant changes to naming, marketing and disclosure requirements for UK asset managers, at entity and product level and for both sustainable and non-sustainable focused products. In this article, Matthew Gerverun-Pratt and Vanessa Bingle explore five operating model impacts of SDR, and the practical challenges we are seeing firms begin to plan for.

We are delighted to present the findings from our 2023 survey of UK Financial Advisers. In a year marked by both challenge and change, our insights delve into the transformational shifts occurring across the financial advice sector, and the opportunities it brings as we enter 2024. From the rise of new technologies to the continued evolution of regulatory change, the dynamic nature of our industry demands a proactive approach to be successful in the future. If you wish to discuss this further, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Q4 2023 continued to demonstrate significant momentum globally on environmental, social and governance matters.

Alpha FMC announces the hire of Scott Lee as an Executive Director in its UK wealth management and private banking (wealth) team.

We are delighted to publish our annual Asset and Wealth Management Outlook. This year we again focus on the key personas that we work with on a day-to-day basis, and we highlight some of the priorities and challenges we expect them to face in 2024.

Alpha are excited to present our 2024 Outlook for Life, Pensions, and Retail Investments (LPRI). This year’s outlook highlights essential considerations for LPRI firms stepping into 2024.

This paper observes the growing importance of the global insurance brokerage market and highlights the key themes which suggest actions are required if this is to continue

In this article, we highlight the key areas that asset and wealth managers should focus on to meet regulatory expectations and discuss our recommended approach to prepare for any short notice supervisory interactions.

In this article, we take a look at the policy decisions taken within this fiscal event and how this affects life, pension, retail investment and advice firms.

Our article explores the differences between TNFD and TCFD, providing insights on how to navigate the added complexities of nature-related disclosures.

Intergenerational wealth is expected to transfer £5.5tn of assets over a 30 year period to Gen Y and Gen Z investors. However, they are currently the least likely to utilise Financial Advice or plan for their long term future. In this paper, Alpha review how these “young investors” are accessing the financial services market, and if Financial Advice firms and Investment Platforms are doing enough to capture this growing market.

This article delves into the challenges and potential solutions, proposing ways to make TOM an effective method for strategic design

To position Claims for the future, Claims should challenge themselves on how the function can be used to differentiate themselves within an increasingly competitive market.

A report providing an analysis of public reports prepared by Asset Managers in scope of the FCA’s climate-related disclosure requirements

In our recent Asset Management Digital Survey, the key theme was Scaling-up. As budgets are flatlining or falling, Asset Managers need to use Digital capabilities to engage their clients at scale and to drive revenue growth. In this article we explore the techniques that Asset Managers are using to achieve this.

This point of view article elaborates on the context, approach and upside of tackling pricing from a tactical standpoint
in order to systematically take no-regret pricing decisions and realise significant revenue pickup potential.

In this article, Alpha FMC examine what’s driving transformation of the client function in Asset Management ,what firms can do to respond
to these trends, and some of the key challenges to expect along the way

With further consolidation of LGPS Pools referenced in the recent Mansion House Reforms, Alpha discuss the benefits of pooling, our observations of what good looks like and some common pitfalls

In this article, Alpha MFC explore the approach and value for Wealth Managers in conducting structured Sales Force Effectiveness initiatives that seek to maximize both Relationship Managers’ client-facing time and their commercial and financial effectiveness.

In the second addition of our U.S. ESG Regulatory series, we look at the progression of ESG legislation, the diverging views in the U.S., and highlight key areas of focus for asset managers to create efficiencies and capitalize on new opportunities.

The UK’s decision to dramatically reduce Capital Gains Tax (CGT) allowances by 2024/25 will need proactive action by Wealth Managers.

Undesired client attrition may be costing Wealth Managers 4 to 8 months of asset and revenue growth every year. Alpha takes a look at the context, approach and upside of addressing client attrition.

In this article we outline five things we expect will be key talking points once the Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR) Policy Statement is published.

Alpha FMC, leading global consultancy to the asset management, wealth management and insurance industries, announces the hire of Executive Director, Keval Mehta to its North American insurance consulting team.

While asset managers have navigated both operational and market uncertainty in recent years, increasing complexity is on the horizon. Clients are increasingly questioning whether they should move from their in-house proprietary solution to a purpose-built RMS from a third-party vendor. Natalie McIntyre, George Liebscher and Sam Djurfeldt explore how firms can assess their strategy and approach to enabling effective research management through a state-of-the-art RMS.

Conversational AI technologies can be implemented quickly and have the ability to benefit Insurance and Retail Investment firms through providing operational efficiencies and improved customer experiences. Recent advancement in generative AI is enhancing the power of conversational AI, but needs to be used in a controlled way to ensure safe deployment. Alpha FMC’s Henry Dalton and Keith Aylwin have taken a look at the benefits and potential conversational AI use cases for Insurance and Retail Investment firms.

In this article, Alpha FMC’s Kevin O’Shaughnessy and Mark Webb discuss some of the highlights of the 2023 Asset Management Digital Readiness Survey. This year, which is the 6th year of the study, we surveyed 50 of the world’s best known Asset managers, who collectively handle $34trn on behalf of clients. The survey was conducted with the backdrop of volatile and turbulent markets, which is creating intense competition, pressure on flows and a focus on cost/income ratios. Read the article to find out more!

The move to a T+1 settlement period from T+2 in the US is representative of the direction the industry is driving towards, that being optimal trade and operational efficiency. Indeed, the rest of the world is likely to follow suit. This change will no doubt deliver benefits to asset managers, and in turn their clients, but enabling it will not be without its challenges. In this article Alpha explores the key considerations for the industry and highlights how we can support clients in managing this transition.

In this high interest rate environment, net interest income has become a fortuitous lifeline for UK platform providers. Those seizing the opportunity to address underlying operational challenges will be set to leapfrog the competition when the next wave of interest rate cuts or regulatory scrutiny brings an end to the net interest income reprieve. Read more to learn how some platform providers are preparing for the next step.

Despite the excitement surrounding ChatGPT and the trend towards major investment managers initiating their own AI offerings or embarking on extensive artificial intelligence research, regulatory bodies maintain a cautious stance regarding the value AI brings to the investment management industry. In this article, Alpha FMC’s Kevin, Ilia and Burak explore whether AI is currently generating value for the investment management industry and whether we can expect to see a transformational impact in the future.

In pursuit of asset growth and retention, a high-quality client experience acts as a critical differentiator during manager selection. In this article Claire Hepworth and Ben Ratcliff discuss intentional client service models, highlight what Distribution leaders should consider when determining how best to service their clients, and outline how to overcome common obstacles when building a competitive client servicing edge.

Technology advances throughout history have divided the opinions of many with those apprehensive of the potential downsides, and others invigorated by the uncovered benefits. Generative AI is the latest in these advances.
Alpha FMC’s Keith Aylwin, Joe Harris and Ian Ramsay, alongside support from the wider insurance team, have taken a look at how Generative AI could transform the Insurance and Retail Investment markets

ESG data integration is a true challenge across the Asset Management industry mainly driven by a stronger pressure from regulators and an increasing demand from market players and investors.
In this article (the last of a 3 articles series), Pierre-François Hue, Frédéric Lorain & Damien Dupart cover the key underlying elements of a successful ESG data integration, including setting principles over data governance and data structuring.

