CutterCast: Data Requirements for the Front Office

Arnie Wachs, Head of Consulting at Cutter Associates, brings extensive business and technical knowledge to the role, with over 30 years of investment management industry experience. Arnie advises clients on their strategic technology direction, data governance practices, trading platforms and practices, portfolio management tools, and operational organization, as well as data management architecture, tools, and practices. He has extensive experience working for investment management firms, financial software vendors, and consulting firms, in roles that included business analyst, developer, system architect, development management, project management, product management, sales, and executive positions. He has a deep understanding of investment management system use and design. He also leads the firm’s Technology and Architecture practice.

Prior to joining Cutter, Arnie worked for ITG, where he led the product management efforts for the development of the next-generation OEMS platform. Prior roles include Head of Equity Systems at BlackRock Solutions, Senior Product Manager at Charles River Development, and Vice President at Fidelity Investments, where he designed and developed the firm’s global trading platforms. Arnie also led efforts at State Street Global Advisors to create an enterprise-wide, cross-asset class security and benchmark master. He holds a Bachelor of Science in physics from Clarkson University.

Michael Reger, Head of Global Investment Data Management, Vanguard

Over the past 15 years, Mike has been leading large-scale change across Vanguard’s front, middle, and back office, such as the delivery of a Global Equity Investment Management platform.

Currently, he is the Head of Global Investment Data Management responsible for the strategic direction of the organization. He is accountable for the end-to-end maturity of the global process that supports the generation and stewardship of investment data for reference, index, and product.

Mike has been with Vanguard for 26 years. He received his BS in Accounting from Drexel University and received his MBA in Finance from St. Joseph’s University.

C.J. Jaskoll, Managing Director, joined Neuberger Berman in 2017 and is currently Head of Investment & Data Technology. C.J. (Chaim) is responsible for developing a technology strategy and implementing the Enterprise Data and Front-Office Platforms across the firm, including Institutional and PWM Equities and Multi-Asset Class Portfolio Management, Trading, Research, ESG, Onboarding, Risk, Legal & Compliance, Enterprise Data Management, Data Analytics, and Data Science Engineering. Prior to joining the firm, C.J. spent 13 years at Jennison Associates, where he was the Director of Front Office Technology. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems, magna cum laude, from The Sy Syms School of Business.

Bertrand is head of the Investment Technology Management Unit, responsible for all Financial Technology, Data, and Financial Technology Operations. His responsibilities include Vendor Management, Systems Integration, Data Management, Business Analysis, Business Continuity, and the Investment Data Strategy.

Prior to joining CalPERS, Bertrand was Managing Director and Global Head of Active Equity and Multi-Asset Portfolio Construction Development for the Quantitative Equity and Multi-Asset businesses at BlackRock.

At present, Bertrand is working on defining and implementing the Investment Data Strategy at CalPERS for the Investment Office, working with Investment professionals and Operations to define how data informs the investment decision making process.

Bertrand has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Philosophy and a Higher Diploma in Computer Science from the University of the Witwatersrand.