Launch with OTC Markets MOON ATS™ will enable DriveWealth to review pricing from multiple overnight venues to determine best option for investor’s orders
NEW YORK – February 20, 2025 – DriveWealth, a leading financial technology platform providing Brokerage-as-a-Service, today announced the expansion of its overnight trading capabilities through a collaboration with OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM), an operator of regulated markets for U.S. equity securities. Set to roll out in March, this new offering will establish DriveWealth as a pioneer in multi-venue overnight trading, and meet increasing demand from retail and institutional investors.
Leveraging its proprietary technology, DriveWealth will provide investors with improved routing across multiple overnight trading venues, taking real-time pricing and liquidity into account. Additionally, DriveWealth will manage the complexity of transitioning any unexecuted orders from overnight trading venues to traditional market centers when the U.S. pre-market session begins.
With this new capability, DriveWealth will offer an overnight trading experience for all NMS securities that is similar to daytime trading in the U.S.. With this collaboration, DriveWealth augments its current overnight market center access with connectivity to OTC Markets MOON ATS™.
“DriveWealth’s global partners, particularly in Asia, seek to invest in U.S. companies 24 hours a day, but need a solution that combines convenience and immediacy with simplicity and resiliency,” said Michael Blaugrund, CEO of DriveWealth. “Adding MOON ATS to our brokerage platform allows DriveWealth to facilitate access to multiple overnight execution venues and across trading sessions with a single order.”
This collaboration with OTC Markets represents a significant milestone that will position DriveWealth as a connected broker to multiple overnight venues. As a trusted and publicly traded company, OTC Markets Group serves individual users and firm clients, including all of the top U.S. and global brokerage firms, processing more than 100,000 trades and receiving 120 million quotes daily.
“The expansion of DriveWealth capabilities into the Asia-Pacific markets will unlock new opportunities for investors in this region,” said Cromwell Coulson, President and CEO of OTC Markets. “We are proud to partner with them to broaden access to America’s capital markets for global investors. The MOON ATS platform is designed to offer redundancy and system scalability, ensuring that investors can trade a diverse range of stocks at any time, from anywhere in the world.”
This latest innovation reflects DriveWealth’s dedication to delivering exceptional trading experiences while maintaining impartiality and flexibility in venue partnerships. DriveWealth will continue to add new venues to bolster connectivity, liquidity and resiliency. To learn more about how DriveWealth is breaking down the barriers to investing, visit www.drivewealth.com.
About DriveWealth
DriveWealth is a global B2B financial technology platform. Our core business is providing Brokerage-as-a-Service, powering the investing and trading experiences for digital wallets, broker dealers, asset managers, and consumer brands. DriveWealth’s APIs provide our partners with a modern, extensible and flexible toolkit to develop everything from traditional investment workflows to more innovative techniques like rounding up purchases into fractional share ownership. For more information, visit www.drivewealth.com.
About OTC Markets Group Inc.
OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM) operates regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities. Our data-driven disclosure standards form the foundation of our three public markets: OTCQX® Best Market, OTCQB® Venture Market and Pink® Open Market. Our OTC Link® Alternative Trading Systems (ATSs) provide critical market infrastructure that broker-dealers rely on to facilitate trading. Our innovative model offers companies more efficient access to the U.S. financial markets. OTC Link ATS, OTC Link ECN and OTC Link NQB are each an SEC regulated ATS, operated by OTC Link LLC, a FINRA and SEC registered broker-dealer, member SIPC.
To learn more about how we create better informed and more efficient markets, visit www.otcmarkets.com.
By Steve Marshall, Director, Advisory Services, FinScan, an Innovative Systems Solution
In the ever-evolving world of business risks, Know Your Customer (KYC) remains the cornerstone of uncovering reputational and financial harm that may occur in the future. But as information sources become increasingly diverse KYC verification methods might not be enough, and “set it and forget it” doesn’t work anymore. Enter adverse media screening—KYC’s secret weapon for uncovering hidden risks and bolstering your anti-money laundering (AML) defenses.
Adverse media screening is all about avoiding risky business relationships. But it’s not always easy. With the flood of information out there, not only can the initial process feel like finding a needle in a haystack, but continuous monitoring can be overwhelming. Luckily, technology is stepping in to make the process smoother and more effective.
Adverse media screening: shining a light on customer risk
Imagine a customer who passes all the standard KYC checks: ID verified, address confirmed, source of funds seemingly legitimate, etc. Yet, beneath the surface lurks a direct or indirect web of past financial or criminal misconduct documented only in news articles. Adverse media screening steps in, systematically scanning a vast array of sources—news websites, regulatory databases, public records—to unearth negative information that traditional KYC checks might not capture as customers don’t self-report. This may include:
Civil or criminal investigations: Links to organized crime, money laundering schemes, past incarcerations
Regulatory actions: Fines levied for non-compliance; licenses revoked
Reputational damage: Associations with PEPs, individuals or businesses involved in illegal activities
By uncovering such red flags, adverse media screening offers invaluable insights into a customer’s true risk profile, empowering firms to make informed decisions.
