DSTi getting serious about platforms with new role

DST International (DSTi) has created a new role to add impetus to its previously flagged push into the platforms administration space in Australia.

DSTi has appointed Rob Gould as business development and strategy, to manage “;increasing opportunities that exist in the area of distribution administration solutions”;. Distribution administration, more widely referred to as platforms, is the next big target market for DSTi, which has dominated funds management backoffice – with HiPortfolio – for many years but has recently moved into retail-focused wealth management too. Ian Mathieson, DSTi chief executive, said the new position sent a clear message to the market that DSTi saw “;significant opportunities”; with distribution administration for the broader category of investment and wealth management. “;We are looking ahead and see a viable retail practice which will keep our development and client services teams occupied for some time to come.”; Apart from platforms, the area involves various wrap products, unit registry and superannuation administration. Gould will also adopt the role of solutions manager for DSTi’s unit registry system, HiTrust, currently developed in Melbourne. DSTi is integrating this with its business process management product, AWD, and looking at increasingly integrating it with HiPortfolio. Gould joins DSTi from Financial Synergy.