Sydney Cutter Connect 2025
In Person
- Sydney, Australia
Amora Hotel Jamison Sydney
11 Jamison Street
Sydney, NSW 2000
T: +61 2 9696 2500
Event Summary
Join your fellow members at Sydney Cutter Connect 2025 to discover the latest research content and analysis that dares to predict––providing you with insights, knowledge, and tools to stay ahead of industry changes and trends. Sessions will feature research presentations, roundtable discussions, panel discussions, and thought leadership. There will also be networking opportunities, including welcome and closing receptions. You won’t want to miss this!
Who Should Attend
Our exclusive members-only event connects industry leaders from the global asset management and asset owner communities. This event is specially designed for operations and technology professionals.
- Chief Technology Officers
- Chief Operating Officers
- Chief Information Officers
- Chief Data Officers
- Investment Operations and Technology Managers
- Portfolio management, trading, operations, compliance, and technical staff involved throughout the lifecycle of a trade
Agenda
| Time | Sessions |
|---|---|
| 4:00pm |
Registration & Welcome Cocktail Reception: Connect With Your Peers
4:00pm-6:00pm GMT+11 Registration & Welcome Cocktail Reception: Connect With Your PeersTuesday, Oct 14, 2025 · 4:00pm-6:00pm GMT+11 |
| Time | Sessions |
|---|---|
| 8:45am |
Registration & Breakfast: Connect With Your Peers and Exhibitors
8:45am-9:15am GMT+11 Registration & Breakfast: Connect With Your Peers and ExhibitorsWednesday, Oct 15, 2025 · 8:45am-9:15am GMT+11 |
| 9:15am |
Opening Remarks
9:15am-9:25am GMT+11 Opening RemarksWednesday, Oct 15, 2025 · 9:15am-9:25am GMT+11Speaker
Cutter
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| 9:25am |
The Changing Role and Structure of IT Organizations
9:25am-10:00am GMT+11 The Changing Role and Structure of IT OrganizationsWednesday, Oct 15, 2025 · 9:25am-10:00am GMT+11In this session, we discuss the impact of new technologies and self-service capabilities on the role and structure of IT organizations. Speaker
Cutter
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| 10:00am |
Investment Data Platforms: Overview
10:00am-10:30am GMT+11 Investment Data Platforms: OverviewWednesday, Oct 15, 2025 · 10:00am-10:30am GMT+11In this session, we discuss the drivers behind firms’ efforts to modernize their data platforms and the benefits of using vended investment data platforms. We also review different vended offerings, their capabilities, and how each solution addresses various pieces of a modern data platform. Speakers
Cutter
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Guest
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| 10:30am |
Networking Break, Exhibit Hall Open
10:30am-11:00am GMT+11 Networking Break, Exhibit Hall OpenWednesday, Oct 15, 2025 · 10:30am-11:00am GMT+11 |
| 11:00am |
Investment Data Platforms: Solutions
11:00am-11:30am GMT+11 Investment Data Platforms: SolutionsWednesday, Oct 15, 2025 · 11:00am-11:30am GMT+11In this session, we review different vended offerings, their capabilities, and how each solution addresses various pieces of a modern data platform. Speaker
Cutter
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| 11:30am |
Trends and Themes Shaping Investment Management Platforms
11:30am-11:45am GMT+11 Trends and Themes Shaping Investment Management PlatformsWednesday, Oct 15, 2025 · 11:30am-11:45am GMT+11In this research presentation, we explore the challenges faced by members and industry trends in adopting modern technology to support the investment lifecycle. Speaker
Cutter
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| 11:45am |
Consulting Perspectives: Optimising Platforms Within the Investment Ecosystem
11:45am-12:15pm GMT+11 Consulting Perspectives: Optimising Platforms Within the Investment EcosystemWednesday, Oct 15, 2025 · 11:45am-12:15pm GMT+11In this fireside chat with Chanelle Crabtree, we explore the critical areas of focus and key considerations that firms should prioritize when defining their strategic direction for investment management technology. Speakers
Cutter
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| 12:15pm |
Lunch: Connect With Other Members and Exhibitors Over Lunch
12:15pm-1:15pm GMT+11 Lunch: Connect With Other Members and Exhibitors Over LunchWednesday, Oct 15, 2025 · 12:15pm-1:15pm GMT+11 |
| 1:15pm |