Adverse media screening also helps organizations comply with international sanctions regimes, as they may assist in identifying individuals or entities that are in some way related to the customer or transaction. Those individuals or entities may be sanctioned and, therefore, may impact the risk associated with the customer or transaction. Both the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) advocate for these searches as an effective approach to managing risks in this domain.
The challenges of adverse media screening
Adverse media screening sounds simple, right? Just check the news for anything shady about a client or a company during onboarding. But in reality, it’s much more complicated. Customers are living organisms, and what might seem fine during initial checks can change as questionable dealings could surface months later.
Here are a few hurdles organizations face:
Information overload: There’s a never-ending stream of news, blogs, social media, and other sources. Sorting through this mountain of information to find relevant details on an ongoing basis can be overwhelming.
False positives: Organizations regularly encounter irrelevant information, casual news mentions, or worse, poor contextual mentions identified as red flags. False positives waste time and slow down the process, making it harder for compliance teams to focus on real risks.
Language and local differences: News comes from all corners of the world, in many languages, and at different frequencies. If tools aren’t set up to handle multiple languages or regional news on a continuous basis, important information can slip through the cracks.
Changing risks: Business risks are always evolving. Keeping adverse media screening up to date with the latest global developments can be tough, especially against the backdrop of rising geopolitical tensions and a complex regulatory landscape.
How adverse media screening strengthens business practices
Addressing these challenges with a strong adverse media screening solution can help organizations spot risks early on, enabling them to proactively detect red flags before they become major problems, as well as facilitating continuous monitoring of clients to catch any emerging risks. Companies are also aided in their compliance efforts, with global regulators expecting firms to do more than just basic background checks. Going beyond compliance, adverse media screening helps companies protect their reputation by steering clear of risky business partners—even if regulations allow them to do business.
Adverse media screening should integrate seamlessly with KYC processes that unveil hidden risks byexposing associations with criminal activity or terrorist financing, allowing organizations to take necessary precautions. These processes should enhance due diligence by providing information that clients themselves don’t provide for KYC verification, ensuring a more comprehensive customer profile. And of course, they should also meet regulatory requirements by emphasizing the need for ongoing monitoring of customers.
Elevate KYC by building trust
A strong KYC program is no longer just about ticking boxes. By incorporating adverse media screening into AML and KYC frameworks, firms gain a powerful tool to proactively identify risks, enhance due diligence, and ultimately, safeguard institutions from financial crime. A robust KYC program with adverse media screening at its core is not just about AML compliance—it’s about building trust and protecting the integrity of the financial system.
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Equity Data Science, Inc. (“EDS”), a leading investment process management (IPM) software provider, today announced the launch of Nexus, a risk and portfolio management solution that integrates Factor Risk, Internal Research, and Performance Attribution workflows into a single, seamless interface. Building on EDS’s existing capabilities, Nexus enhances how investment teams interact with critical data, creating a more efficient and streamlined experience.
Nexus leverages real-time, aggregated data from the EDS platform to provide investment teams with a centralized, configurable dashboard of portfolio risk and opportunities. Developed in collaboration with clients and industry leaders, it addresses common challenges in risk management by seamlessly incorporating fundamental and market data, internal research insights, and valuation metrics into decision-making.
“Nexus brings together the most critical aspects of risk, research, and performance analysis—allowing investment teams to analyze exposures, optimize strategies, and gain a holistic view of their portfolios,” said Sandeep Varma, CEO and Co-founder at EDS. “While our workflow solutions have been utilized for years, Nexus transforms how clients interact with aggregated data, delivering a modern, highly efficient experience designed for today’s investment teams.”
Key features include:
Integrated Risk and Performance Analysis – Combines factor risk, expected returns, and fundamental data, including valuation and growth metrics, into a unified view.
Trade Simulation and Optimization – Models portfolio adjustments in real time, optimizing for idiosyncratic risk and Sharpe ratio, with or without a factor model.
Exposures and Performance Tracking – Provides visibility into risk drivers, portfolio sensitivities, and historical performance trends.
Consensus Comparison – Enables users to view fund positioning relative to market consensus for better decision-making.
Research Integration – Incorporates internal research, including price target scenarios, IRR, DCF, and other valuation methodologies.
Nexus optimizes workflow by reducing reliance on multiple applications and data sources, providing configurable workflows and scalable architecture to support diverse investment strategies.
About Equity Data Science Equity Data Science (EDS) provides investment process management (IPM) solutions that empowers leading hedge funds and asset managers through greater insights and productivity for decision-making. Trusted since 2012, EDS integrates proprietary and third-party data and research on a modern platform configured to each client’s unique investment vision. The EDS platform supports idea generation, research management, portfolio construction and analytics, risk management, performance attribution and ESG. Visit www.equitydatascience.com.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) were recognized as the most influential technology for trading for the third year in a row, according to J.P. Morgan’s E-Trading Edit survey.
According to Patrick Whelan, head of FICC Digital Markets, AI and machine learning topped the list of technological advancements expected to impact the industry in 2025. “AI and machine learning came out on top once again,” he said, underscoring the pivotal role these technologies will play in automating processes, improving efficiencies, and driving innovation across the financial sector.
Source: J.P. Morgan
In the latest episode of Market Matters on J.P. Morgan’s Making Sense podcast, Patrick Whelan and Gergana Thiel, global co-head of Macro Sales, discussed this year’s survey findings.