Reach out to the team if you are interested in discussing Alpha’s approach further!

The FCA’s deadline for TCFD-aligned entity and product-level reports for the largest UK-based asset managers and asset owners has just passed. What are the benefits to the industry and end beneficiaries of greater disclosure? How painful was it to get there? Check out this article from Alpha FMC to find out more!

ESG data integration is a true challenge across the Asset Management industry mainly driven by a stronger pressure from regulators and an increasing demand from market players and investors. In this article (the 2nd of a 3 articles series), Pierre-François Hue, Frédéric Lorain & Damien Dupart discuss the governing principles for ESG Data Processing (data quality management & enrichment) and Distribution.

How can Wealth Managers use CRM to stay competitive amidst intensifying asset gathering competition, margin pressures, and evolving regulations? In this article we discuss how transforming your CRM system into a dynamic tool can empower your front office, streamline processes, and equip your business with crucial insights to foster growth and maintain an edge.

ESG data integration is a true challenge across the Asset Management industry mainly driven by a stronger pressure from regulators and an increasing demand from market players and investors. In this article (the 1st of a 3 articles series), Alpha’s Pierre-François Hue, Frédéric Lorain & Damien Dupart assess the context and detail the best practice related to non-financial data acquisition.

Alpha’s Automation Team discuss the routes available to Asset and Wealth managers who want to find answers to operational inefficiencies where an industry offering is not readily available. Kevin O’Shaughnessy and the team look at development, risk and cost considerations, and identify how Business Process Management and Automation (BPM&A) tools can be utilised across approaches.

Alpha & PIMFA’s industry insights show that firms have already made progress in developing their initial ESG investment offerings, but will need to provide more robust client reporting to back up these ESG products and evidence their benefits to consumers.

Following the FCA’s review of fair value frameworks, Alpha FMC’s Chris Martin, Beth Cross and Andrew Farrimond provide suggestions for translating a fair value approach into clearly articulated outputs that are useful throughout the business.

Alpha are delighted to present our findings and insights from a range of UK platform respondents to understand orphan client definitions, trends in volumes, treatment strategies and shared challenges across the market.

Client Reporting continues to be a highly complex and labour intensive process across the Asset Management industry. Alpha has engaged with Asset Managers, Asset Owners and Client Reporting vendors to identify the key focus areas for Client Reporting in 2023. In this article Alpha SMEs Chyavan Rees, Tom Goldwater and Alex Sabato discuss perspectives on Client Reporting as a ‘hygiene factor’ that should drive focus on operational efficiency and scalability in the operating model.

Alpha FMC, leading global consultancy to the asset management, wealth management and insurance industries, has today announced the launch of a dedicated US Insurance Consulting offering and appointment of Executive Director Britton Van Dalen.

The insurance brokerage industry is constantly evolving and players are being forced to adapt to rapid economic changes. It is of great importance that they reinvent themselves and improve their services.

Only 36% of firms surveyed in Alpha FMC’s Financial Advice survey believe their current technology is being used effectively. In this article, we discuss the challenges and opportunities facing financial advice firms as they look to build a technology stack that serves as a competitor differentiator.

On the 1st of January 2022, the FCA introduced the Investment Firm Prudential Regime (IFPR) to enhance the prudential supervision of investment firms. One year on, it is important to assess whether firms’ Internal Capital Adequacy and Risk Assessments (ICARAs) and supporting documentation and processes meet FCA expectations and standards. Failure to complete a compliant and proportionate ICARA can result in material capital and liquidity impacts, as well as regulatory scrutiny. To help firms navigate this complex regulatory landscape, Alpha FMC experts Bernardo Castel-Branco and Awat Rahimi offer some critical considerations that firms should take into account.

In a world of ever-increasing demands from internal stakeholders, investors and regulators, Alpha FMC believe that we are at the beginning of a revolution in how Asset Managers manage, plan and analyse their businesses. This article outlines how Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) tools are being used by firms, and considers why those who fail to adopt these solutions will fall behind.

As interest in LLMs like ChatGPT takes off across the industry, it is imperative for managers to educate themselves on both the capabilities and the limitations of these models. In our latest whitepaper, Natalie McIntyre, Harry Taylor, Greg Beazley, and Nigel Musiza demystify the workings of ChatGPT to demonstrate how managers can best leverage this new wave of AI while taking into account its limitations and potential pitfalls.

Outsourcing has gone through a myriad of trends over the last ten years where the proposition to outsource middle and back-office functions has become a common consideration for institutional asset managers. A strong, risk-based oversight model is critical to a successful outsourcing arrangement and this article explores three key considerations when building this model.

Asset Managers are shifting towards Digital Distribution to reach clients through multiple channels other than traditional Sales teams. Alpha FMC’s Antonia Bos and Yvie Lewis explore the importance of this approach and offer insights on how to successfully navigate the digital landscape to provide a differentiating product experience.

The relationship dynamic between Asset Managers and Asset Servicers has significantly changed from one of merely third parties to strategic partners that support growth and innovation. Alex Sabato and Alexander Bowie explore how Asset Servicers continue to innovate the technology underpinning their offerings and what an Asset Manager should be looking for from their Asset Servicer.

Client onboarding is an increasingly critical phase of the end to end client journey for investment managers, offering an opportunity to demonstrate client experience excellence and cement a reputation of differentiated client service. Alpha FMC’s Christoph Berenbroick and Katia Arami explore the challenges and opportunities in client onboarding, and highlight where leaders are focusing their efforts.

As the asset management industry heads into a period of uncertainty, firms that are effectively able to leverage data science and analytics to steer their business will have a clear competitive advantage. Natalie McIntyre, Harry Taylor, Sam Gevirtz, Kerri Heidemann and Shreya Moola explore how firms can build a foundational data science and analytics toolkit to combat industry and market challenges while setting themselves up for future success.

As the first year of the 3-year transition period comes to a close, the FCA is actively knocking on doors to see the progress Enhanced Firms have made so far on their resilience agreements. Tom Williams and Olivia Stuart Taylor explore the key steps asset managers have taken to strengthen their Operational Resilience and prepare for the FCA’s review.

In 2023, Asset Managers are facing the difficult task of balancing transformational agendas against an uncertain market climate and constrained budgets. Investment Managers therefore need to ensure they are set up to maximize the effectiveness of their change agenda’s to remain competitive in the market.

With no single investment approach being universally favoured by Asset Owners, and needs changing over time, Alpha Director Tom Whitson and Global Asset Owner Lead Jon Benson look at important steps that can be taken to set up a suitable operating model and solve typical Asset Owner challenges.

It is a straightforward question: who is distributing your products and to what extent? It sounds straightforward, but time and again, managers fall foul and regulators have noticed. Claire Hepworth and Grace Welch navigate knowing your distributor.

A mountain of change is required in 2023 for asset managers to be ready for Consumer Duty implementation deadlines. Claire Wallace, Chris Martin and Will Ayrton explore the key impact areas consistently seen as requiring the most significant effort, with Value Assessment Methodology at the top of the list.

