Each organisation is different, in terms of the business they run, the infrastructure that they use and the challenges they face – there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to solving complexity. And our rich experience in solving different challenges inside capital markets firms makes us well positioned to help you succeed.

Combining technology and business process into an enterprise wide solution, we provide an integrated solution – not either or – to your challenge. Our experience across diverse organisations, geographies and jurisdictions means we know the ‘how’ is as important as the ‘what’ when delivering transformation and we are accomplished in taking your stakeholders along this journey.

Post-trade infrastructure is complex and highly bespoke, as a by-product of business model evolution and institutional history – it’s “too big to fix” in one step.

• Traditional transformation strategies underestimate this complexity, attempting standardised platform solutions to ‘rip-and-replace’ infrastructure in its entirety
• Wholesale digitalisation as a solution becomes challenging, with in-house legacy technology needing to be blended with cutting edge vendor solutions
• Programmes typically end in failure or significant cost-overrun, due to mismatch of solution approach with strategic objective
• We believe that transformation has to be a staged, multi-phased approach, based on key principles:

– Pragmatic: each step must be achievable by all stakeholders

– Integrated: IT and Business processes have to be integrated into a single solution

– Results-Based: tangible programme outcomes to be delivered in each phase

– Sympathetic: recognises competing interests from different stakeholders

Our experience combines extensive transformation experience across IT and business, enabling us to provide enterprise wide leadership to support your journey.

• Combined expertise across capital markets industry covers global roles within diverse range of institutions – we understand the uniqueness of institutional infrastructure
• MD level experience across a variety of leadership roles – we have sponsored, led and executed on transformation across geographies, asset classes and jurisdictions
• Delivered successful outcomes against a rapidly changing external environment – we are adept at managing C-suite stakeholders and regulators through this journey
• Well positioned to balance commercial objectives with institutional concerns – we understand that cost benefits have to be balanced with risk and compliance obligations, it is never ‘either-or’
• Experienced firsthand the upside and downside of transformational change – we know what success needs to look like to harness innovative technology or third party solutions

 

We leverage the expertise developed out of delivering complex and time-bound transformation during multiple internal engagements within capital markets firms.

• We apply these skills in a practical and pragmatic way – our journey focuses on delivering renovation not revolution
• Combining IT and business process transformation together ensures stakeholder alignment with the technology solution. Our approach blends both together to deliver enterprise-wide
• Committed outcomes are tied to our engagements – we phase our deliverables to provide clear checkpoints throughout our work that maps to our commercial structure
• We have a deep network but are vendor agnostic – no ‘strategic partnerships’ or reselling obligations – ensuring our independence over your solution
• Our model is expertise and skills based – who you see, is who you get and who you pay for !
• Ultimately, our positioning is simple – we are here to solve your problems, not sell you people

The core of our value proposition is simple and straightforward – content based skills that have been developed through senior leadership roles inside capital markets organisations. Our competencies and capabilities have been tested and battle-hardened across a wide range of internal engagements – be they platform transformations, merger and acquisition integration, regulatory compliance or business model evolution.

Having both sponsored and led large-scale, enterprise wide engagements we understand how to get the key things right – matching cost to the required outcome, execution being as important as the implementation itself and how to bring all of your stakeholders (internal and external) with you on your journey. All of this is packaged into our methodologies and approaches which will help bring you the right result, in the right way.

• Held MD level positions running operations, middle office and change management within global financial institutions
• Experienced first-hand the challenges driven by increasing regulation, cost pressure and legacy IT architecture
• Operated within FCA regulated roles experiencing first hand the governance and oversight requirements relating to infrastructure change
• Extensive experience with utility offerings, managed service strategies and blending new innovation into legacy architecture

Contact Ascendant Strategy for a different transformation experience, one which is tailored to your challenges to deliver the right outcome.