The conversation centered around how technology, particularly advancements in AI, ML, and e-trading, is reshaping the trading landscape and influencing market participants’ strategies and predictions.
J.P. Morgan has been at the forefront of investing in these technologies, as Whelan noted. “We’ve already invested a lot in that space, and we continue to do so. We’re looking to leverage the data we have to drive more efficiencies and automate more of our processes,” he explained. While the firm continues to explore how to create commercial value from AI, the long-term potential for AI to revolutionize trading is clear. “I think we’re still learning about how we can create commercial value through the use of LLM and large-scale AI efforts, but by 2025, we’re going to see more of that coming into the day-to-day of both our sales traders and clients.”
Another key insight from the survey was the unanimous agreement among respondents that e-trading will continue to grow in 2025. “It was the only part of the survey where we had 100% agreement,” Whelan revealed. This signals a strong industry-wide shift toward digital platforms and highlights the need for firms to continue innovating in e-trading solutions.
As Whelan pointed out, areas such as emerging market rates and credit will experience significant electronification in the coming years. “They were pointing to EM rates and credit as being two of the areas that will continue to grow in terms of electronification in 2025,” he said. For J.P. Morgan, this represents a key investment focus, and the firm is committed to expanding its e-trading offering worldwide.
In line with growing demands for seamless digital trading experiences, J.P. Morgan is looking to develop new solutions that integrate technology more effectively with client needs. Whelan emphasized the importance of offering robust direct API solutions across asset classes. These solutions enable better connectivity with clients, making it easier for them to access liquidity and data in real-time.
“These types of solutions allow us to provide more competitive pricing, better analytics, and ultimately reduce information leakage,” Whelan explained. By continuing to enhance their single dealer platform, Execute, J.P. Morgan aims to help clients achieve more efficient trading while reducing costs. “Reducing brokerage and execution costs is an important focus area for 2025,” he added, noting how technology will continue to play a critical role in meeting this objective.
Gergana Thiel
A critical aspect of technological advancement discussed in the podcast was the increasing demand for real-time data and analytics. Thiel noted that clients are increasingly relying on instant access to large data sets to make informed trading decisions. “Real-time data and analytics has become central to the investment process and the way clients engage with the market,” she remarked.
Whelan agreed, emphasizing that J.P. Morgan is focused on delivering better analytics and more innovative solutions to meet client needs. “Working with large data sets and providing real-time data both to our sales and traders as well as to our clients is a continued focus,” he said. However, he also acknowledged the challenges in some asset classes that are still transitioning toward full electronification. “In certain asset classes, it’s much more highly developed, but in others, we have to come up with more innovative analytics that clients are looking for,” he explained.
As the trading world moves toward more sophisticated data consumption methods, Whelan noted the need for both visual and API-based delivery systems to ensure that clients have access to the information they need when they need it.
As the conversation drew to a close, Whelan and Thiel shared their predictions for 2025 in three words. Whelan’s key terms were “data, connectivity, and growth.” “Data” reflects its crucial role in decision-making, while “connectivity” highlights the firm’s commitment to enhancing digital platforms and fostering better connections between clients and markets. “Growth” encapsulates the ongoing expansion of e-trading solutions across various asset classes.
Thiel, on the other hand, chose “tariffs, technology, and the U.S. dollar.” She highlighted how tariffs will continue to shape the global market outlook, while technology remains at the core of the trading transformation. Thiel also pointed to the U.S. dollar’s significance in signaling market sentiment.
(FLASH FRIDAY is a weekly content series looking at the past, present and future of capital markets trading and technology. FLASH FRIDAY is sponsored by Instinet, a Nomura company.)
On February 24, 1995, Barings Bank received a fax from fugitive trader Nick Leeson. In the fax, Leeson apologized for his trading losses that would ultimately bring down the 223-year-old bank and offered his resignation.
By way of background, Leeson, as a Singapore-based derivatives trader for Barings, made a series of fraudulent, unauthorized and speculative trades starting in 1992. He managed to hide losses on some transactions and recoup losses on others by doubling down, but the charade stopped on January 17, 1995 when an earthquake in Japan cratered markets and brought large and irrevocable losses to Leeson’s final series of illicit bets.
Losses for Barings eventually reached $1.4 billion, more than twice its trading capital, and the bank was declared insolvent in late February 1995.
Hollywood found the sordid affair interesting enough to make a movie about it, Rogue Trader, released in 1999 (fair warning: it’s rated just 30% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes). And after spending six and a half years in prison in Singapore, Leeson seems to be long-rehabilitated and is now a family man and business writer and speaker.
But bigger-picture, three decades out, the burning question remains: can a similarly catastrophic trading fraud happen again?
First we asked our generative AI overlords what they think.
“Yes, trading fraud similar to Nick Leeson’s could happen again if there are lapses in internal controls or employee misconduct,” was the response. “No system is foolproof and risk management failures can occur.”
“The banking difficulties of the late 1980s and early 1990s were partly due to inadequate credit risk management systems…While supervision can help reduce the possibility of bank problems, it can’t guarantee against them,” AI said. “Similar trading fraud could happen if employees abuse internal controls or if there are weaknesses in an organization’s internal controls.”