For larger Asset Managers and Asset Owners in the UK, the clock is ticking to meet upcoming TCFD reporting deadlines for their in-scope entities and products. Alpha’s Troy Mortimer, Pallavi Konwar and Chloe Frampton examine a number of the expected challenges facing firms as they look to roll out their internal TCFD readiness programmes, and what key questions need to be addressed today.

We are delighted to share our outlook for the market in 2023 and hope this document helps firms and the wider industry reflect and prepare for the year ahead.

Consolidation across the ACD / ManCo sector over the last 2-3 years has resulted in a marketplace that we believe is now at a crossroads. Read the latest from the M&A team.

The growth of ESG in the funds industry has heightened regulatory concerns over the threat of greenwashing. The use of evolving ESG data and the multitude of approaches to integrating ESG into asset management business processes are increasingly seen as areas of potential risk for investors, regulators and firms. Alpha’s Troy Mortimer, Tom Williams and Eva Trabaud explore five sustainability-related risks that Asset Managers should be identifying and managing now.

This year, Alpha’s AWM Outlook will focus on a selection of personas that we work with day-to-day, highlighting some of the key priorities and challenges we expect them to face in 2023.

ESG regulatory change is underway in Canada. Brian Helmes, Matthew Hooker, and Rebecca Dunkelman look at how Asset Managers and Asset Owners should prepare for impact to their reporting and governance capabilities.

With the increasing demand for expansion of offerings in the marketplace, it is imperative that asset managers are able to effectively develop and efficiently launch funds on time. To do so, we have outlined core steps and best practices we’d recommend be taken to empower strategic decision-making and cross-functional collaboration across the organization while ultimately providing a foundation upon which funds can be successfully launched.

EMIR Refit represents the most significant regulatory reporting change in recent years as part of ESMA’s drive for increased reporting quality. With material change on the horizon, Alpha FMC’s Ben Shenkin and Bernardo Castel-Branco discuss what buy-side firms should be doing in the months ahead.

The modern day Asset Manager is expecting more from their Transfer Agency providers. They’re looking to address common operational pain points, and beyond a commoditised service to provide value to their funds and the entire investor journey. Caoimhe Munif, Sarah Simmonds and Ed Collins explore some of the key pain points that need to be addressed and provide a look forward to how TAs can stand out from the field.

As client demands for digital capabilities continue to grow, we look at how the Wealth Management industry is responding in our fifth annual Digital Readiness survey.

In an environment where a firm’s digital offering is becoming increasingly important, this is a problem for asset & wealth managers, who risk losing market share to digitally-savvy competitors.
Adam Starkey-Smith and Kevin O’Shaugnessy discuss ways to tackle this challenge.

Alpha FMC, leading global consultancy to the asset management, wealth management and insurance industries, has today announced the hire of Tony Sault as executive director in the firm’s insurance consulting business.

With two months to go until SFDR Level 2, there remain a number of important open challenges facing asset managers in their efforts to demonstrate compliance. These include defining sustainable investments, applying Principal Adverse Impact indicators, meeting evolving client demands, and delivering ongoing reporting solutions. Troy Mortimer and Matthew Gerverun-Pratt provide insight on these topics based on Alpha’s recent client discussions.

With the growing trend towards end-to-end Operating Model simplification, significant implementation programmes are commonplace on Asset Managers’ Change agenda, but they often run over-budget and are delayed. To safeguard delivery and avoid expensive pitfalls along the way, Alpha promotes three pillars of success: robust Programme Governance, enlisting a diversified skill set, and fostering a motivated and enduring team spirit.

Innovation.
Disruption.
Digital.
Despite a decade of talking about the three key buzzwords, the insurance industry continues to grapple with how ‘to become innovative’. In this article, David Clarke, Miles Bishop and Venessa Chan explore what innovation really means for insurers and how to embed it into your operating model.

Measuring the success of different digital transformation efforts across organisations requires firms to use a range of different measures in order to quantify a range of different outcomes (e.g., commercial benefits, efficiency, risk reduction, productivity etc.). A key, undermeasured outcome is that of the commercial benefits, where firms are not currently able to successfully measure the increased ability to find prospects, win new business and cross sell products to existing clients. In this article, Mark Webb explores how firms measure commercial value and how firms can move away from measuring Digital in an Analogue way.

Current estimates suggest investment in digital transformation across all sectors will almost double from $1.25 trillion in 2019 to $2.3 trillion in 2023. A significant proportion of this will be spent in the insurance sector, but as we have seen in the past, high expenditure is no guarantee of desired outcomes. In this article, David Clarke, Miles Bishop and Huw Barker explore how to set up an effective digital transformation programme.

Alpha FMC, the leading global consultancy to the asset management, wealth management and insurance industries, today announces the launch of a Retail Distribution & Advice (RDA) practice within its UK insurance consulting business.

It is no secret that the insurance industry product and service offering has remained stoically unchanged for a long time. While there have been new products and coverages introduced to the market, fundamentally the proposition is the same today as it always has been, other than for some niche, low-volume plays. However, there are glimmers of hope that across the insurance landscape, we can see some potential disruptors to the status quo in both General Insurance and Specialty. In this article, David Clarke, Miles Bishop and Mesky Loane explore the trends that are driving changes in the insurance proposition offering.

The pensions and retail investment market is experiencing seismic shifts, and is expected to grow significantly over the next three years. Convergence is being experienced on a grand scale, as the market is increasingly focused on how to meet evolving customer needs: providing a more holistic service, delivering value to customers, and creating more choice and control over the future.
In the first of this five part series, Bradley Northrop and Matt Jeffery explore the trends that are driving change in the pensions and retail investment market across financial service providers, product providers, platforms and workplace.

Alpha FMC, leading global consultancy to the asset management, wealth management and insurance industries, has announced the hire of Chris Kroeger as Head of UK – Asset & Wealth Management (AWM) Consulting.

Outsourcing has significantly matured over the last decade with Asset Managers, and the expectations of Asset Servicers has greatly increased. To continue delivering a competitive outsourcing model with the best value, Alpha recommends that Asset Servicers focus on three core areas: Data Strategy, Enterprise Operating Model Design and Implementation. In Data Strategy, Asset Services have a significant advantage over FinTechs and industry-focused data solution providers since they already have valuable data within their ecosystem and present as the first port of call for Asset Managers in considering their Data as a Service needs.

We at Alpha continue to see inorganic growth as a consistent discussion topic across our global Asset and Wealth Management client base. Managers will continue to face evolving regulatory constraints and increased pressure from investors to provide greater value through product growth, geographic expansions, and reduced costs. It is therefore no surprise that acquisitions are an appealing option to quickly address these issues.

Alpha FMC is delighted to announce the introduction of both ESG and Culture Due Diligence to the suite of pre-deal M&A services offered to our clients. Here we explore how we can optimize value in a transaction, highlighting the importance of identifying material ESG factors in business valuation and how culture can be the key to success in M&A integration.

