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Many firms struggle with fragmented processes, duplicative efforts, and stalled transformation initiatives. What may seem like agility at the team level often creates hidden risks, rising costs, and significant barriers to scale. Enterprise solutions such as Total Portfolio View (TPV), Investment Book of Record (IBOR), and centralized analytics platforms are designed to unify organizations through
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2026 Trends: The Next Generation Operating Model – AI, Data, and Alpha at Scale
In 2026, the competitive gap in asset management will continue to widen between firms that industrialize data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) on cloud-native, interoperable architectures with embedded governance versus firms entrenched in legacy operating models and endlessly piloting on antiquated infrastructure. AI is THE multiplier: it amplifies strengths in clean, governed data, modular platforms, efficient processes, and exposes weaknesses in operating models, including data silos, manual ‘low value’ work, and unclear data ownership.
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System Conversion for a Global Custodial and Service Provider
Background A Global Service provider began a multi-phase implementation for a Global Investment manager to convert them onto their modern outsourced platform. The initiative aimed to enhance operational efficiency while fully supporting their clients increasingly complex global investment strategies. The Challenge Despite a clear strategic objective, the project quickly fell behind. During the initial rollout
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Breaking Down Barriers: Building a Scalable OTC Derivatives Solution from the Ground Up
Background A service provider had long been known for its “white glove” premium service and seamless onboarding experience. But when a recent acquisition introduced new front-to-back capabilities, including modern OMS and IBOR, things began to unravel. The firm had promised clients advanced OTC derivatives functionality, but under the hood, their infrastructure told a different story.
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Turning Reconciliation Into a Competitive Advantage
For years, reconciliation has been seen as a control function and a cost. It kept the books aligned but was rarely considered a potential competitive advantage among their peers. That mindset is exactly why many firms now find themselves burdened by outdated tools, fragmented processes, and unreliable data. Reconciliation failures now have front-office consequences. The
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From Bricks to Bytes: A Modern Blueprint for Data Architecture Inspired by Urban Design
The most powerful ideas often come from unexpected conversations. I had a philosophical dialogue with my partner, an urban designer from Harvard. We discussed how cities are planned not just for the present, but for decades ahead. It struck me: data architecture faces the same challenge. Just as an urban designer balances growth, mobility, and
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How Investment Performance Teams Drive Revenue Growth and Retention
Reframe Performance as a Growth Engine, Not a Cost Center There is a flaw in the assumption that the investment performance department is a cost center. Revising this assumption clarifies why firms are funding performance transformation projects. Reframed as a core product interface and growth enabler, performance improves client experience, creates a strategic feedback loop,
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Transformation Tapes, Episode 3: Derivatives
Manual steps, errors, and costly trade failures often plague derivatives operations. AI can help firms transition from firefights to foresights by reducing downtime, accelerating reconciliations, and freeing teams to focus on meaningful work. David Raza discusses this topic in his recent article, From Friction to Flow: Rethinking Derivatives Operations with AI. Listen to the highlights
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Same Fund, Different Returns: Explaining the IRR Gap
“Why did my investment underperform the fund?” It’s an uncomfortable question, and one that private fund managers are hearing more often. As investor-level performance reporting becomes more common alongside traditional fund-level Internal Rate of Return (IRRs), a growing truth has come into focus: the same fund can deliver materially different outcomes to different investors. Increasing
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Sticky by Nature: Why Canadian Asset Owners Struggle to Achieve Total Portfolio View
For Canadian pension plans and institutional investors, Total Portfolio View (TPV) refers to a synchronized, near real-time understanding of public and private holdings and exposures across the enterprise. It’s the cornerstone of investment clarity, empowering decisions, strengthening oversight, and unifying front-to-back investment processes. Yet for Canadian asset owners, achieving TPV isn’t just complex; it’s sticky.
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