To be sure, financial regulation has tightened over the years, in response to the Barings collapse as well as other tectonic market events such as the global financial crisis of 2008-2009.
Johan Sandblom, Lime Trading
Johan Sandblom, President and Head of Business Development at agency broker Lime Trading, cited US Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 15c3-5 as providing some measure of security and reliability and a safeguard against rogue trading. The rule, adopted in 2010, requires brokers and dealers to have risk controls in connection with their market access.
“The market access rule makes sure there are controls in place to reduce the risk of something like Barings from happening again,” Sandblom told Traders Magazine. “It is the pre-trade risk check that does the fat finger checks and buying power controls before the order goes out into the market.”
Ultimately, while tighter regulation deters, and advanced technology detects, rogue trading better than in 1995, there remains the risk that an individual with nefarious intent can find a way around the system, or that an honest mistake cascades into a big problem.
“A Nick Leeson–type scenario can absolutely happen again,” said Joe Schifano, Global Head of Regulatory Affairs at enterprise trade surveillance provider Eventus. “The question is not if, but where.”
Joe Schifano, Eventus
“With the increasing reliance on advanced technologies – for example, AI-based tools and blockchain functionality – there can be a heightened risk of blind spots emerging,” Schifano continued. “These new tools, while powerful, can obscure human oversight or amplify errors if they’re not properly understood or supervised. We see frequent reminders – from the 2008 financial crisis to sudden market dislocations to early digital assets blowups – that a single individual or group with unchecked authority and insufficient oversight can cause tremendous harm. Strong gatekeepers with the right tools, authority, and direct lines to senior leadership are paramount in spotting red flags early and preventing catastrophe.”
As the Canadian markets moved through 2024, various factors influenced trading patterns, market policy and investment activity. According to Dan Kessous, CEO of Nasdaq Canada, a combination of macroeconomic factors, regulatory changes and product innovation drove notable developments.
Kessous is responsible for the Nasdaq Canada Exchange’s strategy and oversight of its business and operational functions. He joined Nasdaq in 2016 through the acquisition of Chi-X Canada ATS where he worked since its inception and became CEO in 2011. In a conversation reflecting on the past year and looking forward to 2025, Kessous outlined key trends that shaped the market environment and what lies ahead for Nasdaq Canada.
Macroeconomic Backdrop and Market Activity
Dan Kessous
From a broader economic perspective, 2024 marked a year of transition. The backdrop was shaped by high inflation levels and subsequent actions by central banks, including the Bank of Canada.
Central banks, across the globe, began adjusting their strategies to address inflation. “This was the year of a pivot in terms of trying to fight inflation from all the central banks, not just the Fed in the U.S., but London, Europe and Canada,” said Kessous. A significant aspect of this effort was the policy around interest rates, where central banks moved towards decreasing rates. This had a strong impact on market activity, as it fostered optimism in the markets and led to increased trading volumes.
For Nasdaq Canada, the results were promising. The exchange saw a 12% increase in overall volumes year-over-year, a positive trend considering the high trading levels of previous years. Several events contributed to this uptick, including key actions by central banks and strong results from major tech companies; “in August, we saw an uptick in volume and volatility driven by results for the FANGs, the big tech companies,” Kessous shared. Additionally, the decision by the Bank of Japan to raise rates and the Federal Reserve’s stance on interest rates had ripple effects in global financial markets.
Regulatory Landscape in Canada
In 2024, Canadian regulators focused on maintaining a competitive and transparent marketplace. The year saw regulatory attention on both market structure and market data. Kessous pointed out key developments on the regulatory front, particularly in the context of cross-border trade between Canada and the U.S.
A significant regulatory theme was the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)’s proposed market reforms, especially around tick sizes and fee caps. “There are a lot of stocks that are dual-listed and trade cross-border. It’s a big portion of what’s happening in Canada, and those are also important names that trade in the U.S.,” Kessous explained. Canadian regulators aimed to align their policies with U.S. regulations to ensure the competitiveness of Canadian markets.
Another major focus for Canadian regulators was market data. Kessous acknowledged the growing interest in how market data is priced and accessed, particularly for retail investors. “There’s been a lot of work done in Canada by our regulators to improve how market data is distributed and how it’s
priced,” he said. A consultation paper on the matter received diverse feedback from market participants, and as a result, regulators decided to push the consultation further. “They created a couple of working groups with industry people that would participate in that group and try and resolve it in a gently managed manner.”
Nasdaq Canada’s Product Innovation: A Focus on PureStream and Block Trading
A major highlight of Nasdaq Canada’s achievements in 2024 was the growth of its PureStream product. This order type, introduced on Nasdaq Canada’s dark pool, CXD, was designed to offer market participants a more passive way to execute trades based on a trajectory of market volume.
The PureStream product has been successful in attracting users, growing steadily since its launch. Kessous noted that Nasdaq Canada spent considerable time gathering feedback from customers to refine the product. “We spent the first part of last year engaging with customers, taking the feedback… and towards the second part of the year, we made further adjustments to the product.” The results from these improvements were promising, with significant volume growth in early 2025.
