Expertise: Performance, Risk & Analytics

Natural 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

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Solving for Scale: Transforming Investment Operations to Meet Rapid Growth

Meradia’s brand new research paper, “Solving for Scale: Transforming Investment Operations to Meet Rapid Growth,” is now available!

Leveraging insights from a national survey of asset managers about the impact of growth on their firms’ operations, the whitepaper explores:
• How today’s asset management firms are balancing growth and profitability
• Why most traditional avenues for business expansion result in sub-optimal operations
• How achieving efficiency at scale becomes possible through a proven operational framework

by Jonathan Boersma, CFA
Jose Michaelraj, CIPM, CAIA

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Investment Performance Is a Data Management Challenge

Investment Performance transformation projects are notoriously difficult. Why? Investment Performance is, at its core, an enterprise data function in disguise. Its role in enterprise data management is so prevalent that the maturity with which a firm’s Investment Performance function manages this data functions is typically a bellwether for the operational efficiency of the firm generally. Performance and analytics, done well, consume an astounding array of internal, external sources and often a combination of the two. In addition, you’ll be hard pressed to find any department in the firm that doesn’t want to consume its outputs and scrutinize its conclusions. Investment Performance transformations are difficult because they necessarily require evolution for the firm’s enterprise data assets and can impact nearly every department.

by Laurie Hesketh, CIPM, PMP

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A Business Case for Fractional Performance Oversight

The mix of skills required to oversee investment performance includes regulatory compliance, complex mathematical models coupled with data management, and a variety of technologies. Fractional Performance Oversight is the concept of key elements of oversight and leadership being supported by partial allocated resources or fractional outsourcing. In what situations does Fractional Performance Oversight make sense? Jonathan Boersma and Alicia Spencer consider some scenarios which may warrant a different paradigm.

by Jonathan A. Boersma, CFA, Practice Lead, GIPS and Performance Regulation
Alicia Spencer, CIPM, Senior Manager

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Key Operational Considerations for Crypto Investment Managers

As demand for crypto offerings intensifies, asset managers entering this market are facing new operational challenges that are unique to this emerging asset class. This article highlights regulatory, valuation, performance, and safekeeping aspects of traditional managers’ operations that require a special approach when it comes to digital currencies.

by Natasha Romanova, CIPM, Consultant

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Core Principles To Abide By for Effective Outsourcing

What processes are poised for outsourcing, and what areas should be kept in-house? These are the first questions investment managers should ask before delegating specific business processes to external providers. Outsourcing is complex, but abiding by these three principles will ensure your firm’s decision supports enhanced business operations well into the future.

by Benjamin P. Smith, Client Partner…

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Blinded by Pageantry: the Perils of Neglecting Performance Data Readiness

Once the decision to replace an investment performance system has been made, most firms kick off the effort by mobilizing a formidable complement of resources, all charged with a single objective: selecting the vendor(s) who will make it so. Sponsors, steering committees, stakeholders, managers, experts and analysts are convened. RFPs listing thousands of criteria, elaborate scoring schemes, long lists and short lists are constructed. Initial and targeted demos, proof-of-concept, final selection, management approvals and contract negotiations are conducted. Boxes are ticked. This elaborate pageant commands vast amounts of both internal resources and calendar time — once the winner has finally been announced, a festive celebration is held, and backs are patted all around.

by Mark R. David, CFA…

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The Wave of Mandatory ESG Financial Disclosures Has Begun. When Will the Wave Hit the U.S.?

Over the past two years, the world has seen Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) disclosure requirements grow at a rapid pace, and the first sets of ESG financial disclosures go into effect. Now, a trend of mandatory ESG financial disclosures has begun. From required stress tests in Q1 2022 mandated by the European Central Bank to New Zealand’s new law enshrining a global climate-related disclosure framework, 2022 will go down in history as a period of change. Here, we help investment managers understand mandated requirements and what U.S.-based companies can expect in 2022.

by Andrew R. Jacob, CFA, Consultant…

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