Introduction
On 26 September 2023, daappa hosted an exclusive roundtable business lunch at the prestigious Cercle de la Terrasse in Geneva. The event, featuring Albin Gaignette of Index Ventures, brought together a group of senior leaders and experts in the private asset management industry. The gathering served as a platform for in-depth discussions on the challenges and opportunities shaping the sector.
Who Was There
While confidentiality agreements prevent us from disclosing attendee names, the seniority of the roles represented underscores both the event's significance and daappa's growing role as a thought leader in the sector. The room was filled with CEOs, Founding Partners, and other high-ranking professionals, all of whom brought a wealth of experience and insight to the discussions.
The Day's Agenda
Jean Ghosn, representing daappa, set the stage with a succinct overview of the day's agenda. Karim Ali (CEO of BRD Group and daappa) followed, providing a detailed overview of the current challenges and opportunities in private asset management and how daappa was supporting the industry. The agenda was designed to foster a dialogue that would go beyond surface-level observations, delving into the complexities of the industry.
Investment Landscape
The roundtable served as a platform for discussing the evolving investment landscape in private markets. Topics ranged from the use of AI and other technologies, regulations, retailisation, and the complexities of ESG investments. The discussion touched on the importance of diversification, especially in a volatile market environment, and the potential for sustained higher returns through long-term investments in infrastructure, real estate, and direct company investments. Attendees acknowledged the necessity for real-time insights and business intelligence in making effective decisions amidst the complexities of the sector.
Navigating Regulatory Complexity
Attendees emphasised the importance of operational and regulatory risk protection to sustain investor confidence and meet compliance requisites. In a sector fraught with complexity, solutions like daappa’s Studio+ platform ensure data integrity and reduce operational risks, a point that resonated with the roundtable’s audience. Regulatory challenges such as Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements were discussed, highlighting the need for robust compliance mechanisms.
Best Practice Insights
Albin Gaignette’s keynote offered valuable insights into the future of private asset fund operations. His presentation enriched the roundtable’s discussions, adding a layer of depth to the pivotal role of data and transparency in effective decision-making and risk management.
The discussions further delved into data management strategies and the significance of having a single source of truth for online and on-demand reporting to ensure data integrity and transparency.
A Client Success Story
Karim shared the experience of another daappa client, Scottish Enterprise and their focus on business intelligence and transparency across front-to-back office stakeholders. The case study served as a practical illustration of how daappa's solutions can meet the complex needs of diverse clients and their stakeholders.
Key Takeaways
- Necessity of (near) Real-Time Insights: The critical need for real-time insights and business intelligence in decision-making was highlighted.
- Operational and Regulatory Risk Protection: The significance of robust compliance mechanisms to ensure data integrity and meet regulatory and client risk requirements was stressed.
- Single Source of Truth for Reporting: The importance of coherent data management strategies for accurate online and on-demand reporting was a common thread.
- Industry Adaptability and Operational Resilience: With the outsourcing of back office operations common amongst the group, being in control of data was seen as a future need to demonstrate operational resilience.
daappa's Strategic Positioning
daappa's Studio+ solution is well poised to bridge the identified gaps and meet the sector’s evolving demands. daappa's robust data management framework encapsulated in the functional data warehouse that is DataHub is designed to ensure data integrity, transparency, and a single source of truth for reporting, while the suite of business intelligence tools facilitates performance and business insights, provides an invaluable information edge for all users.
What's Next
This roundtable not only highlighted daappa’s commitment to addressing the industry’s challenges but also set the stage for future thought leadership events and discussions that will continue to shape the sector in Switzerland and beyond.
The event underscored the need for adaptability in the face of evolving regulations and changing investor expectations. It also facilitated discussions on the challenges and opportunities for various stakeholders, including fintech providers like daappa, private equity and venture capital firms, asset managers, and asset servicers.
To find out more about daappa contact Nicholas Wright (UK & Ireland) or Renato Moreschi (EMEA)