CutterCast: Changing Operating Models in the Front Office - Post-Merger Harmonization

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.

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.

Jay Boyd is an Asset Management subject matter expert with a focus on front- through back-office functions. He is currently with Nuveen overseeing a large Middle Office Transformation program.

Prior to joining Nuveen, he spent three years as an independent consultant working at several asset management firms advising them on post-acquisition integration efforts and large-scale transformations. He also spent 21 years at Invesco where he was responsible for many of Invesco’s largest strategic initiatives. Prior to moving into leading strategic initiatives, Jay ran Invesco’s Global Fixed Income Technology Team which covered all Fixed Income Asset Classes and focused on Trading, Portfolio Management and Alpha Generation/Research platforms.

Gwen Cooney is a Managing Director, Senior Operations and Business Manager at Nuveen where she is responsible for facilitating change management and optimizing business processes to enable Nuveen’s investment teams to deliver specialized investment capabilities and innovative solutions to clients.

Gwen joined the firm in 2010. In her current role, Gwen manages a team that is responsible for supporting Nuveen’s Equities and Fixed Income investment business across all asset classes. Her team serves as a key point for investment management to drive strategic change initiatives and projects that deliver new business capabilities and enhance investment-related processes. Gwen is particularly passionate about finding innovative solutions to complex problems and delivering best-in-class operational process and technology solutions for Nuveen’s investment teams. Her team operates as the primary liaison with Nuveen’s Technology and Operations organization to prioritize and drive execution of front office integrations and enhancements.

In previous roles at Nuveen, Gwen led initiatives to establish a Retail Taxable Fixed Income (TFI) Separately Managed Accounts business and transition specialty affiliate investment strategies and portfolio management teams to Nuveen Asset Management. She was also as an Assistant Vice President, Senior Compliance Analyst, specializing in investment adviser compliance matters, where she was responsible for the design and implementation of Nuveen’s OFAC Policy and Training program for three of the firm’s registered investment advisers. Prior to joining Nuveen, Gwen served as a Second Vice at The Northern Trust Company where she steered the development of board governance, disclosure and group practice policies and procedures to build out the regulatory administration division within Northern’s fund administration business.

Gwen earned her B.A., Magna Cum Laude from Loyola University Chicago, and M.M. from Roosevelt University.