In Person
- Scottsdale, AZ
JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa
5402 E Lincoln Drive
Paradise Valley, Arizona, 85253-4118
(480) 948-1700
Event Summary
Agenda at a Glance
Theme: The Adaptive Asset Manager: Competing Through Change
Join fellow executives for a candid discussion on how asset managers are adapting to rapid advances. AI, private markets, evolving market structures, rising technology costs, and margin pressure are reshaping asset management. Leading firms are moving beyond traditional transformation programs and rethinking how they invest, operate, and innovate amid continuous change.
Held under the Chatham House Rule and facilitated by Cindy Castellano, CEO at Cutter Associates, the session is designed to foster open sharing of challenges, lessons learned, and future plans in a confidential setting.
Topics Include:
AI, Data, and the Intelligent Investment Enterprise
How firms are moving from AI experimentation to enterprise adoption, with a focus on trusted data, governance, operational impact, and measurable business value.
The Future of Investment Infrastructure
Exploring the implications of private assets, tokenization, digital assets, T+0 settlement, real-time processing, and evolving product vehicle structures on the future operating model of asset management firms.
Beyond Transformation: Closing the Gaps and Modernizing with Less Risk
Over the last six to eight years, firms have heavily invested in large-scale, front-to-back transformation programs centered on an integrated enterprise platform. Many proved costly, disruptive, and time-consuming, leaving critical capability and integration gaps. This discussion explores the future path for two groups: for firms that completed a major transformation, how to optimize the investment already made, close remaining gaps, and realize the original vision; for those yet to begin, how to modernize without the costs, change, and risks of a full platform overhaul.
Together, these discussions will examine the key strategic and operational decisions technology and operations leaders are making today to remain competitive in the decade ahead.
Register for the full Cutter Connect 2026 event here: Cutter Connect 2026
Who Should Attend
C-suite level executives responsible for operations and technology at asset managers:
- Chief Technology Officers
- Chief Operating Officers
- Chief Information Officers
Speakers
Cindy Castellano, CFA
CEO
Cindy Castellano is the CEO of Cutter Associates and has over 30 years of experience in the investment management industry. She formerly led Cutter Associates’ Client-Facing and Wealth practices, advising asset and wealth management firms on their sales and distribution, marketing, product development, consultant relations, client service, and client reporting. Cindy has conducted system searches for CRM, marketing automation, portals, pitchbooks/client presentation, content management, client reporting, client onboarding, and RFP systems. Prior to joining Cutter, Cindy served as Vice President and Head of Operations for a division of Guggenheim Investments, where she led mutual fund accounting and administration; institutional accounting, billing, and client reporting; SMA operations, performance reporting (GIPS); and fixed income performance, attribution, and risk reporting. As Vice President and Head of Equities, Cindy led the firm’s investment team and supervised equity trading activities.
Cindy also spent 10 years as a Senior Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst, managing over USD 500 million in AUM for mutual funds and VITs using social awareness (ESG), large cap growth, and mid-cap growth investment strategies. She developed the investment process, directed research analysts’ day-to-day efforts, and created the firm’s social criteria and proxy voting guidelines. Cindy, a Chartered Financial Analyst, holds a bachelor’s of business administration from Washburn University.