Alpha’s 5th Annual Asset Management Digital Readiness Survey provides unique insights into an industry that is ‘coming of age’ in its digital journey. Read on for our key findings from this year’s results.

The FCA has now published the final iteration of the Consumer Duty rules and guidance, forming part of the FCA’s transformation plans to become a more assertive and data-led regulator. Emily Stapleton considers the impact.

For asset managers who are not yet net zero signatories, the perception of non-commitment will soon become a real business risk: Brian Helmes and Rebecca Dunkelman of our ESG & RI practice unpick what it takes to be ready for a world where net zero is the expectation.

In this article we consider what the FCA’s new Consumer Duty rules will mean for advisers and advice firms, we also highlight particular areas of impact and key considerations during review and implementation.

The impact of Covid-19 and the recent resurgence of D&I aspects has catapulted social issues to the forefront of the Responsible Investment agenda. Adapting product offerings and mindsets can help you capitalise on commercial advantages, as Yasmin Bye and Sarah Hedges discuss.

Alpha Data Solutions (ADS), the leading data and analytic platform enabling investment managers to incentivises sales, analyse purchasing patterns, digitally service investors and meet financial reporting requirements, has today announced it will operate under the new name of Aiviq (pronunciation: ay-vik).

The FCA has put the new Consumer Duty proposals at the heart of its new three year strategy and business plan. It expects to finalise the new rules by end of July 2022 but has already indicated firms should begin preparations and it will be engaging with firms during H2 2022 on their implementation plans and progress.
In this article we explore the key aspects of the new duty, potential key challenges and where firms should start with planning and implementation.

Wealth Management assets and clients have grown resiliently through recent market and geo-political challenges due to structural reforms and new wealth creation in key markets and segments. But the increased assets firms are managing has attracted competitive and regulatory interest and shone a light on the barriers to unlocking scale benefits.

Alpha FMC and Northern Trust recently hosted a cross-industry roundtable to discuss key data themes with a number of asset owners, Alpha Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and Northern Trust’s experienced data solutions team:

Historically an option reserved for only the larger institutional investors, Private Markets in recent times have become a well-established part of the Ultra High Net Worth (UHNW) and Family Office portfolio. With increasing demand and a more readily available and more liquid supply, can Private Markets become a viable asset class for High Net Worth (HNW) and Affluent investors?

Given the alignment of the proposed rules to other emerging standards and requirements, Asset Managers and Owners should be preparing for the impact that these additional disclosures will have both on their own businesses as well as the evolving expectations of investors.

With Switzerland committing to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, it is paramount that financial institutions do the same. Cathrine Hansen and Nicolas Grangeon from our Swiss office summarise some of their key insights.

Since the start of 2021 UK and EU regulators have issued a record level of anti-money laundering fines. Combined with the various announcements and guidelines from regulators on their expectations for firm’s AML controls and it shows financial crime prevention remains at the top of the regulator’s priorities. Read our latest article by Chris Martin to find out what we recommend asset managers should be doing now!

With Wealth Management and Financial Planning M&A experiencing unprecedented levels of activity, marginal improvements can make all the difference to success. From doing cultural due diligence correctly, to a pragmatic approach to integration execution, we consider ways to avoid paying an irredeemable premium or losing out altogether.

Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders will be faced with a challenging decision on how they want to rebuild an organization that has recently undergone a significant amount of change. In this article, Heather Lawton recommends using a simple approach that leverages organizational design tools to ensure that these decisions are thoughtful and deliver the greatest level of support for employee well-being and productivity.

Chris Dunmire explores the future of content enablement and how we see firms rethinking the end-to-end production lifecycle, from ideation to distribution to better organize, share and automate enterprise content.

Choosing the correct strategic partner is crucial to the success of achieving any large-scale change ambition. Alpha shares how firms can best tailor the vendor selection process to suit their objectives and drive the best possible outcomes.

Digital client experience has become an increasingly important focus area across the Asset Management sector, driven by the accelerant effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the shift from physical interactions to virtual interactions. Alpha’s approach to defining digital client experience strategy helps Managers respond to the constantly evolving landscape of their end-client’s digital expectations, leading to increased client satisfaction, in addition to improved commercial propositions and operational efficiencies.

Rather than a complex and risky large-scale transformation, an ‘evolution not revolution’ approach can be effective for many Insurers in achieving business benefit more rapidly.

Profoundly built partnerships play a fundamental role in accelerating innovation and unlocking growth opportunities. Therefore, managing these partnerships becomes a key enabler for asset and wealth managers to realize the value from such ventures and differentiate their market offerings.

Our Outlook this year focuses on the personas that we work with on a day-to-day basis, and we highlight some of the priorities and challenges we expect them to face in 2022.

Automation is a subject which has been a hot topic of debate across many industries for a number of years. Many Asset Managers have numerous automation projects underway and significant budget spend; but the reality is that most firms may not be getting the value out of automation that they could.

Against a backdrop of rising demand and expectations firms should be asking themselves: how will we raise capital if we are a laggard in Real Estate ESG?

Alpha presents its second annual savings and retirement perspectives for the coming year.

As COP26 concludes, asset managers should be looking at the horizon to consider which disruptive ‘uncomfortable concepts’ could emerge. Troy Mortimer and Chloe Frampton summarise four key concepts.

In a rush to capture the value chain, are firms losing sight of their core strategy and is it time to divest non-core assets? In this article, Alpha looks at the implications for asset and wealth managers and platforms.

In the final article of our three-part series on financial advice, we discuss something at the top of most agendas right now – Technology. This continues to be a hot topic as we see the shift to technology being core to client engagement and business enablement rather than simply a facilitator. David Jenkins and Matt Jeffery explore this theme.

Alpha FMC’s inaugural Next Generation Private Markets Survey received a great response from the industry, with a wide number of leading Alternative Asset Managers spanning private markets asset classes, global regions and size.

As we approach COP26 and witness the crystallisation of a plethora of ESG risks such as global supply chain shocks, many asset managers are considering what further risks are on the horizon. In this article we explore five emerging (and potentially game changing) sustainability-related trends that could significantly disrupt the asset management industry, as well as what asset managers need to do now to successfully navigate the complexities of this future landscape.

The Insurance industry is on the brink of a profound technological shift. Supplemented with key insights from Michael Bowker and the team at Roboyo, Sunil Kumar and Keith Aylwin take a look at the next chapter for Automation, AI & Data and what firms can do today to prepare for tomorrow’.

Whilst the financial advice industry has come a long way over the last 20 years, inefficiency and poor customer engagement are still rife – we believe the market is ready for change. In our latest article (second in a three part series), Matt Jeffery and Phil Courtenay of Applied Emotional Finance explores how behaviour and emotional finance can have a material impact on how an advice proposition is received.

Alpha present the fourth year of the Wealth Management Digital Readiness Survey. Read on to understand how far the industry is progressing with its Digital Transformation journey.

Alpha’s Ethnic and Cultural Diversity committee have dedicated this past month to South Asian Heritage Month. In this article, Jasmin Jotangia and Tobi Adediran detail the ways in which we have marked this important topic and how they align to our proprietary C.A.R.E (Communicate, Action, Respect, Educate) framework, helping to spark meaningful conversations relating to racial, ethnic and cultural discrimination, and promote diversity.