Vendor Panel: Innovations and Trends, CWAN, FactSet and FIS
1:15pm-2:00pm GMT+11 Vendor Panel: Innovations and Trends, CWAN, FactSet and FISWednesday, Oct 15, 2025 · 1:15pm-2:00pm GMT+11In this panel discussion, leading solution providers share insights on innovation and trends in the investment management industry. Speakers
Cutter
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Guests
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| 2:00pm |
Supporting A Total Portfolio Lens and Adopting A Total Portfolio Approach
2:00pm-2:45pm GMT+11 Supporting A Total Portfolio Lens and Adopting A Total Portfolio ApproachWednesday, Oct 15, 2025 · 2:00pm-2:45pm GMT+11This session brings together our research findings and consulting perspectives on the increasing significance of a total portfolio view (TPV) and a total portfolio approach (TPA). Through interactive discussion, we’ll explore the challenges firms face in supporting TPV and identify key drivers for adopting a TPA. We also discuss the vendors and their solutions supporting asset allocation and TPV. Speakers
Cutter
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| 2:45pm |
Networking Break, Exhibit Hall Open
2:45pm-3:15pm GMT+11 Networking Break, Exhibit Hall OpenWednesday, Oct 15, 2025 · 2:45pm-3:15pm GMT+11 |
| 3:15pm |
AI Governance
3:15pm-4:00pm GMT+11 AI GovernanceWednesday, Oct 15, 2025 · 3:15pm-4:00pm GMT+11In this session, we explore what it takes to govern AI initiatives effectively and highlight how Cutter Research member firms are approaching AI governance. Speaker
Cutter
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| 4:00pm |
Cocktail Reception
4:00pm-5:30pm GMT+11 Cocktail ReceptionWednesday, Oct 15, 2025 · 4:00pm-5:30pm GMT+11 |
Speakers
Chanelle Crabtree
Consulting Principal – Investment Operations and Outsourcing
Chanelle Crabtree has extensive experience consulting for the asset management industry in Australia for the past 20 years. Chanelle has considerable knowledge and expertise in investment management, outsourcing, and the development of operational models that support the investment management lifecycle. Chanelle leads Cutter Associates’ Investment Operations and Outsourcing practice, and oversees Cutter’s Australia office. She has decades of experience working for investment management firms, custodians, and consulting firms, in roles that included middle-/back-office operational, business analyst, project management, consulting, and senior management. She has a deep understanding of investment management, covering the operational, governance, and system requirements to support all types of clients, products, and asset classes.
A former Director at Deloitte, Chanelle led key engagements, particularly for complex clients with diverse asset classes, covering target operating model design, sourcing, and implementation. Prior to Deloitte, Chanelle was a Lead Consultant at Morse Consulting Pty Limited, where she led various engagements that covered target operating model design, sourcing of custodians/systems, and implementations with investment managers and superannuation clients.
Henk Dijkstra
Enterprise Architect
Henk is experienced at delivering capability uplifts and operating model transformations, with a specific focus on how Technology, Data and Digital enable such capability uplifts. He gained his experience as a senior leader in both Delivery and Operational roles, in leadership roles to the level of CTO. He has served as a Board Member and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. These roles enable him to take a holistic and strategic view of client challenges.
Stacia Graham
Managing Director and Asset Management Lead
Stacia Graham has more than 25 years of experience in investment management, bringing a deep understanding of end-to-end asset management processing and project management to her role as Managing Director, Asset Management Research Lead at Cutter Associates.
Stacia also serves as a subject matter expert for targeted engagements in Enterprise Risk and Compliance.
Prior to joining Cutter in 2018, Stacia worked at Wellington Management Company LLP in Boston in various senior roles within compliance, investment administration, and operational risk, including leading and managing the global Investment Guideline Compliance team for eight years. She earned a bachelor of science in business administration from Bryant University and an MBA from Bentley University.
