Sionic and global SaaS provider Clearwater Analytics have announced the launch of a Europe-wide survey of the asset management industry. The survey explores the state of readiness and current state of disclosure reporting around Sustainable Financial Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) and ESG (environmental, social and governance) transparency initiatives.
Aimed at Europe’s leading asset managers and asset owners, the survey results will be used to create a benchmarking industry white paper that will guide best practice and give an overall industry view on state of readiness for SFDR and other transparency reporting initiatives. The final report is due to be published in May 2021.
Both the survey and white paper have been commissioned by Clearwater Analytics and will be conducted and authored by Clare Vincent Silk from Sionic’s specialist Asset Management Practice.
The survey runs throughout March, and among a number of detailed questions, asks asset managers and owners to consider:
- What do asset owners require from asset managers to support their ESG investment reporting activities?
- How are asset managers preparing for ESG and reporting requirements, such as SFDR and Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)?
- How mature are the change programmes?
- What does best practice look like?
Robert Keller, Head of Product, Investment Management at Clearwater Analytics comments:
“ESG product inflows represented around half of all European fund sales in 2020. This growth, together with forthcoming regulatory changes to improve transparency around sustainable investments, is pressuring the asset management industry into undertaking major change programmes. It is imperative that individuals know what actions to prioritise and how to ensure they are keeping up with best practice.”
Clare Vincent-Silk comments,
“We know from anecdotal evidence that, inevitably, states of readiness are patchy. What this survey and consequent white paper will do is provide a set of detailed metrics against which firms can use both as a framework for action and also as a benchmarking study.”
- Take part: asset managers and asset owners interested in being included in the survey should register their interest here or contact Clare Vincent Silk.
- Media contacts interested in receiving embargoed copies of the findings in advance of the May publication date should contact Gareth Cameron at Sionic, or Gail Marold at Clearwater Analytics, as below.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
- Clearwater Analytics is a global industry-leading SaaS solution for automated investment data aggregation, reconciliation, accounting, and reporting. Each day, the Clearwater solution reports on more than $5.5 trillion in assets for clients that include leading insurers, asset managers, corporations, pension plans, governments, and non-profit organizations – helping investment professionals across 50 countries make the most of their investment portfolio data with a world-class product and client-centric servicing.
- Sionic is a global consulting firm specialising in financial services. The firm’s specialist Asset Management Practice helps leading asset managers, pension funds, insurers and service providers to transform their operating model, technology enablers and strategy, with expertise in end-to-end operating model design; outsourcing strategy and implementation for the front, middle and back-office; regulatory change; market research; benchmarking; product strategy and development; post-merger integration; and data management strategy, system selection and implementation.
- Clare Vincent-Silk is a specialist in operations, technology and regulation. She works with a range of asset managers and asset owners on strategy definition, new operating model design, technology and service provider selection, transformation and change.
Media contacts
- For Clearwater: Gail Marold, Director of Corporate Communications and PR +1 919 229 9141
- For Sionic: Gareth Cameron, Director of Marketing & Communications + 44 (0) 7942 264 020
