Can you tell us about the work you currently do with ACSA? I am actively involved in the Regulatory Affairs Working Group and chair the Data
Task Force. The Data Task Force supports and collaborates with other ACSA
Working Groups on topics with a data element. The current major focus areas, in
co-operation with the Regulatory Working Group, are Portfolio Holdings Disclosure (PHD) and APRA Superannuation Data Transformation (SDT). How important is data in asset servicing/financial services, what are the
emerging trends and themes? Data is at the core of how we do business, it drives transformation and creates
value. The demand for more granular and richer data does not only come from the
regulators but also from our clients.
With the evolving regulation, asset managers and asset owners spend increasing
time and efforts to be compliant. The regulators rolled out multiple regulations and
consultations in recent years and most of them involve data covering: - Transparency and comparability – APRA just released a consultation paper on
publication and confidentiality of data collected under SDT, it is expected to
improve the transparency of the industry
- Consistency – ASIC’s approach towards PHD is to align with APRA definitions
which is a great outcome
- Granularity – APRA requires greater data granularity across its reporting
standards, consultations the second and third phases of SDT are yet to be
commence
- Governance – ATO placed increasing focus on governance over third party
data including those provided by Custodians
The other emerging theme is data integration which is also a key challenge in the
asset servicing industry. There are large amounts of data which are shared across
and reside in the asset servicing value chain. It is important to be able to access
the data in an efficient, integrated and timely manner. We need quality data in the
right place at the right time. Tell us about your career in financial services?
I have always enjoyed working with numbers. My first job after university was
Credit Analyst at an investment management firm which satisfied my passion
about numbers. It involved analysing and interpreting data to assess the loan
applications, identify and manage risks.
After that, I was offered an opportunity at J.P. Morgan Financial Reporting team.
In 2014, I was offered a one-year secondment to work in projects, representing
Operations and working closely with Technology and Product Development teams.
With my love of learning and collaboration, I did not return to BAU but took up a
product owner role and spent over 6 years in projects. It provided me great
exposure to the custodian ecosystem and data flow, gave me opportunity to bridge
the gap between technology and business. I was then fortunate to be offered a
product manager role in 2018, responsible for some of the products that I
developed while in projects and I started managing ETF services last year. My
experience from operations and projects are key foundations to my current role. Why should people get involved in ACSA? Being involved in ACSA allows you to meet new people and work with like-minded
professionals. There is an old saying that “The whole is greater than the sum of its
parts”. ACSA provides a great opportunity for industry peers to collaborate,
contribute and access the latest updates and developments. It is especially
rewarding that you help to shape the industry and advocate for the industry, your
clients and your organisations. Stay connected and get involved! | 
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