Recent research assignments and publications include the following:
- Client Portal Solutions
- Client Reporting Systems
- Cutter Benchmarking: Client Reporting
- Cutter Benchmarking: Modern Compliance in Investment Management
- Electronic Communications Surveillance Systems
- Hybrid Work Arrangements and Their Impact on Firm Culture
- Performance Measurement and Attribution Systems
- Portfolio Analytics Solutions
- Research Management Systems
- Using RPA to Automate Business Processes
Recent Consulting Engagements include:
- Assessment of business processes and systems to support regulatory reporting (shareholder disclosure reporting) for a large asset manager
- Assessment of requirements and vendor solutions for Electronic Communication Surveillance for a small asset manager, to rectify SEC findings
Gina McCafferty
Principal – Head of Research
Gina McCafferty has 30 years of experience in the financial services industry. She served at Cutter from 1999 to 2011 as Principal and Managing Director of CutterResearch, and she was instrumental in growing that business. Gina returned to Cutter in 2017, and established and ran the company’s Wealth Management research division. In 2019, she was appointed to Head of Research, responsible for Asset Management and Wealth Management product development and delivery to over 200 member firms around the globe. Gina was previously at Investit Ltd., where she served for six years as head of the company’s research service. Prior to that, she held senior positions at DST International with product responsibility for their global accounting and performance measurement systems, and at SunGard as Vice President of Client Services for their securities trading products.
Kathy McDermott
Managing Director, Research
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
Rein van Rooyen
Head of APAC
Rein van Rooyen is a results-driven finance and investment industry leader with international experience spearheading teams and achieving outcomes within highly competitive environments. Rein is well versed in leading change agendas, including building capabilities, integrating functions, culture journeys, structure realignment, and operational transformations. Rein comfortably navigates ambiguity, drives forward change, and develops innovative commercial solutions with a sustained commitment for stakeholder centricity and broader organizational impacts. A global thought leader and champion of innovation and transformation, he has extensive experience across superannuation, investment management, banking, risk, and insurance. He has a deep understanding of investment management system use and design.
Prior to Cutter, Rein spent five years at QSuper, where he led the middle and back office for the AUD 100 billion fund, including overseeing investment data, investment performance & analytics, investment risk & compliance, trade support, cash & treasury, collateral management & optimization, valuations & alternatives, investment implementation and deal team, as well as fund operations. He also worked for PwC in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, where he led a variety of client engagements.
Kristen Clark
Vice President, Associate Director, Product Management, FactSet
Kristen Clark is Vice President, Associate Director of Product Management of Cloud Data Delivery solutions at FactSet. In this role, she manages the strategy for the global distribution of FactSet’s premium financial content, focusing on enabling client ecosystems across AWS, Azure, Snowflake, and Databricks. Prior to this role, she held positions on FactSet's Data Solutions Specialty Sales and Implementation teams, with 10+ years experience supporting a global client base in optimizing content onboarding, organization, and analysis. She earned a B.S. in Mathematics and Statistics from the University of Vermont. Kristen remains committed to exploring emerging technologies and leveraging them to drive commercial innovation and operational efficiency.
Kaushik GD
Head of Financial Services, Snowflake APJ
Kaushik GD is the Head of Financial Services at Snowflake, where he is responsible for developing the financial services business, and supporting customers' transition to the Snowflake AI Data Cloud across the Asia Pacific Japan region (APJ). Kaushik joined Snowflake in July 2024 from Natwest, a leading banking & financial services group in the UK, and has been in financial services for about 20 years with broad experience across buy-side, sell-side, wealth management & consulting. In his last role, Kaushik was MD with dual responsibility of leading the Data AI adoption strategy and leading ESG data solutions for all business verticals across Natwest. Kaushik has held a series of leadership roles including leading department for cutting-edge valuation & acquisition models for venture funds to leading enterprise migration strategy for capital market trades & data warehouses to delivering industry leading customer facing data apps. A thought leader in financial services, Kaushik is an active participant and advisor in FSI, Data & Sustainability industry sponsored initiatives. Kaushik is based in Singapore, and holds a MBA from IE business school in Spain and several Executive specialism in Sustainability, Data & AI from Cambridge university & Edinburgh university.
Jon Hodges
Senior Vice President, Trading and Asset Services, Asia Pacific, FIS
Jon Hodges brings over 20 years’ experience in global financial technology markets to his current role as Senior Vice President, Head of Trading and Asset Services, Asia Pacific, at FIS®. Prior to FIS, Jon founded a technology start-up, led a high-growth, private equity-backed business and held an executive role in a large global corporate. With an extensive track record of innovation in product strategy, Jon is focused on helping clients throughout Asia Pacific improve operational efficiency and drive growth with the latest technology.