PureStream is part of a broader strategic initiative for Nasdaq Canada to expand block trading in Canada. Nasdaq has been working on connecting various liquidity pools within its CXD dark book. “We are launching a project to connect all these pools of liquidity together… PureStream Connect, that connects the conditional orders to PureStream,” Kessous elaborated. By enabling participants to interact across different liquidity pools, Nasdaq Canada is enhancing its offering in block trading.
In addition to product innovation, Nasdaq Canada placed a strong emphasis on performance and resiliency. The rise in volume and volatility over the past few years prompted significant upgrades to Nasdaq Canada’s technology and infrastructure. “We continue to invest in performance. It’s hardware, but it’s also software,” Kessous emphasized. In response to increased traffic, Nasdaq Canada has also launched a new recovery server for market data to ensure quick snapshots of market conditions.
Looking Ahead: Trends and Priorities for 2025
Looking into 2025, Kessous anticipates that many of the same regulatory and market-driven trends will continue. One key issue for the year ahead will be the ongoing discussions surrounding the SEC’s proposal to alter market structure, including changes to tick sizes and fee caps. “Our regulators want to be ready, should it go forward… and try to do it in sync with the U.S.,” Kessous shared.
Other anticipated regulatory changes in 2025 include proposals to adjust Canada’s short sale regime and further efforts to adapt market data distribution systems. Kessous also highlighted the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in market surveillance and product development. “AI has been a big focus for Nasdaq,” Kessous noted, adding that the firm is working to incorporate AI into various aspects of its operations, from fraud detection to enhancing internal productivity.
From a product standpoint, Nasdaq Canada will continue to prioritize the growth of PureStream and work on improving its block trading capabilities. Furthermore, the company aims to enhance its smarter router technology, which is responsible for a significant portion of the trading volume in Canada.
Nasdaq Canada’s Position in the Global Marketplace
As for the competitive landscape, Kessous highlighted that Canada’s financial market remains competitive but faces challenges, particularly from the U.S. “Canada is already a very competitive market, locally, we have probably 15 marketplaces all competing for the same pie,” Kessous said. However, he also noted the increasing challenge posed by the dual listing of stocks between Canada and the U.S., where U.S. exchanges have seen a rise in market share.
To remain competitive, Kessous emphasized that innovation is key. “We need to keep innovating and keep listening to clients,” he asserted. For Nasdaq Canada, staying competitive means building a robust infrastructure, expanding product offerings and maintaining a focus on fairness, transparency and resiliency in all its operations. Looking forward, the company is well-positioned to continue its momentum in 2025, with a sharp focus on emerging technologies like AI, block trading and maintaining a resilient, competitive marketplace. “As the financial landscape continues to evolve, Nasdaq Canada’s ability to adapt and innovate will be critical in ensuring its ongoing success.”
CHICAGO, IL, Feb. 19, 2025: The Security Traders Association of Chicago (STAC), a membership organization for individual professionals in the securities industry in Chicago and an affiliate of The Security Traders Association (STA), today announced that 2024-2025 STAC President Lauren Arbid has been named to the STA Board of Governors. The prestigious appointment reflects Arbid’s long-term commitment to the securities industry and her leadership role within STAC and the broader community.
The STA Board of Governors is comprised entirely of volunteers serving from different regional affiliates and aims to represent the diverse perspectives from multiple regions and market segments within the financial services industry. The Board is responsible for overseeing STA’s direction, policies, and decision-making at the national level and advocating for the interests of its members within the industry, particularly regarding market structure issues and regulations.
A 10-year member of STAC, Arbid has played a critical role in advancing STAC’s mission of education, professional networking and philanthropy. Her extensive experience and commitment to the industry make her a valuable addition to the STA Board of Governors, where she will contribute to shaping policies and initiatives that impact security traders nationwide.
“I am honored to join the STA Board of Governors and have the opportunity to collaborate with these amazing industry leaders to help drive meaningful progress across the STA community,” said Arbid. “I look forward to advocating for the interests of our members and working toward solutions that enhance market integrity and efficiency.”
STA is a bipartisan organization that serves individuals employed in the financial services industry. Comprised of more than 15 affiliate organizations across the United States and Canada, STA advocates on behalf of and fosters collaboration among its members, while also representing their interests with legislators, regulators and other industry organizations.
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About Security Traders Association of Chicago
Established in 1925, the Security Traders Association of Chicago (STAC) is comprised of 600+ professional trade industry members who are engaged in the buying, selling and trading of securities. It is an affiliate of The Security Traders Association (STA), a leading trade organization for individual professionals in the securities industry that works to improve the ethics, business standards and working environment for its members. With a mission of education, professional networking and philanthropy, STAC hosts conferences and events that promote professional development, serve as a platform for influential leaders in the industry and offer an unmatched forum for networking. To learn more about STAC, please visit www.stachicago.org.
By Laurent Louvrier, VP of Product, Artificial Intelligence at Confluence
The SEC’s introduction of new regulations over the last few years, including the Shareholder Reporting Rule, has meant increased reporting obligations for firms without a corresponding increase in the time, money, and human capital required to meet these obligations.
