SenseCheck by FundSense

The signs that something is not working are familiar: teams working long hours, errors creeping in, costs rising, processes that no longer feel fit for purpose, and information that is too difficult to obtain when needed.

The harder question is, “What is actually causing the problem?”

Introducing the speakers

That is the starting point for Episode 4 of SenseCheck by FundSense, where Jamie Keen, Founder of FundSense, speaks with Mike Hilton, Head of Product Practice at Investment Solutions Consultants, about why technology and consultancy need to work together when asset managers are trying to deliver change.

Jamie Keen is the Founder of FundSense. In this episode, he brings the perspective of a technology provider working with asset managers on operational and regulatory challenges.

Mike Hilton is Head of Product Practice at Investment Solutions Consultants. He has worked in financial services for more than 30 years, including around 25 years in asset management, mainly in the change space. ISC was set up just over 20 years ago to provide change delivery to asset managers, including investment managers, wealth managers, and insurance companies. Its work includes providing project managers, programme directors, business analysts, and other specialist change skills where firms either do not have those skills in-house or need additional support for specific programmes. 

Key talking points from the episode

·       Clients know something is wrong before they can define the issue

·       Consultants help diagnose the process, data, people, authority, and tools

·       Technology should not automate bad or undocumented processes

·       Assessment of Value shows the partnership in practice

·       Independence matters in vendor/consultant relationships

·       Boutique consultancies bring embedded, practical knowledge

·       Continuity through implementation reduces risk

·       External expertise helps when internal teams are stretched

·       AI accelerates work, but does not replace judgement or process understanding

Who should listen?

This episode is relevant for asset managers thinking about transformation, technology implementation, process improvement, regulatory workflows, or change delivery.

It will be particularly useful for:

·       COOs and operational leaders;

·       Heads of change and transformation;

·       Product governance teams;

·       Technology and data teams;

·       Consultants working with asset managers;

·       Firms preparing for an RFP, implementation, or workflow automation project.

It will also be useful for teams that know something is not working, but have not yet fully defined whether the issue sits in the process, the data, the technology, the resourcing model, or the way decisions are made.

Listen to Episode 4 of SenseCheck

Episode 4 of SenseCheck by FundSense offers a practical discussion on how technology firms and consultants can work together to support better outcomes for asset managers.

Product data used to be treated as a background operational task. Today it sits at the centre of distribution, disclosure and regulatory scrutiny.

In this episode of SenseCheck by FundSense, Martin Jones is joined by Christoph Napetschnig to explore why product data has become such a major challenge for asset managers.

From prospectuses and PRIIPs disclosures to distributor templates, platforms and ESG reporting, product information now flows across a highly connected ecosystem. When one field is wrong, the inconsistency spreads quickly. 

Martin and Christoph discuss the reality inside many firms today (fragmented systems, spreadsheet-driven processes and blurred ownership) and how organisations can start moving toward centralised product records, structured workflows and better data governance.

If you work in fund operations, product teams, compliance or data management, this episode offers a practical look at why product data is becoming such a critical topic for the industry.

Prospectus creation and maintenance remains one of the most complex, fragmented, and time-critical processes in asset management. In this second episode of SenseCheck by FundSense, we zoom in on where things really slow down - manual workflows, siloed stakeholders, late-stage legal and translation changes - and what firms can do to make the entire process faster, safer, and more governable.

Host Jamie Keen, Founder of FundSense, is joined by Tatiana Gordeeva, Senior Director of Business Development at Toppen Digital Language, who brings over 15 years of hands-on operational experience supporting the world’s largest asset managers. Together, they unpack why prospectus workflows so often rely on Word, SharePoint, email, and spreadsheets, how that fragmentation creates risk and delay, and why translation and legal review are usually forced into an impossible race against the clock.

The discussion explores how automation, machine-readable documents, and better workflow design can transform the end-to-end process - from version control and audit trails to quality assurance, terminology management, and consistency checks across languages. It also tackles the real-world balance between technology and human expertise, and why experienced linguists, lawyers, and project managers remain essential even as AI and automation take on more of the heavy lifting. 

This episode is designed for COOs, heads of product, legal, reporting, and operations who are wrestling with slow, high-risk prospectus processes and want practical guidance on how to move from fragmented, manual workflows to a more integrated, efficient, and future-proof operating model. 

Understanding PS25/20 and the New CCI Disclosure Rules

Welcome to the first episode of SenseCheck by FundSense — a podcast for asset managers navigating regulatory change, operational complexity, and evolving investor disclosure expectations.

In this episode, host Martin Jones sits down with Mikkel Bates, Senior Board Adviser at FundSense, to unpack the FCA’s PS25/20 policy statement and the new Consumer Composite Investments (CCI) disclosure regime.

Together, they explore:

• What the FCA actually released on 8 December — and why it matters

• Whether CCI is truly a new regime or the next evolution of UK disclosures

• Key changes to cost, risk, and performance disclosures

• The implementation timeline and what firms should be doing now

• Practical implications for manufacturers, distributors, and product teams

If you work in fund reporting, product governance, compliance, or investor communications, this episode offers a clear, practical perspective on how CCI will reshape disclosure — and how firms can prepare without unnecessary operational strain.

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