In this Issue

• Market update –Accelerating Settlements in the UK
• Regulatory Update – Australia’s evolving capital markets and AUSTRAC’s reporting entities forum
• Members Update –ACSA Member Development Program, ACSA Thought Leadership Program and Elevating Women’s Voices Program
• Global Perspective – Trends affecting global payments
• Upcoming Events
• Industry Insights
• Member Profile – Calastone
  

Introduction

Welcome to the April 2025 edition of the ACSA Industry Wrap. In this edition we update you on the changes to UK settlements and the evolution of capital markets in Australia.
This issue also shares some interesting global content on trends in global payments and AUSTRAC forums on reporting entities, plus details of our ACSA’s member development and thought leadership programs.

This month our member profile is Calastone.

Market Update

Accelerated Settlement in the UK

How ready is the global finance community for a transition to T+1 settlements in the UK?
Led by the UK Accelerated Settlement Taskforce, with the support of Euroclear, DTCC and an extensive range of industry associations around the world, this latest ValueExchange pulse survey provides fresh, statistical insights on where and how the journey towards T+1 in the UK is progressing.
These key findings are based on the results of our pulse check conducted in February 2025, drawing on insights from over 557 financial services professionals around the world. The survey results are full of useful insights.

To find out more follow the link here.

Join the discussion.

If you’re interested in joining in ACSA’s discussions and response to market initiatives and industry consultations, please connect to us at admin@acsa.com.au.

Regulatory Update

Australia’s evolving capital markets

ASIC recently announced its preliminary views on the opportunities and risks emerging from shifts in public and private capital markets and called for feedback and debate on key questions as part of a discussion paper launched today.

The paper, Australia’s evolving capital markets: A discussion paper on the dynamics between public and private markets opens a discussion on ASIC’s regulatory approach and seeks actionable ideas for it to consider to enhance the operation of Australia’s capital markets.

The paper explores the changing dynamics in capital markets, in Australia and abroad, including declining listings on public markets, the rapid growth in investment capital allocated to private markets and the influence of superannuation funds on markets.

 
In May and June, AUSTRAC will host the virtual AUSTRAC Reporting Entity Forum. The AUSTRAC Reporting Entity Forum is a series of webinars where your members can hear directly from AUSTRAC about a number of important regulatory topics.

At the AUSTRAC Reporting Entity Forum, reporting entities will hear about:

• findings from our supervision teams, including any AML/CTF compliance issues we’ve identified in your sector
• findings from the 2024 Compliance
• Report key changes for reporting entities ahead of reforms to Australia’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) regime
  

Register now to attend an AUSTRAC Reporting Entity Forum webinar

You can access more details on the discussion paper here.
Find out more here.

Join the discussion.                      

If you’re interested in joining in ACSA’s discussions and response to market initiatives and industry consultations, please connect to us at admin@acsa.com.au.

Members Update

ACSA Member Development Program

ACSA’s Member Development Program continues on May 16 with a focus on meeting preparation. One of the greatest fears people have is that they’ll bore others. But if your meeting centres around and answers the meeting invitees’ greatest questions, they can’t help but listen to you. This webinar will help you prepare properly, know exactly who you’re meeting with, what their problems are and what’s most important to them. By answering their most pressing questions and solving their biggest problems, they will not only trust you and respect you but will also want more of you.

The program continues in June and the theme will centre around concise communication, equipping you with techniques to convey your message clearly and effectively. Finally, in July we will focus on setting up successful meetings, providing strategies to engage stakeholders and keep discussions on track.

You can join the May session here.

ACSA Thought Leadership Program

The ACSA Thought Leadership Program has the following exciting events. You can access all the events at the ACSA events page.

23 May 2025
“2025 Fiscal Finale – ACSA Pre year-end tax update”
This update provides important information from industry tax leaders on regulatory change, emerging trends and potential implications for ACSA members and their clients. With the ever-evolving landscape of tax laws and regulations, staying informed is paramount to ensure compliance and strategic tax planning.

30 May 2025
"Navigating the Future: Global and Local Post-Trade and Securities Processing Trends”
Hear insights from DTCC on the evolving landscape of post-trade processes and securities handling. The session will provide valuable insights into emerging trends and their impact on market efficiency and operational risk reduction.

20 June 2025
“PwC Global Wealth and Asset Manager Survey”
PwC shares feedback from their Asset and Wealth Management Survey of asset managers and institutional investors will showcase how disruptive technologies are reshaping investor expectations, expanding the frontiers of innovation, and unlocking new, untapped markets.

18 July 2025
“CPS230 -Where to now”
A panel discussion on APRA CPS230 Operational Risk Management Prudential Standard covering the current regulatory requirements, including risk management frameworks, contingency planning, international experiences, and the necessity for continuous audits and assessments.
If you have any suggestions for topics please email admins@acsa.com.au .


