Heather Hopkins in conversation with Peter Mann sharing highlights from Season One of NextWealth Insights. Heather and Peter talk leadership and how leadership has changed in the pandemic. We note that while people are physically distant from colleagues, may feel closer than ever to the company they work for and its leaders. We talk about AI and microservices as two of the most important disruptors in wealth tech and a potential future for platforms as the single source of truth. We close discussing the challenge of forecasting in a service business amid so much uncertainty.

Heather Hopkins in conversation with Martin Jennings, CEO of Parmenion and Global Head of Digital at Aberdeen Asset Management on hybrid advice models, the challenge of forecasting in a pandemic and the future of the product. Martin brings nearly 20 years experience in the platform market and offers a unique perspective as a platform owner and DFM. Martin shares thought son the challenge of forecasting business volumes and the cost base amid a global pandemic. We pick up on an old conversation about bionic or hybrid advice. Martin shares his view that the industry needs to be better at sharing data and calls data the lubricant that keeps the industry moving. We end discussing the future of the product, drawing on Martin's experience in platforms and as a DFM.

Heather Hopkins in conversation with Tim Sargisson, CEO of Sandringham Financial Partners Limited on platforms, legacy products and advice as a profession. Tim praises platforms for revolutionising the industry but says they need to do more to upgrade legacy products stuck on legacy systems. He talks through the tech he uses at Sandringham and emphasises the need for efficiency for scale and risk reduction. He challenges advisers on the need for consistency. He says this is essential to be recognised as a profession.

Two of the technologies that will impact most on wealth management are microservices and AI. In this podcast, Heather Hopkins speaks with Ray Tubman, MD of FinoComp, and Simon Clare, Head of Technology and Innovation at Bravura, about the importance of these technologies on

Ray says microservices allow platforms flexibility not available with a monolithic software code. He argues this fosters good competition among tech providers, leads to more innovation and to better tools and functionality for users. Simon says AI is almost indistinguishable from magic. He says that while having access to large data sets should be an advantage but it’s really about making good use of data. Ray and Simon encourage firms to think about what data they are collecting – beyond what is required by regulation – and to weaponise that data.

Heather Hopkins speaks with Anthony Rafferty, Managing Director of Origo, about transfers, integrations and data standards. We talk about transfers and a solution tracking transfers in progress. On integrations, Anthony believes data standards are needed and sees Origo’s future as supporting a hub-based approach. He doesn’t think standards need to be driven by regulatory change -- such as the case with open banking. Instead he believes that providers should want users to have frictionless access. Be sure to listen to the end to hear about the digital solution Origo are launching later this year that will help end the need for wet signatures on LOAs.

Heather Hopkins in conversation with Sam Handfield-Jones, Co Head of Seccl. Heather and Sam talk about the future of technology in wealth management drawing on examples from fitness tracking devices and health tech. On integrations, Sam thinks our sector is just not set up to integrate. Significant cultural change will be required to achieve better integrations and Sam says it's hard to see how the industry will innovate without new entrants. Be sure to listen to the end when Sam shares his optimism that open standards will support hyper-customisation drawing on successes from open banking.

Heather Hopkins speaks with Jackie Boylan, Head of FundsNewtork, one fo the largest UK investment platforms about lockdown, platforms and vertical integration. Jackie shares insights from Fidelity's global experience easing in and out of lockdown. We talk about some of the benefits of remote working and Jackie tells us that her focus for the platform business is to deliver efficiencies to adviser businesses. Be sure to listen to the end when Jackie shares lessons on vertical integration and adviser charging from the Australian market.

Antony Mayfied is a marketer and brand expert and says his firm, Brilliant Noise, does marketing for people and makes them better at marketing.

In this conversation, he argues that brand recognition is table stakes. Investment management and platform brands aren’t different – in fact, Antony argues that most brands have two customers and need to understand those two sets of people. He encourages brands not to hunker down and offers examples outside of financial services of brands doing creative things amid the pandemic.

You can sign up for the webinar we mention in the conversation here: https://onlythebrave.brilliantnoise.com

This is a recording of the introductory remarks of one of our weekly Women in Platforms virtual meet-ups. Gilian Hepburn, UK Intermediary Solutions director at Schroders, and Emily Shaw, Portfolio Manager and Sustainability Manager at Cazenove, talk about ESG, what it means and how that translates in practice. Emily reminds us of the power of active ownership offering an example of female representation on boards.

In this conversation with Jo Kite, a hugely experienced marketing leader, we cover risk and the role, capacity for loss and the role of guaranteed products. I love Jo's phrase "a new respect for risk." Her thoughts on the future of platform propositions and the opportunity to bring equity release, annuities and other guaranteed products into the mix are fascinating.

You can download a copy of the report we mentioned on the Ascentric website here:

https://www.ascentric.co.uk/knowledge/your-knowledge/