Superpartners’ head of project delivery left last month – in the middle of running the largest superannuation system replacement project in Australian history. A Superpartners spokesperson said that Jane Collyer, an eight-year veteran of the firm who ran the massive project to integrate administration for the AustralianSuper merger, had left for personal reasons. Collyer confirmed she had quit to look after her ailing father, but that she had left Superpartners “on great terms” and remained available to take any questions over the phone.
Discrete service aids hedge transparency and control
Earlier this year, Man Investments, the world’s largest hedge funds of funds manager, based in Switzerland, announced that it was migrating to a separately managed account platform (SMAP) for clients in order to give them more transparency and control. Others are expected to follow. Providing an SMAP for a client, even a big one, is not an easy thing for a hedge fund management firm to do. Most hedge fund managers are boutique operators, with outsourced administration. It is difficult enough for a boutique to provide separately managed accounts in the long-only space.
Discrete service aids hedge transparency and control
Earlier this year, Man Investments, the world’s largest hedge funds of funds manager, based in Switzerland, announced that it was migrating to a separately managed account platform (SMAP) for clients in order to give them more transparency and control. Others are expected to follow. Providing an SMAP for a client, even a big one, is not an easy thing for a hedge fund management firm to do. Most hedge fund managers are boutique operators, with outsourced administration. It is difficult enough for a boutique to provide separately managed accounts in the long-only space.
Going beyond DB vs DC for the ultimate pension
The turbulence in markets has been a catalyst for some navel gazing in the global pension market, which has the two-fold effect of re-examining pension design and the institutional elements that need to be in place to deliver cost efficiency, according to Keith Ambachtsheer, director of the Rotman International Centre for Pension Management (ICPM). “I hope that what comes out of this cycle of market turbulence is that the defined contribution versus defined benefit debate diminishes into a discussion of what the best system should look like,” he says.
Going beyond DB vs DC for the ultimate pension
The turbulence in markets has been a catalyst for some navel gazing in the global pension market, which has the two-fold effect of re-examining pension design and the institutional elements that need to be in place to deliver cost efficiency, according to Keith Ambachtsheer, director of the Rotman International Centre for Pension Management (ICPM). “I hope that what comes out of this cycle of market turbulence is that the defined contribution versus defined benefit debate diminishes into a discussion of what the best system should look like,” he says.
ACSA to turn unit registry utility talk into action
The creation of an industry utility for unit registry in Australia has been the subject of informal discussion among competitors in the fund administration business, which Bryan Gray hopes can soon be formalised through the Australian Custodial Services Association (ACSA) that he chairs. All of Australia’s major custodians run a unit registry service, but Gray suspects that no-one is providing the core registry function – record-keeping and the processing of fund applications and redemptions – because they consider it a point of a difference or a money-maker in its own right.
ACSA to turn unit registry utility talk into action
The creation of an industry utility for unit registry in Australia has been the subject of informal discussion among competitors in the fund administration business, which Bryan Gray hopes can soon be formalised through the Australian Custodial Services Association (ACSA) that he chairs. All of Australia’s major custodians run a unit registry service, but Gray suspects that no-one is providing the core registry function – record-keeping and the processing of fund applications and redemptions – because they consider it a point of a difference or a money-maker in its own right.
Alpha under threat if organisational risk ignored
Risk assessment is a big part of any investment process and the risk/return tradeoff is one of the most talked about ratios in the investment industry. But while investment risk is well documented, organisational risk has been largely ignored in the pension industry as funds have grown in size and developed in bureaucratic complexity. According to chief executive of ReGroup, Ann Oglanian, the pension industry has been particularly good at investment risk assessment but neglected wider risk management.
Alpha under threat if organisational risk ignored
Risk assessment is a big part of any investment process and the risk/return tradeoff is one of the most talked about ratios in the investment industry. But while investment risk is well documented, organisational risk has been largely ignored in the pension industry as funds have grown in size and developed in bureaucratic complexity. According to chief executive of ReGroup, Ann Oglanian, the pension industry has been particularly good at investment risk assessment but neglected wider risk management.
Bid to make CRM affordable to funds
Synchronised Software has developedan “out of the box” data warehouse which it claims will make customer relationship management more affordablefor superannuation providers,particularly those with multiple legacy systems.To be known as Capital Analysisand Reporting Services (CARS) whenit’s launched as a standalone productin September, the data warehouse emerged out of SyncSoft’s development work for CapitalX, the upgrade to itsCapital platform for which Superpartnersis set to become the first client.
Bid to make CRM affordable to funds
Synchronised Software has developedan “out of the box” data warehouse which it claims will make customer relationship management more affordablefor superannuation providers,particularly those with multiple legacy systems.To be known as Capital Analysisand Reporting Services (CARS) whenit’s launched as a standalone productin September, the data warehouse emerged out of SyncSoft’s development work for CapitalX, the upgrade to itsCapital platform for which Superpartnersis set to become the first client.
BNP Paribas did its own thing…and now so will Citi
Citi is making a renewed bid for fund administration business in Australia, off the back of localising its Multifonds accounting platform as part of a worldwide middle-office deal with Dimensional Fund Advisors, and the relaxing of competitive tensions which occurred when BNP Paribas Securities Services Australia (another fund administrator) stopped using Citi’s global custody network in preference for its parent’s own. Citi decided it was more efficient to make Multifonds compliant with local regulations, such as the 12-month CGT concession, rather than “purchase a DST or a Simcorp”, according to Citi’s head of securities and fund services, Martin Carpenter.