Following the FCA’s recently published findings on its thematic review of the Host AFM sector, AFMs are under increased scrutiny to ensure that their governance & oversight processes and frameworks are up to scratch. Here are some key questions that may help AFM Boards, Risk & Compliance professionals focus their attention.

In this article, Mark Webb and Kevin O’Shaughnessy assess the opportunity that Digital Data presents Asset Managers, the journey that the industry will be on in the near future and what Asset Managers should do now to capitalise on this key capability.

Alpha FMC further strengthens its Insurance practice with the hire of Miles Bishop as Director.

Recent developments have further signaled congressional support for the financial materiality of ESG factors, indicating that ESG regulation and active ownership are needed to advance the U.S. economy towards sustainability. In this update we look at the amendments to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and the implications for institutional asset managers.

Tom Williams and Chyavan Rees delve into why the time is now for firms to invest in their client reporting operating model and how to get started on a journey to ensure maximum benefit is seen from existing or upgraded systems.

Alpha’s 2021 Asset Management Digital Readiness Survey provides unique insights into the progress the industry is making on its digital journey. It will be no surprise that the global pandemic has been a major theme this year, as Asset Managers have had to urgently shift to digital ways of working as restrictions were applied across countries. Read to find out how the industry has improved its digital capabilities and grown its maturity in this space during these extraordinary circumstances.

Fundraising and managing investors is changing, and this poses potential challenges for Alternatives managers. Dominic Coyle explores.

In many ways, financial advice has come a long way in the last 20 years, however we firmly believe that the advice market is at the forefront of some cutting-edge change. This is the first in a short series of articles on how advice firms can position themselves for success.

SFDR and the EU Taxonomy (EUT) represent a hallmark change to how asset managers interact with Responsible Investment (RI), with far-reaching impacts across their operating models. Sarah Hedges and Troy Mortimer explore the ten key challenges facing managers.

Alpha FMC present the findings from our Data Operating Models 2021 research report.

In the latest of our SFDR insights series, we explore one of the most commonly cited challenges with the regulation: data and technology. What specifically are managers struggling with, and how are leaders responding?

75% of transaction reports submitted by Wealth Managers have one or more errors in them and, on average, each Wealth Manager has over 50 different errors to resolve. In our latest article, we look at the causes for these errors and the potential solutions.

In this article, Andrew Glessing, Harry Shearer and Will Ayrton explore how UK Authorised Fund Managers (AFMs) are navigating their way through the second year of the Assessment of Value and how they can differentiate themselves from their competitors beyond that by enhancing their Product Governance and streamlining their processes using strategic technological solutions.

In the second Digital Strategy article in the series, Kevin O’Shaughnessy, Joe Brown and Tom Goldwater look at where Digitisation can have the biggest commercial impact in the way firms operate by assessing how to effectively identify and measure opportunities.

This is the final article in a series of three in which we discuss the execution and delivery of a successful migration event. This concludes the series in which Alec Baillie, Duncan Ng’enda and Jenny Thorpe have taken us through a platform transformation journey.

In the build-up to the 2020 U.S. presidential election, the future of ESG investing as a driving force in asset management was questionable. Brian Helmes explores how the new administration took actions to signal that the global issues addressed by ESG initiatives would be a top priority in the first 100 days.

Turning regulatory compliance into commercial opportunity.

This is the second in a series of three articles in which we tackle the delivery stage of an Investment Platform transformation programme.

Data is more essential to Sales than ever, providing them with the F1 cockpit they need to accelerate themselves. Tom Parish shines a spotlight on next best actions.

Alpha runs an annual Client Service benchmark into the practices of 30 of the largest global Asset Managers, collectively with £7 trillion AUM. Mike Smith, Divakar Padmanathan and Emma Haffenden synthesise some key findings.

This is the first in a series of three articles in which we tackle the first key area of focus for firms embarking on an Investment Platform transformation journey.

After overcoming a year of volatility and mixed returns in 2020, and a period under the spotlight in early 2021, hedge funds are as focused as ever on delivering outperformance. Matt Pratt and Mark Thomas discuss five must-haves for automation to deliver this.

In this article, Emily Eleazar, Duncan Ng’enda and Tom Parish explore how UK investment platforms can actively leverage CRM to turbo-charge their distribution and front office functions.

Alpha are delighted to present the findings from our recent Orphan Clients Survey.

In 2020, Alpha launched a Client Service Benchmark, establishing the first comprehensive set of multi-channel KPIs in the industry. An excellent peer group of 30 firms globally representing £7 trillion in AUM took part. Find out what sets leaders apart.

The year ahead promises modest growth in the Canadian Wealth Management space as the COVID-19 pandemic affects various customer groups differently. Mike Thomson discusses the trends and challenges in the industry for 2021.

Alpha’s Ethnic & Cultural Diversity Committee have been working to develop a framework to address ethnic, racial and cultural discrimination in the workplace and to promote and enhance diversity at all levels.

An increasingly saturated and highly competitive market undergoing technology disruption is leaving Wealth Managers on the lookout for alternative markets. The growth and evolution of the UHNW and FO space has therefore attracted the attention of a broad range of market participants. Himal Patel and Adam Croutear discuss what challenges Wealth Managers need to overcome to succeed in this market.

With the continued growth in private assets ESG capabilities, we expect 2021 to be a hotly contested year for leadership in this space. Mark Thomas provides a summary of the key topics to bear in mind.

With the demand for data increasing across the investment value chain, we investigate the role that Enterprise Technology can play in building a strong foundational data platform and reducing the burden of legacy point to point architectures of the past.

2020 saw public awareness of ESG issues soaring and regulators, policy makers and industry bodies raising the minimum standard for compliance. In 2021, we expect the winds of regulatory change to carry across the globe. Anna Skylakaki and Thomas Schär discuss the consistent themes across the incoming standards.

The Asset Management industry is experiencing an age of significant digital disruption. Adam Starkey-Smith shares three tips for Agile success.

With just over 4 weeks to go to the Level 1 SFDR deadline and with clarity on Level 2 now published, ESG regulatory momentum is not slowing down.

With stewardship high on the agenda for 2021, transparency and accountability throughout the investment chain is key to supporting your clients and beneficiaries. Katie Simm takes a look at the role asset owners have to play in this increasingly important area.

Remote working has emphasised the need for increased cross-workforce collaboration. As a result, asset managers have had to explore alternative ways to embed or retain a collaborative working culture in their organisations. In this article, Jamilla Adeline and Will Devine explore how collaboration tools can be used effectively to have both personal and professional impacts.

Alpha FMC further strengthens its ESG and Responsible Investments practice with the hire of Troy Mortimer as Director.

2021 will be the year where management teams focus their M&A efforts on identifying strategic “bolt-ons”. Rob Owen explores what that means for firms looking to be strong candidates for acquisition.

Wealth managers are faced with a difficult revenue environment and traditionally high cost bases. Simplifying the overall operating model and realigning services with client segments will generate opportunities for revenue growth.

