Experience · Now

Divisional Executive: Front-Office Transformation

Twenty-seven years in investment technology, from writing the systems to leading the change that replaces them.

I led the replacement of the platform an investment front office runs on, and now lead its stabilisation and the operating model around it. In parallel I lead the firm’s AI adoption agenda.

Employer: STANLIB, an asset manager
Since: October 2023
Reports to: The Chief Operating Officer
In the field: 27 years
Based in: Cape Town
LinkedIn: Adriaan Mostert on LinkedIn

Every side of an investment platform

I have worked on every side of an investment platform. I wrote the code, supported the users, owned the product and ran it as a service. Now I buy and implement platforms as the accountable executive.

1998Wrote the code2005Supported the users2014Owned the product2018Ran it as a service2023Buys and implementsMarch 1998 to December 1998January 1999 to December 2004January 2005 to February 2007March 2007 to October 2007November 2007 to December 2013January 2014 to June 2018July 2018 to November 2020November 2020 to March 2021March 2021 to March 2022March 2022 to September 2023October 2023 to PresentRolesThe AI adoption agenda

1998Wrote the code2005Supported the users2014Owned the product2018Ran it as a service2023March 1998 to December 1998January 1999 to December 2004January 2005 to February 2007March 2007 to October 2007November 2007 to December 2013January 2014 to June 2018July 2018 to November 2020November 2020 to March 2021March 2021 to March 2022March 2022 to September 2023October 2023 to PresentRolesThe AI adoption agendaBuys and implements

Since October 2023
Buys and implements

At STANLIB the mandate is to replace the legacy order management system with a new investment platform and build the operating model around it, under board and executive governance; I own planning, delivery and the implementation budget. The platform has gone live and the legacy system has since been retired, and my work on the programme is now stabilisation and the operating model.
2018 to 2023
Ran it as a service

From July 2018 I ran thinkFolio as a managed service in the cloud, on AWS, and from November 2020 the cloud services and operations function across WSO, EDM and thinkFolio. I led that function through the merger into S&P Global Market Intelligence until September 2023, with a team of about twenty across six countries.
2014 to 2018
Owned the product

At Markit I owned thinkFolio product analysis and design for institutional clients across EMEA: requirements, implementations and product development.
2005 to 2013
Supported the users

I looked after the front office applications in daily use at Investec Asset Management (now Ninety One), and in 2007 implemented the CADIS enterprise data management platform at Allan Gray. From November 2007 to December 2013 I ran Southern African support for thinkFolio: implementations, FIX trading integration, cash management, order management and modelling.
1998 to 2004
Wrote the code

My first job, at Attio Corporation, was building a property management system. At Investec Asset Management I built front office applications end to end, including the thinkFolio front office integration that started a thread of about twenty years.

Roles and dates

Every role carries its start and end month, newest first.

Every role, with employer and start and end month, newest first
Role	Employer	From	To
Divisional Executive: Front-Office Transformation	STANLIB	October 2023	Present
Head of cloud services, operations and platform	S&P Global Market Intelligence	March 2022	September 2023
Executive director, head of cloud services, operations and platform	IHS Markit	March 2021	March 2022
Director, head of cloud services, operations and platform	IHS Markit	November 2020	March 2021
Head of thinkFolio managed services	IHS Markit	July 2018	November 2020
Product analysis and design director, thinkFolio, product specialist EMEA	Markit	January 2014	June 2018
Head of Southern African support	thinkFolio	November 2007	December 2013
Data integration	Allan Gray	March 2007	October 2007
Operational support, front office	Investec Asset Management	January 2005	February 2007
Software analysis and design	Investec Asset Management	January 1999	December 2004
Systems analyst and developer	Attio Corporation	March 1998	December 1998

Domain expertise

I read code, schemas and system designs directly, because I wrote them, and turn the trade-off into a decision an executive can stand behind.

Investment platforms and the operating models around them: front office, middle office and the service providers in between
Front office systems: order management, portfolio modelling, FIX trading integration and cash management
Enterprise data management and data integration
Cloud managed services and operations, on AWS
Platform delivery under board and executive governance, owning planning, delivery and the implementation budget
AI adoption in a firm: use cases, guardrails and pilots, with productivity and the responsible use of data as the test

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