Firms are under pressure to have the right data and systems in place, leading to rising costs and resources at a time when many firms are also grappling with an overwhelming volume of unstructured data. To source, structure, arrange and report on this data is a significant undertaking given the amount of data teams need to parse. It’s becoming unfeasible for firms to tackle this using their traditional technologies.
New technologies like Gen AI and LLMs allow the automation of manual tasks like checking, reconciling, translating, and reasoning about information that cannot be easily handled by traditional technologies due to the nature of unstructured data. To use the SEC’s Tailored Shareholder Report requirements as an example, manual reconciliation to meet this requirement on or after July 24 may take a typical manager hundreds of business days to reconcile the reports each time. Firms must do this within a 60-day window, which becomes operationally impossible.
Advanced AI models are now capable of mining and pinpointing discrepancies in language and numeric information between financial reports and the TSR, automatically parsing data from third-party financial reports, and interrogating and reconciling it within seconds leading to a 90% increase in efficiency. This directly addresses the key challenges our clients face with data reconciliation and compliance validation under tight deadlines. These solutions convert complex unstructured data into valuable insights, reducing what would typically take weeks of manual work into a streamlined process that delivers significant efficiency and cost savings. While there’s still human oversight needed in all of this, AI can radically improve the efficiency of information and dissemination in financial reporting and compliance.
So, what’s holding firms back from using AI? Largely it has been resistance to change and the perceived risks regarding data privacy and security. To ease any concerns, I would first say companies should examine their business processes to evaluate where they allocate their time and resources and how AI can transform these areas to gain efficiency. A better understanding of business priorities and processes will help make decisions on where to start to leverage AI. While some organizations may have the capability to develop AI solutions internally, it often makes more sense to partner with established vendors who have the business process and AI expertise that can bring proven immediate business value.
As new regulations with more arduous reporting requirements arise, demanding greater time and resources, it will be especially important for firms to replace tedious manual validation processes and embrace productivity-enhancing technologies or risk being left behind. By leveraging AI, investment compliance operations can streamline SEC reporting processes, enhance compliance, and mitigate regulatory risks more effectively.
Change is inevitable—and often difficult. When buy-side or sell-side firms attempt to address legacy technology, they typically uncover outdated, poorly documented systems with outdated integrations. The common approach of “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” leads to obsolescence – much like species that, through natural selection, failed to adapt to their changing environment (sorry, Dodo).
The Trap of Analysis Paralysis
One of the biggest obstacles to modernization is analysis paralysis. Extensive audits of existing processes, often involving external consultants, rarely yield practical outcomes. These lengthy and expensive reviews frequently delay action rather than facilitate meaningful change.
While consultants can play a role, relying on them to analyze internal systems can sometimes be an excuse to defer responsibility, rather than creating a roadmap for success. Even worse, framing technology decisions around solving yesterday’s problems only increases the risk of Darwinian peril.
The Real Secret to Success
The key to success is surprisingly simple. Start with a vision for the future—not an autopsy of the past. Just as buying a new car doesn’t require a detailed analysis of your old one, transforming trading technology starts with a vision for the future.
Ask yourself: What should your trading technology enable? What capabilities should it provide? How should systems and people interact with it? Defining this future state will help you select a vendor that aligns with your goals. This allows you to focus on building the new system while selectively migrating valuable components from the old one.
A successful transition doesn’t require an in-depth understanding of legacy technology—it requires a roadmap for the future. Importantly, your target system should support a staged migration, enabling incremental adoption without disrupting operations.
The Power of Modular Applications
The ideal solution is modular. Instead of attempting a massive overhaul, implement the smallest viable project within your existing infrastructure. The system should provide clear value for every specific workflow, allowing legacy features to be addressed or retired gradually.
This approach can be tailored to individual functional areas—such as algorithms, Smart Order Routing (SOR), middle-office workflows, and market-making—or to specific trading desks and flows, including portfolio trading, convertible bonds, and DMA.
When evaluating modular solutions, firms should consider: Can the system integrate with existing static data? Are real-time APIs available for every function? Does it align with a broader technology strategy? (See Article 3: Leveraging Microservices in Modern Trading, coming on March 5th.) More importantly, does it future-proof workflows, reduce complexity, and allow firms to decommission redundant systems? Finally, is the vendor offering a truly unified technology, or merely a collection of disconnected solutions under one brand?
The right modular approach ensures that firms can replace multiple existing systems, preventing further complexity.
Buy-vs-Build Dilemma: A Common Pitfall
Building OMS/EMS functionality in-house is a monumental challenge. These systems involve years of building complex functional requirements and require ongoing maintenance to remain competitive. Many firms initially define success as “building exactly what we need today”—but a more realistic question is: Are we prepared to maintain and evolve this system for the next 20 years? Redefining success changes the success-criteria in the Darwinian landscape.
The limited number of vendors in the market reflects the complexity of trading technology. If external companies struggle to thrive in this space, in-house development will likely be even more costly and will risk falling behind industry innovation.
The optimal approach is “Buy-AND-Build.” — leveraging a vendor’s proven API infrastructure while tailoring it to your firm’s needs. This is like customizing an existing car rather than rebuilding the engine.
