Insights

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.

Governments around the world are taking unprecedented emergency peacetime measures as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Whether bullish or bearish, the effect on mergers and acquisitions (M&A) is likely to be profound. Speak to our experts here at Alpha to find out more.

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.