Broadridge is proud to have been the lead sponsor of Financial Times’ prestigious ‘Future of Asset Management Asia' 2024 Conference. The event brought together industry leaders and experts to explore critical topics shaping the future of asset management in Asia.

Yoon Ng, Principal, Broadridge Global Asset Management Advisory, spoke at the event and discussed several key themes including 'Asia’s new fund firm model: Leadership strategies for a competitive edge’ which underlines essential areas for leaders navigating the complexities of the Asian asset management landscape.

Asia's New Fund Firm Model: Leadership Strategies

Amidst an increasingly complex asset management landscape in Asia, it is becoming increasingly crucial for CEOs to set a strategic direction for the firm and swiftly mobilise resources. This involves selecting the right talent and placing them in the correct places, leveraging analytics tools and information sets to make the right decisions around where to play and how to win, and remaining flexible in the face of rapidly evolving landscapes.

Evolving Priorities and Operational Efficiency

Priorities for asset managers are evolving in response to volatile macroeconomic landscapes and higher costs characterised by regulatory and policy changes. The imperative for speed and efficiency in skill development has never been more pronounced, highlighting the need for investment into operational infrastructures to support evolving market demands.

Flexibility for Regional Success

Coverage models necessary for success in the region will need versatility and depth to account for geopolitical tensions and fundamental considerations such as data security and investor information management, and to support changing preferences such as the increasing use of digital platforms and other vehicles like ETFs. Asset managers in this era have more dedicated requests and stringent criteria to help them decide on resource allocation, product, time horizon sets and entry solutions before committing to costs and areas critical to growth.

Staying Ahead with Data Analytics

Looking across global asset managers, winners in the sector are becoming much better than the rest at using data analytics. This goes beyond identifying the right product and market to establish the appropriate solutions and delivery. More CEOs are putting emphasis on how they invest into critical enablers such as Generative AI, digital transformation, and people and culture to encourage innovations, and integrating these into the various systems to grow both their top and bottom lines.

Alternatives: the growth driver in Asia

Alternatives including private credit have emerged as priority for Asian asset managers looking to drive growth in their portfolios, with a FOAM poll showing 43% of the audience rating this as the top priority area for business growth in the next 12 months. This aligns with Broadridge’s Global Demand Model (GDM)’s projection that alternatives in Asia will see an annualized 6.5% organic growth over the next three years vs. 5.2% for the other asset classes. Alternative solutions for the retail segment in particular is expected to see some of the strongest growth, with AUM expected to grow from US$1.3T as of end 2023 to US$1.9T as of end 2026 as a result of improved access, increased investor awareness as well as demand for diversification.

There are important and fundamental changes taking place in today’s asset management landscape but ultimately it is about investing to stay ahead.

Access the tools you need by exploring our Global Demand Model.