The modern business landscape is experiencing an unprecedented shift fueled by digital transformation, data proliferation, and artificial intelligence (AI). Organizations that fail to evolve risk obsolescence where data-driven decision-making, automation, and advanced analytics define competitive advantage.

At the core of this transformation lies the Next Generation Operating Model (NGOM), a framework that leverages modern data architectures, AI-driven augmentation, and dynamic interoperability to enable greater agility, efficiency, and scalability. The NGOM is not merely about streamlining operations; it is about reshaping the way businesses operate, innovate, and grow.

A modern Target Operating Model in investment management is no longer a “nice to have” but a necessity in an increasingly competitive, data-driven, and highly regulated landscape. Firms cannot cut their way to success in the marketplace as technological innovation and operational efficiency is the source of future outperformance relative to peers. Firms who have been unable to evolve become acquisition targets by firms that have.

The implications are clear: modernizing your operating model isn’t just about efficiency; it’s about surviving in an increasingly competitive landscape. Meradia has brought together some of the best minds in investment operations to identify the eight most impactful trends in 2025 and what these mean, not just today but for the future of our industry.