Event Exhibitors
BlackRock is a leading provider of financial technology, and our clients turn to us for the solutions they need when planning for their most important goals.
Aladdin® is a technology platform used by asset managers and owners including banks, financial institutions, pensions, corporations, insurers, and wealth managers. The Aladdin platform unifies the investment management process, providing a common data language within an organization to enable scale, provide insights, and support business transformation. Through eFront® technology, alternative investment data management is covered to meet the needs of alternative investment professionals worldwide and across all major alternative asset classes. From fundraising, fund administration and reporting to data services and analytics, the platform provides capabilities to support decision making and investment oversight.
Alloq is a robust SaaS solution designed for institutional asset managers, such as pension funds and insurance companies, aiming to enhance the precision and efficiency of allocation management processes. It provides a comprehensive suite of modules covering key aspects of portfolio management.
More About Alloq
AlphaCert – Simplifying complex investment data management
About AlphaCert
AlphaCert is a global financial technology company that helps investment managers and superannuation firms turn complex investment data into a trusted asset. We enable organisations to take control of their data so they can manage risk, meet regulatory obligations and make better investment decisions.
Get ahead in a time of change
Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping how investment teams work and the insights they can get. But outcomes are only as good as the data it relies on. We help forward-thinking firms to take proof of concepts into production, leveraging AI on top of contained, validated and well-governed data.
Start small and leap ahead
Our modular platform aggregates, validates, calculates and reconciles data to create a single source of truth. Clients gain fast, reliable access to investment data, enabling accurate decisions, regulatory compliance and cost control - while reducing risk from spreadsheets and manual processes.
As the engine behind the scenes, AlphaCert gives time back to your team to stay focused on what matters most; serving investors and generating consistent returns.
Scale with confidence
We work with organisations managing funds from $1 billion to $400 billion. Many start with quick wins by solving specific business problems, such as replacing fragmented spreadsheets, automating validation and reconciliation, streamlining regulatory reporting or delivering NAV and shadow unit pricing. These early successes build trust and ROI, while providing a pathway to make AlphaCert the strategic backbone for a single source of investment data truth.
Our open, AI-ready platform reduces the reliance on key people and manual processes. Data is managed in a controlled, easy to use system, with a full audit trail. AlphaCert delivers the right balance of automation and control, helping you operate efficiently today and adopt AI safely tomorrow.
What we offer
Alongside our technology platform, AlphaCert provides deep industry and technology expertise, client support and professional services. We partner with clients to deliver complex transition projects, bespoke solutions, as well as fast onboarding implementations (in weeks not months) of our off-the-shelf modules.
What sets us apart
- Simplicity with depth – powerful enough for complex fund structures, intuitive for busy teams.
- Scalable and modular – start small, expand to a full strategic backbone.
- Future-proof for AI - clean, governed data ready for analytics and intelligent agents.
- Local understanding with global reach - strong presence in Australia and New Zealand, backed by global best practice.
- Ongoing support and services – partnership beyond implementation.
- Lower total cost of ownership - faster to implement and easier to maintain than heavyweight enterprise EDM platforms.
Turning complexity into clarity
- Centralise and master investment data from multiple sources covering complex portfolio structures and all instruments with multi-layer look-through.
- Automate reconciliation and validation: daily sign-off, performance calculations, regulatory reporting.
- Provide real-time oversight: unit pricing, NAV control, ESG enrichment, compliance checks and post-trade monitoring.
Meeting regulatory requirements efficiently
With APRA CPS 230 now in effect, superannuation firms face expectations on service-provider risk, operational resilience, cybersecurity and business continuity. AlphaCert helps you comply and de-risk:
- Business continuity and resilience: ISO 27001-certified, robust disaster recovery and business continuity processes, fully auditable.
- Third-party risk control: Independent unit pricing and NAV verification with exception alerts and workflow sign-off.
- Operational risk management: Automated post-trade compliance and intelligent exception handling.
How we deliver
- Fast, modular deployment – start with priority pain points and expand when ready.
- Professional services and expertise – quick off-the-shelf modules or tailored solutions.