With the market landscape shifting fast, the notion of what it means to be an ESG leader is also changing. Vanessa Bingle and Brian Helmes delve into what it means to be a leader in 2021.

Alpha FMC further strengthens its Pensions and Retail Investments practice with the hire of Keith Aylwin as Director.

Are data limitations blocking your growth? Nick Dekker and Will Basnett share three lessons to solving it, six key datasets asset managers are mastering, and the one truth about moving forward

Outsourcing can still provide a silver bullet in improving the efficiency of asset manager operating models. Alexander Bowie explores the latest trends and why it should be on your transformation agenda for 2021.

For Alpha’s 2021 Outlook, our experts present viewpoints on the key topics that we think will affect the industry in the year ahead.

Do Investment firms need a Digital Strategy? In our view, the answer is ‘No’! Joe Brown and Tom Goldwater discuss how Asset & Wealth Managers can begin their journey towards becoming a ‘Digital First’ organisation.

Alpha presents its first Savings and Retirement market specific perspectives for the coming year.

Wealth managers have not historically prioritised female investors. However, this is rapidly changing, and wealth managers should start preparing to reflect the increasing importance of female clients. Emily Stapleton looks at the impacts of gender diversity on wealth managers’ returns.

The increase in expectations and requirements for asset owners has put pressure on the ESG-related services provided by asset managers. The question is: are you prepared to meet these growing demands?

If you get it right, running large-scale transition projects remotely can be very successful

Alpha believes it would be a missed opportunity for firms to treat ESG as a cost or compliance issue. For Private Markets firms, embedding ESG risk factors into the decision-making and reporting processes can provide real competitive advantages at a time when investor expectations in this area are rising. As this article will explain, Private Markets industries also have their own intricacies which need to be managed in relation to ESG. Read on to find out more about responsible investing in Private Markets.

People stick to what they know or are too scared to break the status quo. This is particularly the case when it comes to money. Despite the introduction of the Investment Pathways rules (coming into force from 1st February 2021), a significant number of clients may still miss out on investment growth due to their apprehension of getting a major life decision wrong and putting their savings at risk. Read on to find out more.

The FCA’s Investment Firm Prudential Regime will fundamentally change the way our industry manages risk. The recent 6-month delay of implementation makes what seemed an almost impossible implementation window, more achievable; Tom Williams examines some of the key challenges.

A positive development for the green finance industry, but it raises several ESG challenges for asset managers

The COVID-19 pandemic has represented the ultimate Operational Resilience challenge for wealth manager systems and processes, and many firms faced the unprecedented challenge of transitioning to a fully remote working environment whilst trying to improve business resilience to meet the new regulatory requirements. Take a look at this placemat produced by our Wealth team to learn more.

Nearly three years have passed since MiFID II ‘go-live’, and with 88% of transaction reports still containing one or more errors Asset & Wealth Managers large and small are spending significant sums on remediation. The sector is on its way to ‘landing on the moon’: meeting error fixing and back reporting obligations. However, this is only half the job and firms should be wary of seeing this as success. Read more in our latest article by Bernardo Castel-Branco to find out what success truly looks like.

Global leader in Asset and Wealth Management Consultancy, has recently launched a new Insurance practice in France that will focus initially on finance transformation.

Automation is a hot topic within the asset management industry and has been for some time across the front, middle and back office. Anthony Boakye-Mensah and Darren Chim look at the state of the industry in 2020.

Global leader in asset and wealth management consulting formalises market offering with dedicated ESG & Responsible Investment practice in response to the growing demand for their consultancy services from clients across the industry.

What was market leading two years ago is market baseline today. To remain relevant, organisations are investing in transforming across Corporate Strategy, Clients, Investments, Regulation, and their Foundations.

Case study on supporting an asset manager de-risk, streamline and scale their use of ESG data.

Case study on supporting a global asset manager define and implement ESG client reporting.

Case study on supporting a global asset manager achieve alignment on their ESG approach and processes across investment desks.

Case study on benchmarking a European asset manager on their ESG approach, and define their ambition.

Case study on supporting a global asset manager with immediate concerns in meeting regulatory standards

ETFs are perhaps one of the most significant financial innovations of the last 30 years, synonymous with the growth of passive fund management. As such, ETFs are often viewed exclusively as passive investment vehicles. However, dig a little deeper, and you will find that this is not the case. Marc Knowles investigates the opportunities for active managers

Each year over 350 million tonnes of plastic are produced globally – the equivalent weight of 28 million London double-decker busses. Cathrine Hansen explores Alpha’s partnership with Plastic Oceans

As the Investment Management industry continues to navigate a period of significant uncertainty, never has there been a more appropriate time for managers to provide reassurance to their clients through timely and accurate reporting. Read to find out more about client reporting in the new digital age.

The role of Marketing within Asset and Wealth Managers is changing, driven by the increasing need to be truly client-focused. However, market drivers are pushing firms to revisit how they approach their marketing functions. Read our experts’ view on how firms should evolve the role of marketing within asset and wealth management

The third year of Alpha’s Digital Readiness Survey provides a unique barometer of how far the industry is progressing with its Digital Transformation journey. Client expectations are still outpacing wealth firms’ digital capabilities, despite this being recognised as a top priority.

The prospect of founding partners in Private Equity firms moving on poses a number of potential challenges and firms will need to manage these through careful succession planning. Conversely, such a major transition also provides firms with a great opportunity to take stock, review their operating models, and re-evaluate their priorities going forward.

The 2020 rollercoaster rolls on for asset managers, with record highs and dramatic falls for financial markets; and we are now emerging from the crisis and firms are beginning to plan again for the long-term. As the world slowly returns to the “new normal”, these firms should do so with deal opportunities higher-up the agenda. Rob Owen discusses the post-COVID thaw in M&A.

Throughout the COVID crisis, Asset Managers have distinguished themselves by their readiness to adapt to unforeseen operating conditions. Alpha’s Investments practice asks whether the move to remote working has changed the industry’s views on Enterprise Technology.

Alpha’s ESG SMEs discuss their key observations of the changes made in the UK Stewardship Code 2020, and what Managers should do to ensure they can meet these new and increased expectations

Are client portals worth it? In our view, this question is more nuanced than before and is no longer a binary ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer. Sam Large and Mark Webb unpack the decisions facing asset managers.

The growing pressure on advice firms to consider how best to use digital within their operating models is not new. Efforts to attract the mass market, expectations of younger investors and the need to reduce costs have all formed pressures to date. This article is the final piece in a series of three articles on Hybrid Advice during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Alpha FMC is pleased to announce that Jill May will be appointed as an Independent Non-Executive Director of the Company with effect from 1 July 2020. On appointment, Jill will join the Nomination, Audit and Risk and Remuneration Committees.

Every good wealth manager prides themselves on building proactive, trusted client relationships. But when fees are compressed, and prioritisation is required, advisors can often find themselves wondering: which are the relationships and conversations that will yield the greatest returns?

The current pandemic has revealed several weak points within the financial industry and has forced market leaders to revisit their top priorities. The financial sector may not operate the same as it did before COVID-19, and we should use this challenge to forge the new norm and set the course for the years to come.

