APNG Focused Session – eFront

Cole Castelain, a Director at Cutter Associates, has been with the firm since 2018. At Cutter, Cole has been involved with a wide variety of strategy projects including operating model assessments and system search and selections for business capabilities servicing investments, operations, and client servicing. Cole has also completed implementations of OMS and Performance systems with asset managers, insurance companies, and pension funds. Cole began his career at Cutter in our Data management practice assisting with data governance assessments and data framework implementations with a variety of asset managers and owners.

Cole’s experience with fixed income products is robust. Prior to joining Cutter, Cole worked in multiple capacities for Capital Group in support of its fixed income business including as a business analyst on a cross functional team responsible for launching automated optimized fixed income vehicles, implementing systems, and assisting in the development of technology. Cole began his career at Capital Group as trade analyst supporting the fixed income trading team. At Cutter Cole has assisted multiple Fixed income focused asset managers including an active Muni-Bond Manager

An experienced project manager, Cole has ensured the on-time delivery of multiple complex projects. These included two Aladdin implementations, an issue management system, a data governance framework, and an operating model. Cole leverages his familiarity with Agile, Kanban, modern development software, and BI tools to clearly track milestones, execute initiatives, and monitor issues. Cole reports on these metrics utilizing PowerBI to present clear and timely status reports.

David Joyce leads Cutter Associates’ Client Experience, ensuring client satisfaction across all engagement points as the voice of the client within Cutter. A senior technology and operations leader, David brings over 25 years of experience in leading operations, risk, and technology teams to help them devise and implement agile solutions, mitigate risk, increase scale, and build a culture of operational excellence.

Most recently, he served as an independent consultant to asset management, insurance, and fintech firms, providing expertise and guidance in the areas of derivatives, portfolio integration, customer success, project management, regulatory and control environments, and software development and implementation. Prior to consulting, David spent 20 years at American International Group (AIG) in a variety of increasingly senior roles. At AIG, he implemented innovative tactical and strategic solutions for the firm’s global businesses and led over 40 employees in multidisciplinary teams that performed investment and insurance operations, regulatory and control supervision, IT support, and workforce and facilities management.

Kathy McDermott has more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry. Kathy, who joined Cutter Associates in 2011, has authored multiple Cutter Research reports on a wide range of topics. She spent ten years as a consultant for a variety of asset management firms, with a focus on business analysis for front- and middle-office projects. Kathy was previously the senior business analyst, equity trading systems, at Wellington Management, specializing in the firm’s proprietary electronic and basket trading applications. Earlier in her career, Kathy worked for Thomson Financial Services (now Thomson Reuters), supporting FirstCall and PORTIA clients in Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, and Thailand, and later went on to manage PORTIA implementations. She also worked at LongView (now Linedata) as an account manager and then product manager of electronic trading. Kathy earned her bachelor of arts in mathematics from Hamilton College.

Recent research assignments and publications include the following:

• Alternative Data and the Expanding Universe of Investment Information
• Cutter Benchmarking: Data Management
• Cutter Benchmarking: Market Data Administration
• DataOps: In Theory and Practice
• Enabling Data Analytics
• The Evolving Front Office Support Model
• Evolving Data Governance: Building a Data Culture
• Making Snowflake Part of Your Modern Data Platform
• Managed Data Services
• Market Data Administration
• Order Management Systems
• Outsourced Trading: Has the Time Come?
• Reference Data Management Solutions

Tom Phipps has more than 25 years of experience in the investment management industry, with a background in the automation of the investment process, including portfolio management, risk analytics, trading, compliance, performance, operations, investment accounting, data management, and systems integration. He leads Cutter Associates’ Front Office practice, providing deep expertise in front-office vendors and operating models. His consulting experience includes strategic advisory, systems selection, and change management execution engagements for some of the world’s most prominent investment management firms. He also leads the development of Cutter’s Strategy and Search methodologies.

Tom gained his expertise in technology and operations at software vendors and asset management firms, where he held leadership roles in technology management. His prior experience includes Senior Manager at Deloitte Consulting, Chief Technology Officer at PanAgora Asset Management, Chief Technology Officer at Atlas Venture, Vice President of Operations at DSTi North America, and various management roles in technology and professional services at NCS Financial Systems (now SunGard AMS). Tom holds a bachelor’s degree in operations management and management information systems from Florida State University.