2025 Elevating Women’s Voices Program – Underway

It was great to see so many ACSA members sponsoring the Elevating Women’s Voices Program in 2025 and a growing cohort of participants and mentors.

The Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA), 100 Women in Finance (100WF), CFA and Australian Custodial Services Association (ACSA), recently launched the Elevating Women’s Voices Program for 2025 and look forward to the contribution of the participants to the industry on the successful completion of the program.

The program closing event in late June. If you’re interested in attending the closing event follow the links below.

TO REGISTER CLICK HERE FOR MELBOURNE JUNE 25th 5pm

To REGISTER CLICK HERE FOR SYDNEY JUNE 26th 5pm

If you’re interested in finding out more, please connect with ACSA here.

Join the discussion. 

If you’re interested in joining in ACSA’s member engagement initiatives and industry consultation, please connect to us at admin@acsa.com.au.

Global Perspective

Trends shaping global payments

The global payments landscape is like a puzzle. Lots of different pieces that, when connected in the right way, add up to something much greater than the sum of its parts. Looking at four major trends influencing global payments today, it’s clear that this puzzle is only getting bigger. Putting the pieces together will be crucial for financial institutions, businesses, and consumers alike to thrive.

SWIFT recently outlined the four trends are shaping the payments landscape. Accelerating innovation; rising customer and regulatory expectations; new players and networks; and changing trade and economic relationships.

Read more about SWIFT’s perspective here.

Member Profile – Calastone

Calastone is the largest global funds network, connecting the world’s leading financial organisations.
Our mission is to reduce complexity, risk and costs, enabling the industry to deliver greater value to investors. 4,500 clients in 56 countries and territories benefit from Calastone’s services, processing over £250 billion of investment value each month.

Marsha Lee is the Managing Director, Head of Calastone Australia and New Zealand and is responsible for nurturing a strong and collaborative client relationship in the region. This is in addition to growing our footprint in AUNZ and driving into new segments of the market.

With more than 20 years of experience in the securities and managed funds industry, Marsha has a broad understanding of various segments of the Australian market. Prior to Calastone, Marsha held a range of roles in custody securities and funds settlements and relationship management with current focus in Fintech.

Calastone joined ACSA as an Associate member, what are the benefits of being a member?

Calastone has been a member of ACSA as an Associate member since 2017, gaining access to a network of industry professionals, resources, and opportunities to influence industry standards and practices.
ACSA provides a platform for market participants to come together to solve challenges existing in the environment we are operating in. The variety of working groups that we are actively involved in provides an opportunity to focus on certain aspects of the industry where we can add value through insights and collaboration.

Tell us about your business’s involvement in asset servicing / financial services? What is your primary focus?

At Calastone, we’ve made it our mission to reduce complexity, risk, and cost, enabling the industry to deliver greater value to the investor.

As the largest global funds network, our primary focus is on transforming how the investment industry operates, removing friction from core processes and enabling seamless, automated connectivity between all participants in the fund ecosystem.

Through our network, we help asset managers, platforms, and service providers improve operational efficiency, scale more easily, and gain real-time visibility into transaction flows, all without the need to overhaul existing infrastructure.

We support a broad range of asset types, including mutual funds, ETFs, and money markets, and continue to evolve our services to meet the needs of a rapidly changing market environment. This allows our clients to focus on strategic decision-making, ultimately enhancing their service delivery and client satisfaction.


What industry challenges do you help to solve?

Calastone tackles key challenges in the funds industry, such as lack of connectivity, slow processes, risk, integration, and manual errors. By automating these processes, we enhance connectivity, boost efficiency, and reduce costs, complexity, and risk.

We continuously innovate to streamline the global investments marketplace, including mutual funds, ETFs, and money markets. Our vision is a seamless, fully automated, globally connected, and frictionless marketplace. We empower all market participants to evolve their business models, enabling them to scale and innovate effectively.


What excites you about the future of the asset serving/custody industry?

What excites us about the future of the asset servicing and custody industry is the transformative potential of digitalisation and automation. We envision a future where the asset management industry is fully automated, globally interconnected, and free of friction, empowering all market participants to innovate and scale. This vision excites us because it represents a significant advancement in industry operations, ultimately delivering greater value to investors and fostering a more dynamic and efficient marketplace.

Most recently, we have sought new ways to leverage our technology to enhance fund distribution and reach emerging investor segments. This has led to the launch of Calastone Tokenised Distribution, a groundbreaking solution that allows asset managers to tokenise any fund operating on our network and distribute it seamlessly across blockchain-based channels. The service integrates effortlessly with existing processes and service provider relationships, enabling funds to be accessed by digital-native investors without any operational disruption. Through smart contract-powered tokens and blockchain-native infrastructure, asset managers can dramatically expand their reach, reduce costs, and future-proof their distribution strategy in an increasingly digital investment landscape.