Asset Managers are seeing their revenues tighten due to competition, market volatility, regulation and client demands; all of which erodes margin. To grow and achieve scale, many are now focusing on ways to maximise their unique selling point and leverage the value it brings to clients.

The growing pressure on advice firms to consider how best to use digital within their operating models is not new. Efforts to attract the mass market, expectations of younger investors and the need to reduce costs have all formed pressures to date. This article is the first in three on Hybrid Advice during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Many UK Authorised Fund Managers (AFMs) have now completed their first ever Assessments of Value (AoV). Asset managers are now considering how to streamline future work and efficiently integrate it with wider Product Governance. Speak to our experts here at Alpha to find out more.

Digital Transformation is a key theme which links various factors currently driving change in Asset Management. The third year of Alpha’s Digital Readiness Survey provides a unique barometer of how far the Asset Management industry is progressing with its Digital Transformation journey. Speak to our experts here at Alpha to find out more.

Alpha’s ESG SMEs discuss the key themes of ESG regulation and ask if Asset Managers are ready to meet the new, elevated standards coming into place across the industry.

The COVID-19-induced lockdown has been the catalyst for an unprecedented spike in the adoption of digital channels by investors, including fund subscription solutions and the use of investor portals. Hedge funds seeking ‘Operational Alpha’ will ride this wave to higher net flows and revenue.

The Responsible Investing product landscape is changing and firms should ensure they are well-prepared to tackle the challenges that this will bring. Alpha discuss four key facets of change within Responsible Investing revealed by the recently conducted 2020 Product Trends Survey

Alpha questioned 17 major asset management houses on what they believed the trends in Product would be in the coming year, our ‘Product Trends in 2020’ report details the findings.

The growing pressure on advice firms to consider how best to use digital within their operating models is not new. Efforts to attract the mass market, expectations of younger investors and the need to reduce costs have all formed pressures to date. This article is the second in a series of three articles on Hybrid Advice during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Alpha have developed a framework for the effective embedding of agile within the Investment Management industry. This ensures that the changes you want to make land well and are sustainable. One thing we have learnt is that “agile can be fragile”, so this approach is designed to deliver a transformation that can last and produce the right kind of benefits. Read on to learn more.

Our Data Operations Survey explored how far asset managers have come in establishing foundations for data management, across both technology infrastructure and governance. In total, 33 asset managers participated from Europe and the US including 11 firms with headquarters in the UK. This article presents our key findings and the main themes from the research.

The ManCo industry has real potential for M&A activity. Our Alpha M&A SMEs across London and Luxembourg offices have shared where we see these opportunities arising for the ManCo industry and step through some best practices for evaluating them. See our latest report for a full review or get in touch with our experts here at Alpha.

COVID-19 thrust the Asset & Wealth Management industry into working remotely more quickly, extremely and fully than many of us thought possible just a few months ago. After a stressful few weeks for both leaders and employees experimenting with how to balance the COVID-19-related impacts on their personal and professional lives whilst working from home, many organisations are now successfully bedded into a remote way of life. Get in touch with our experts at Alpha to find out more.

Operating cost synergies are a common deal driver. Yet the availability of information can often make them complex to calculate. In this piece, Alpha’s M&A SMEs set out some pointers on how to best approach establishing the overall cost reduction.

Remote working, virtual meetings, and social distancing have become our ‘new normal’ during the unprecedented times under COVID-19. This has brought with it a myriad of challenges that companies are now trying to navigate without experience or best practice to guide them. Speak to our experts here at Alpha to find out more.

Operational Resilience is firmly at the top of the Asset and Wealth Management agenda following recent events; however, this has been a developing ‘hot topic’ for the FCA over the past few years.

Due to increasing client demand and upcoming regulatory changes, Alpha engaged a small group of UK Wealth Managers during Q1 2020 to explore how these firms were progressing their Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) and RI efforts.  The findings indicate a wide spread of activity, but with only a small number who could be classified as having made good progress.

Wealth and Asset Managers have made significant improvements to both core business systems and the management of data and are now looking at ways to surface data in a way that provides meaningful and actionable insights to senior executives.

Technology will have been top of mind for many organisations and employees over the last month, as we all find ourselves navigating a new remote-working reality. Now more than ever, technology is pivotal in keeping us all connected and keeping the show on the road.

Rebates and commissions are commonplace in the asset management industry, but many firms find them costly, complex, and time-consuming to manage. With distributors now ranking managers on rebate servicing quality, the cost of errors is high.

Alpha recently published an article discussing the ‘new normal’ for organisations brought about by the COVID-19 global pandemic and called out four key areas of challenge. In recent weeks, Alpha has been working with clients and has gained a unique view of the most effective practices that allow businesses to continue and develop in these unprecedented times.

Alpha FMC (“Alpha”), the global leader in asset and wealth management consulting, today announces the hire of Nick Dekker, a well-respected industry distribution and risk expert. Nick joins Alpha as a Director, to lead the Distribution Operations proposition in the UK.  Nick joins from KPMG, where he has spent a decade working within their Asset Management Consulting team, focusing on efficiency savings and risk reduction in Distribution and Operations functions.

Alternative Investment firms are looking to improve their end to end operating model efficiency by formalising succession plans, better-integrating analytics, and making use of digital and big data tools. Our Alts team tell us more.

Alpha FMC further strengthens its growing Regulatory Compliance practice with the hire of Claire Wallace as Director.

The need to maintain a relevant product range is increasing the pressure on asset managers to make new launches a success. Alpha outline five main reasons why challenges in launching new products and mandates continue to be an industry problem.

The ESG performance of firms has been increasingly tracked in recent years. Alpha’s SMEs examine some of the barriers to effective ESG data integration and outline some key considerations for success.

Alpha’s Gender Equality Committee has been working on our ‘Women in Business – Best Practice Heatmap’; a ‘toolkit’ of initiatives to promote gender equality and non-discrimination against women in the workplace.

Over the last few weeks, we have witnessed the rapid development of the COVID-19 crisis across the world. Alpha looks at some of the themes emerging through the day-to-day shuffle towards a “New Normal”.

Agile has promised to make organisations better able to cope with a  constantly changing environment, and transform employee engagement, financial results and organisational longevity – but like all change, it needs committed leadership to succeed.

The importance of integrating ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) has unquestionably grown for investors. Alpha’s SMEs share why it is essential for Asset Managers to effectively communicate their strategy.

Our 2019 Digital Readiness Survey revealed that 91% of firms are exploring agile initiatives, yet only 5% consider themselves mature Agile Leaders. But what conclusions can we draw from these statistics?

In recent years, changes have swept through the financial services industry, requiring firms to think about how they operate. To adapt, firms have had to become more responsive and ‘agile’.

Our industry is facing significant changes: the need to digitise, the need to respond to fee and margin pressure, and the changing needs and expectations of customers.

The challenge for Wealth Managers today? Balancing the exciting pursuit of front-facing opportunities to enhance the client experience, while simultaneously addressing core legacy systems, culture and talent gaps.

The Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SM&CR) is now live for all FCA-regulated firms in the UK. Is this the end of the journey? We don’t think so.