When selecting a vendor, firms should assess whether their API and data model support a Buy-and-Build approach and examine how the vendor is innovating. The key to long-term adaptability and success lies in outsourcing core technology while maintaining flexibility for customization where it truly matters.
Future-Proofing Your Trading Systems
This article provides a high-level overview. The path from legacy to modern systems involves vision, focus and investment in the future — not the status quo. Firms that select a vendor aligned with their end-state vision and adopt a modular, incremental approach will achieve most cost-effective and sustainable modernization. This approach also presents better opportunities to monetize all the workflows within their firm and deliver better outcomes for their clients.
As CFO of Fidelity Brokerage, Kristin White plays a key role in driving growth, innovation, and financial stability in a rapidly evolving industry. In an exclusive interview with Traders Magazine, she reflects on her unique career journey—from working in her family’s Italian bakeries in Massachusetts to navigating corporate roles and ultimately leading the finance division at Fidelity.
Kristin White
Please tell us about yourself. Can you share some key milestones or turning points that helped shape your path to the role you have today?
I grew up working in my family’s business (Italian bakeries in Massachusetts). I worked there as a kid, going to the bakery early with my dad, and continued working there during holidays and weekends throughout college. I ended up spending 6 years there after I graduated college. During that time, we grew the business from 1 store to 4 stores with 150 employees. I also pursued my MBA at night while working at the bakery during the day.
I had a few corporate roles between my time at the bakery and coming to Fidelity, where I’ve now been for about 18 years. I’ve had the great opportunity to work across many of Fidelity’s business units, including in our insurance business, enterprise strategy and retail distribution before becoming the CFO of Fidelity’s Capital Markets division. This was a fantastic learning experience – it was an area that I didn’t know much about prior to taking the role, and it is a fascinating business. It also helped provide a great foundation for my current role as CFO of Fidelity Brokerage.
Coming from a small business, I really adopted an owner mindset which includes an end-to-end way of thinking. When you’re working in a small business, you touch all aspects, from the leasing to HR to benefits to the customer experience, and it instills in you a culture of accountability and ownership. And Fidelity has that culture and really reflects those same principles of maintaining an enterprise perspective and a long-term view of what success looks like.
What experiences or lessons from your career have had the most impact on your approach to leadership and decision-making in your current role as CFO?
As a leader, it’s critical to remember that people can (and do!) change, and they deserve the opportunity to demonstrate that. I’ve found that we tend to remember only certain parts of our interactions with somebody, whether negative or positive. But your original perspective of someone shouldn’t be something that clouds your future interactions with them. Especially as a leader, you should give people the opportunity to show that they’ve grown or changed. I’ve certainly been given that opportunity and I’ve always appreciated it. As a result, this is something I prioritize in my own interactions and as part of coaching and mentoring others.
Fidelity Brokerage has grown significantly in recent years. What key strategies have you implemented as CFO to support this growth, and how do you prioritize long-term financial stability?
When it comes to decision making, it’s so important to make sure your teams understand the overall business strategy and how their work aligns to and supports that strategy. By doing so, your teams will be better positioned to help drive your mission and priorities if you take the time to explain where you’re headed and why.
I believe my role as CFO is to help the business make good, fact-based decisions by clarifying the objective and outcome we want to achieve, as well as the “countermeasures” – the potential unintended consequences of any decision. At the core of our decision making is always our customers – how can we support them, deliver an exceptional experience and help meet their evolving financial needs.
As a female leader in a traditionally male-dominated field, what has been your experience navigating your career in finance, and what advice would you give to other women aspiring to leadership positions in the industry?
I’ve been fortunate to have built my career at Fidelity, which is a place with a diverse group of leaders and plenty of opportunity. I would suggest to anyone looking to be a leader to find a company that shares your values and has a culture that fits your goals and leadership style. Fidelity has a long history of innovation, customer obsession, doing the right thing, and maintaining a long-term view – all things that are important to me.
My advice to women looking to be leaders in the financial industry is to set goals and make a plan to achieve those goals. Don’t be afraid to pursue new areas if they could help you get closer to your goals. Throughout my career, I’ve looked for opportunities that have allowed me to leverage my strengths, but also allowed me to learn and do something new.
Don’t be afraid to take risks- but make sure you’re taking smart, intelligent, and calculated risks. Especially when you’re early on in your career, take advantage of the opportunities that will give you a chance to stretch and grow.
Last, make sure to advocate for yourself. Actively manage and seek out your next move, looking for the opportunities that will help you grow in order to achieve your next goal. A great way to do this is by reaching out to colleagues in different roles or other areas of the organization that may interest you – you never know what might come from a conversation!
Fidelity’s reputation for employee culture is strong. How do you, as CFO, contribute to cultivating a culture of innovation and accountability within the organization?
Innovation and accountability really go hand-in-hand. With a strong cultural foundation where associates feel pride of ownership for their work, we can think bigger and look forward to identifying opportunities to innovate and improve our business.
Because the finance organization is deeply embedded within the business, we are uniquely positioned as a partner to help our business leaders make strategic decisions that capitalize on opportunities for innovation and growth, with customers and their needs always at the center of our strategy.
It helps that Fidelity leaders regularly spend time with associates throughout the organization, building a shared understanding of how our individual work connects to the broader business strategy. We also see a strong connection between our client-facing teams and our business leaders, which helps us ensure our work is prioritized to meet current and future customer needs.
