CutterCast: Optimizing the Client Reporting Function

Philip (Phil) Orlando is a Consultant at Cutter Associates and brings over eleven years of consulting, organizational strategy, client service, operations, accounting, and IT experience to Cutter clients. Phil has been involved with multiple Front, Middle, and Back Office strategy engagements covering accounting systems, portfolio management and trading, pre and post-trade compliance, risk management, and data management and governance. Phil also has extensive experience with client and sales management (e.g. client reporting, CRM).

Prior to joining Cutter Associates, Phil was an Organizational Strategy Business Analyst at State Street Bank where he worked on several large-scale projects including the implementation of an enterprise workflow tool and a new inquiry management system. He also guided a program purposed to transition complex cash, reconciliation, and trade tasks from the business units to centers of excellence (COEs).

Previously, Phil was an ETF Client Operations Account Manager at State Street Bank. He launched new ETFs & on-boarded new clients, managed relationships with several ETF sponsors, and crafted specifications for IT resources to continuously improve the accuracy, reliability, and efficiency of ETF processes.

Phil holds a B.S. in Finance from Stonehill College and is also a CFA charterholder.

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. 

Mary Storrs has more than 35 years of experience in the investment management industry. She has been with Cutter Associates for more than 20 years, first as a consultant focusing on front-office projects and then with Cutter Research since its inception. Mary has authored Cutter Research reports on many topics, including trading, portfolio management, transaction cost analysis, investment research management, and market data systems. She led the Research and Benchmarking division for eight years, overseeing all content development and helping members understand their capabilities compared with industry peers and best practices. Since 2019 she has been responsible for spearheading firm-wide management and delivery programs. Mary holds a BS from Boston College and an MBA from Babson College.

Andy Ziegler has more than 15 years of experience in the investment management industry. Andy has consulted to investment firms to help them formulate effective technology strategies, deploy new business models, and optimize their marketing, client service, client reporting, data management, and sales & distribution practices. He has also helped clients to develop pricing and client segmentation models with attention to budgets, schedules, quality, and business specifications.

Prior to joining Cutter, Andy was the Head of Relationship Management and Business Development for Xinn, a technology company specializing in automated client reports, pitchbooks, fact sheets, and collateral. Andy spent more than 12 years leading projects to drive business efficiency and effectiveness at financial services firms including Fidelity Investments and Wellington Management.

Andy holds a B.S. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and an M.B.A. from Northeastern University in Boston.