As asset managers conclude their Value Assessment design phase and start to move into implementation, many are starting to ask, ‘what next?’. Alpha’s SMEs discuss how to take the approach defined on paper and translate it into practice.

2019 marks the second year that Alpha has joined the panel of the Sutton Trust’s annual ‘Pathways to Banking and Finance’ conference to inspire high-achieving young people from less advantaged backgrounds.

Due diligence of a Target is often limited to revenue and assets, with the cost base treated to cursory year-on-year trend analysis. Even when Operations and IT due diligence is commissioned, we believe the current approach misses three key areas.

Alpha strengthens product offering with acquisition of Obsidian, a leading cloud-based SaaS business.

Wealth Managers are now increasing their focus on customer growth and the exploration of operational efficiencies. Intrinsically linked with these themes is the subject of pricing.

Having led some of the most complex end-to-end integrations in the industry, Alpha has identified several considerations which will help contribute to successful integration.

Alpha announces the launch of a dedicated Pensions and Retail Investments Practice. Bruce Davies and Dan Mahony have joined as Directors.

Alpha announces the appointment of Arnaud de Batz as a Director in their Paris Office. Arnaud has 25 years of experience in financial markets.

It has been over a year since the partnership with The Lucy Faithfull Foundation (LFF) formally concluded in January 2018 and we have been thrilled to look back and consider all that has been achieved in that time.

89% of firms say they will be devoting additional resources to sustainable investing in the next 1-2 years. Alpha has identified three broad investment approaches that incorporate ESG and/or sustainability factors.

Alpha announces the appointment of Paul Tan as a Director for its Asia Pacific regional team. Paul brings 15 years of experience to Alpha, having served global, regional and domestic financial institutions across Asia.

By thinking about published content as the sum of its parts and looking at documents as blocks of data on the page, you can take steps to better navigate the path ahead.

We have ridden the wave of hype around digital and are beginning to better understand how new technology and ways of working can be introduced to augment and improve customer experience, increase efficiency and drive profitability.

Digital Transformation is a key theme which links various factors currently driving change in Asset Management. This survey is designed to be a barometer of how far the industry is progressing with its digital transformation journey.

Alpha announces the hire of Emma Haffenden, a well-respected industry benchmarking expert. Emma has joined as a Senior Manager to broaden the types of benchmarking that Alpha currently undertakes.

Alpha has acquired specialist consultancy Axxsys – recognised industry leaders in Simcorp-related implementation and advisory support.

Alpha’s SMEs look at the impact and opportunities of the ‘Next Generation’ of Private Equity investors, which includes family offices, retail investors and pension funds, as well as how Alpha can help utilise this growing market.

In almost every asset class investment research plays an important role as a source of intelligence and guidance for investing. Recently, new European regulations in the form of MiFID II have changed a lot in this field.

Alpha strengthens market offering with dedicated ETF & Indexing Practice to respond to the growing significance of index funds and ETFs, and demand for consulting support from clients.

MiFID II came into force just over one year ago, bringing over 30,000 pages of regulation with it. While asset and wealth managers achieved a great deal in preparation for go-live and throughout the year, it is fair to say the journey has just begun.

Research from Alpha FMC shows that Dutch firms see the benefits of digital, but lag behind other European asset managers in allocating resources. Alpha investigates the main barriers to becoming a digital innovator.

Alpha has strengthened its offering in Europe with a new Director: Bastiaan Aalders, who has been appointed to extend Alpha’s consulting service offering to Asset and Wealth Managers across the region.

Alpha announces the formal launch of its new dedicated FinTech & Innovation Practice. Led by Director Olivia Vinden, the Practice will initially focus on four key themes: Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Automation & Robotics, and FinTech Partnerships.

Manual processing adds cost, risk and time. Not to mention it’s really boring – and your staff could be deployed to more high-value work. Here at Alpha we are helping clients with their automation objectives in a number of ways.

The ability to understand the key drivers of performance and risk is fundamental to the investment management process – but calculating accurate value-add analytics can raise significant challenges for technology, data and process.

A major global asset manager wanted to redesign their strategic governance and core Digital, Sales, Marketing & Client Services processes with the aim of improving the overall client experience, focusing sales & improving internal efficiencies.

Following merger activity, this global asset manager engaged Alpha to define the new target operating model for their Global Marketing function, focusing on becoming digital- and data-led.

For those firms that get it right, there is an opportunity to highlight competitive advantages, engage with your clients to discuss their other providers and possibilities for increased wallet share with new or further investment opportunities.

Buzzwords such as AI, machine learning, blockchain and ‘big data’ are everywhere and are quickly attracting the attention of corporate investment. Data is transforming every industry and Asset Management is no different.

Alpha have led some of the most complex operations integration programmes in the industry. Our experts share some of the essential toolkit that helps ensure that these programmes are run and completed successfully.

Technology and data are changing the Distribution organisation, giving Asset Managers valuable business awareness and client insight that is influencing Sales & Marketing activity and attributing to real growth in AUM.

In May 2018, Alpha’s Gender Equality Committee ran a “Collaborating in the Workplace” survey designed by Dr Jill Armstrong, a Cambridge Fellow specialising in gender studies.

Alpha’s Wealth Management experts summarise the key challenges Wealth Managers are currently facing, including pressured margins, regulations and changing clients. Find out how Alpha can help our Wealth Management clients.

Earlier this year, the Alpha Diversity & Inclusion programme formally launched its partnership with The Sutton Trust – a pioneering educational charity dedicated to improving social mobility and achieving equality of opportunity.

As the asset management industry faces tighter margins and an increasingly digital client landscape, effectively leveraging data has become crucial to remaining competitive.

Asset managers are increasingly seeking not just to reduce the cost of their systems, but also to maximise the value provided. Find out how effective system consolidation and intelligent op model design can enable the asset manager of the future.

Ensuring value for money is an essential part of negotiating an outsourcing tariff. But how do you know if you are getting a ‘fair deal’, without going through a lengthy and labour-intensive RFP process?

Service KPIs form the basis of service reporting for most outsourced relationships. A good KPI set must be effective in identifying healthy (or unhealthy) functioning of the service – and this is sometimes trickier than it first appears.

Regulators across the globe expect increasing volumes of complex reporting to regulatory bodies and clients/investors. Find out how to achieve cost efficient compliance with strong governance and control.

There’s a lot in the news about fintech, but looking at the buy-side there’s not much evidence that it’s changing the way we work. Here at Alpha we have put together our ‘must haves’ of a good fintech strategy.

Gone are the days of multi-year waterfall projects, overnight batch processing and on-prem customised installations. The technology stack of the modern firm will be based on cloud, APIs and microservices.

In October 2015, the government announced that its Senior Managers and Certification Regime would be extended to Investment Managers, Insurers and Consumer Credit firms. Alpha’s experts summarise the key considerations of SMCR.

The power of a structured compliance system data model design is often underestimated. Set-up correctly, it can be a source of quality and efficiency for Asset Managers Investment Compliance Monitoring and Coding programme.

The industry is shifting its focus to investing in customer experience via digital transformation, with 85% of surveyed Asset Managers saying that improved client engagement was a key benefit from digital transformation.