- Open, connected architecture
- Enterprise-grade security and resilience - ISO 27001 compliance, APRA CPS 234 alignment, customisable disaster recovery and BCP, full encryption and single-tenant data models.
- Cloud-based with regular software updates.
Benefits for every stakeholder
CIO
Trusted, timely data; full oversight across portfolios; faster decisions; stay focused on investment performance.
CRO / Risk & Compliance
Audit-ready controls; compliance; real-time alerts; third-party oversight.
COO
Automated workflows; reduced key-person risk; faster reporting; stronger operational resilience.
CTO
Modern, API-first architecture; cloud-agnostic; lowers legacy tech burden and prepares for AI.
Board & Executives
Visible compliance posture; lower reputational and regulatory risk; operational clarity.
Fund Members
Accurate unit pricing, professional reporting, faster issue resolution, stronger trust.
More About AlphaCert
As a global financial services company, we oversee more than $55.8 trillion* in assets for our clients – managing it, moving it and keeping it safe. For over 240 years, we have been creating new solutions that benefit businesses, communities and people everywhere. No matter what the future brings, we'll be ready and we'll be working. Making money work for the world.
*As of June 30, 2025
More About BNY
Clearwater Analytics (NYSE: CWAN) is transforming investment management with the industry's most comprehensive cloud-native platform for institutional investors across global public and private markets. While legacy systems create risk, inefficiency, and data fragmentation, CWAN's single-instance, multi-tenant architecture delivers real-time data and AI-driven insights throughout the investment lifecycle. The platform eliminates information silos by integrating portfolio management, trading, investment accounting, reconciliation, regulatory reporting, performance, compliance, and risk analytics in one unified system. Serving leading insurers, asset managers, hedge funds, banks, corporations, and governments, CWAN supports over $10 trillion in assets globally.
More About CWAN
FactSet (NYSE:FDS | NASDAQ:FDS) helps the financial community to see more, think bigger, and work better. Our digital platform and enterprise solutions deliver financial data, analytics, and open technology to more than 8,600 global clients, including over 219,000 individual users. Clients across the buy-side and sell-side as well as wealth managers, private equity firms, and corporations achieve more every day with our comprehensive and connected content, flexible next-generation workflow solutions, and client-centric specialized support. Learn more at www.factset.com and follow us on X and LinkedIn.
More About FactSet
FINBOURNE is reshaping investment management for the modern data era.
Our cloud-native platform connects data, workflows, and insights across the investment lifecycle — from enterprise data management to investment operations and fund servicing. Built for performance, scale, and transparency, we help the world's leading financial institutions grow revenue, cut costs, and manage risk with confidence.
Trusted by global leaders including Fidelity International, London Stock Exchange Group, Baillie Gifford, and Northern Trust, FINBOURNE operates across the UK, Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia.
More About FINBOURNE
FIS is a global financial technology company with offices in APAC providing solutions to financial institutions, businesses and developers. We unlock financial technology that underpins the world's financial system. Our people are dedicated to advancing the way the world pays, banks and invests, by helping our clients confidently run, grow and protect their businesses. FIS is a member of the Fortune 500 and the Standard & Poor's 500 Index. FIS Trading and Asset Services provides market leading solutions servicing banks, broker-dealers, asset owners, asset managers, hedge funds, private equity and private credit with front to back solutions including cross-asset trading and risk platforms, investment operations suite, private capital suite and data management.
More About FIS AUS
SimCorp is a provider of industry-leading integrated investment management solutions for the global buy side. Founded in 1971, with more than 3,000 employees across five continents, SimCorp is a truly global technology leader that empowers more than half of the world's top 100 financial companies through its integrated platform, services, and partner ecosystem.
SimCorp is a subsidiary of Deutsche Börse Group. As of 2024, SimCorp includes Axioma, the leading provider of risk and management and portfolio optimization solutions for the global buy side.
More About SimCorp
Snowflake is the platform for the AI era, making it easy for enterprises to innovate faster and get more value from data. More than 11,000 companies around the globe, including hundreds of the world's largest, use Snowflake's AI Data Cloud to build, use and share data, applications and AI. With Snowflake, data and AI are transformative for everyone. Learn more at snowflake.com (NYSE: SNOW).
More About Snowflake