Looking ahead, what do you think the future holds for the brokerage industry in the next 5-10 years? What steps is Fidelity taking to stay at the forefront of these changes?
I’m energized by the opportunities ahead in the brokerage industry, and feel privileged to be a part of Fidelity’s journey supporting self-directed investors through the changing landscape. The pace of change in how traders access markets and invest over the last two decades has been unparalleled, and I expect this will only continue. My colleagues and I at Fidelity will continue to listen to and understand the needs of our customers as they navigate new investing opportunities, faster access to information, and near-instant reactions by the markets to global events.
How does Fidelity support investors throughout different phases in their financial journeys?
We know that every investor’s journey looks different, and that insight is really critical to how we design our offerings. Fidelity is uniquely positioned to support all investors, no matter where they are on their journeys, thanks to the breadth of our business. Whether someone started out investing with their workplace retirement plan and are now ready to save and invest outside of a retirement account, or they’ve been trading for years and need the next best platform for advanced charting, our retail teams are dedicated to meeting those needs.
As you continue to grow in your career, what are some areas you’re focusing on personally to continue evolving as a leader and CFO?
I always want to be learning and listening. I’m a big advocate of developing a personal learning agenda that helps deliver what you need to be successful, which can be helpful both in your personal and professional life.
In the near term, I’m focused on remaining customer obsessed. It’s so important to find ways to stay close to the customer, whether spending time directly with customers or customer-facing associates to make sure we’re delivering value for them. I personally spend a few hours every month joining calls with customers so I can hear directly from customers about what they want and how we can help them, and I encourage my team to do the same.
I’m also committed to mentoring and coaching associates throughout the organization. I’ve been fortunate to have great mentors throughout my own career and this is something that I think is critically important as a leader – taking time to invest in the development and growth of future leaders.
People work hard and bring so much energy to their work – it’s critical to recognize and share appreciation for their contributions as often as possible.
KYC and Adverse Media Screening: What Risks are Lurking in the Shadows?
By Steve Marshall, Director, Advisory Services, FinScan, an Innovative Systems Solution
In the ever-evolving world of business risks, Know Your Customer (KYC) remains the cornerstone of uncovering reputational and financial harm that may occur in the future. But as information sources become increasingly diverse KYC verification methods might not be enough, and “set it and forget it” doesn’t work anymore. Enter adverse media screening—KYC’s secret weapon for uncovering hidden risks and bolstering your anti-money laundering (AML) defenses.
Adverse media screening is all about avoiding risky business relationships. But it’s not always easy. With the flood of information out there, not only can the initial process feel like finding a needle in a haystack, but continuous monitoring can be overwhelming. Luckily, technology is stepping in to make the process smoother and more effective.
Adverse media screening: shining a light on customer risk
Imagine a customer who passes all the standard KYC checks: ID verified, address confirmed, source of funds seemingly legitimate, etc. Yet, beneath the surface lurks a direct or indirect web of past financial or criminal misconduct documented only in news articles. Adverse media screening steps in, systematically scanning a vast array of sources—news websites, regulatory databases, public records—to unearth negative information that traditional KYC checks might not capture as customers don’t self-report. This may include:
By uncovering such red flags, adverse media screening offers invaluable insights into a customer’s true risk profile, empowering firms to make informed decisions.
Adverse media screening also helps organizations comply with international sanctions regimes, as they may assist in identifying individuals or entities that are in some way related to the customer or transaction. Those individuals or entities may be sanctioned and, therefore, may impact the risk associated with the customer or transaction. Both the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) advocate for these searches as an effective approach to managing risks in this domain.
The challenges of adverse media screening
Adverse media screening sounds simple, right? Just check the news for anything shady about a client or a company during onboarding. But in reality, it’s much more complicated. Customers are living organisms, and what might seem fine during initial checks can change as questionable dealings could surface months later.
Here are a few hurdles organizations face:
How adverse media screening strengthens business practices
Addressing these challenges with a strong adverse media screening solution can help organizations spot risks early on, enabling them to proactively detect red flags before they become major problems, as well as facilitating continuous monitoring of clients to catch any emerging risks. Companies are also aided in their compliance efforts, with global regulators expecting firms to do more than just basic background checks. Going beyond compliance, adverse media screening helps companies protect their reputation by steering clear of risky business partners—even if regulations allow them to do business.
Adverse media screening should integrate seamlessly with KYC processes that unveil hidden risks byexposing associations with criminal activity or terrorist financing, allowing organizations to take necessary precautions. These processes should enhance due diligence by providing information that clients themselves don’t provide for KYC verification, ensuring a more comprehensive customer profile. And of course, they should also meet regulatory requirements by emphasizing the need for ongoing monitoring of customers.
Elevate KYC by building trust
A strong KYC program is no longer just about ticking boxes. By incorporating adverse media screening into AML and KYC frameworks, firms gain a powerful tool to proactively identify risks, enhance due diligence, and ultimately, safeguard institutions from financial crime. A robust KYC program with adverse media screening at its core is not just about AML compliance—it’s about building trust and protecting the integrity of the financial system.