Investment Data professionals joined Meradia’s Brian Buzzelli, Mick Cartwright, and Ben Smith in Chicago at the 2024 Investment Data and Analytics Symposium. KEYNOTE SESSION BREAKDOWN Meradia Director, Head of Data Practice Brian Buzzelli, had the honor of introducing a distinguished panel of Chief Data Officers. These industry leaders, Elizabeth Pritchard (Liberty Mutual Investments), Anand Sahasram (Dodge &
Read Full ArticleCompetitive Edge and Business Value Begins With Data Quality
The strategic importance of maintaining high data quality in asset management is pivotal, given the industry’s reliance on precise and timely information for decision-making, regulatory compliance, and client satisfaction. In this article, we explore the crucial role of data quality in various facets of asset management. Getting data quality right enhances operational efficiency, fortifies client
Read Full ArticleThe AI Revolution: Must-Knows for Financial Operations Leaders
The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the financial sector is not merely a trend but a transformational evolution redefining the industry. This paper illustrates strategic business cases within financial operations where AI has not only been implemented but has also generated substantial value. At Meradia, we are convinced that the intersection of human creativity
Read Full ArticleSecrets to Successful Data Transformation Strategies
The financial industry is witnessing a transformational ‘tidal wave’ of change, with vendors exerting a gravitational pull on the front office, providing integrated data and applications while asset servicing providers absorb post-trade, middle, and back-office operations. Generative AI, NLP, and machine learning demonstrate near limitless application and use opportunities. Competition for assets and consistency in
Read Full ArticleData Mesh – Investment Industry Trend or Unicorn?
Recently, we attended a financial data industry event and listened to one company after another share their experiences in their data governance and management journey. That day, we learned that only a few had moved forward with a data mesh save for leaders in the industry. Those leaders shared their implementation stories, and we will share this question with you. What came to our minds at the time was whether Data Mesh was a unicorn in the investment industry. Is the self-service data platform a myth or a reality? With that question in mind, we spoke to several firms at the gathering and interviewed others afterward to learn about the data mesh ‘state of the union’ in the investment industry.
by Andrew Jacob, CFA
Read Full ArticleMaximizing Value In Asset Management: A Closer Look At Insourced Operations
INVESTMENT OPERATIONS IS AN ASSET, NOT A LIABILITY What is the role of investment operations in asset management? Should asset managers insource, outsource, or use managed services? The decision is a difficult one. Discussions around modern target operating models and how to utilize investment operations have highlighted the benefits of outsourcing middle and back-office functions.
Read Full ArticleRevolutionize Investment Operations With AI-Driven Data Catalogs
Are you looking to stand up or revise a data catalog? Is understanding your data one of your company’s goals or principles? Understanding the full scope of your data involves a top-down understanding and a bottom-up inventory. This provides valuable insights into your current state to enable multiple efforts to be launched at your firm, but who has the time? The new methodology developed using AI technology and industry expertise reduced the time and client resources required to inventory data and stand up a catalog to a fraction of the normal amount. In this paper, we share the methodology and tools to help you achieve your firm’s goals both effectively and efficiently.
by Andrew Jacob, CFA, Senior Consultant
Kevin Coffin, CIPM, Zengines, Head of Customer Success
Meradia and State Street: Transforming your operating model with data and technology
Meradia’s Chris Cassara was invited to join Frank Smietana and present his insights at State Street‘s 2023 Consultants Day. During his interview, Chris shared his knowledge and expertise on how data and technology can be leveraged to transform operating models in the financial industry. This is an excellent opportunity for viewers to gain a deeper understanding of the benefits that
Read Full ArticleData-Centric KPIs Enable Effective Management of Investment Performance Operations
Consider the irony… Performance departments exert their time and energy to calculate performance results that inform consumers of the impacts of their decisions on investments. Though Performance executes complex calculations and solves firm-wide data challenges for consumers’ benefit, oftentimes they forget to measure the most important performance of all… their own. This fourth installment of the Performance is Data Series explores exactly how Investment Performance teams can embark on a key performance indicator (KPI) centered approach to measure more than just the performance of others and introspectively assess operations.
by Clay Corcimiglia
Read Full ArticleNatural Allies: Investment Performance and the Data Office
This paper proposes that Investment Performance was (and in many cases, is) the original Data Office where governance issues come to a head. If this logic is true, starting a Data Governance effort with Investment Performance takes advantage of a natural ally already positioned to solve those very problems. This natural alliance may be the most efficient mechanism to understand the strengths and weaknesses of an enterprise’s existing data strategy and potentially advance efforts to resolve them rapidly. Starting with that premise, this paper looks at how a new or revamped data governance program would benefit from either starting at the end of the investment value chain – Investment Performance – or by aligning the Data Office and Investment Performance under the Chief Data Officer (CDO). As many Meradia projects intersect Data and Investment Performance, this paper highlights the synergies and overlap between these functions.
by Laurie Hesketh, CIPM, PMP
Andrew Jacob, CFA