Can you give us an insight into your personal journey into the asset services industry, why did you decide this was the career for you?
When I first entered the financial services industry, I knew I wanted to work in finance, but I did not yet have a full appreciation of the breadth of roles and opportunities available within it.
What I did know was that I had a naturally analytical mindset, a strong interest in data and analytics, and a genuine fascination with financial markets. I was particularly drawn to how interconnected everything is and how global events, economic shifts and behavioural factors all feed into market outcomes.
Given that uncertainty, my personal journey began on a consulting graduate programme. That route allowed me to enter an industry I was passionate about while giving me the space to better understand where my skills and interests were best aligned.
Since that first role, my career has been shaped less by following a rigid plan and more by embracing opportunities as they presented themselves.
Over time, this led me into Capital Markets, where for the past eight years I have become a specialist in Transaction Cost Analysis (TCA) and how this data can be leveraged to deliver actionable insights. During my four years at a TCA provider, I developed a deep understanding of trading behaviour across asset classes and how analytics can be used to improve outcomes for asset managers and asset owners.
Transitioning into asset servicing through my role at Northern Trust felt like a natural progression.
It has allowed me to combine my market-facing experience with a broader, more strategic view of how data, execution and servicing work together to support clients holistically.
What ultimately makes this career the right fit for me is the constant evolution of the industry and of data analytics technology, and how asset servicing sits at the intersection of markets, technology and client outcomes, which continues to challenge and motivate me — facing experience with a broader, more strategic view of how data, execution, and servicing work together to support clients holistically.
What aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?
I enjoy translating complex data into insights that have a real, tangible impact. My role allows me to work closely with trading teams and clients, analysing trading data across asset classes and using analytics to help them better understand execution performance and identify areas for improvement over time.
I also value the collaborative nature of the role. Working across internal teams and directly with clients, including asset managers, asset owners, and hedge funds, means every day brings a different perspective. Providing analytical feedback and data-driven solutions that support better decision making can have a meaningful impact on client outcomes.
I particularly enjoy identifying an area for improvement, implementing a change, and then being able to quantify the positive impact-driven solutions that support better decision-making can have a meaningful impact on client outcomes.
Being fairly new to the industry, how do you find your experience compares to those who are more established? Are there pros and cons to each?
The concept of using TCA is still relatively new within the industry, which has allowed me to become a specialist in a niche area of market analytics. As a result, I am able to bring a fresh, data driven perspective and help educate those I work with on how to better leverage the powerful data they already have available to them.
With technology continually evolving, and the introduction of tools such as AI, being newer to the industry often means having greater exposure to modern tools and methodologies, without the need to unlearn established processes.
More established professionals naturally bring a depth of institutional and market knowledge, as well as invaluable historical context. Their lived experience and understanding of how markets have evolved over time enables them to share insights that are critical for less established colleagues.
At the same time, those newer to the industry can encourage curiosity and challenge existing ways of thinking that may have become stagnant. I believe the strongest teams are those that successfully blend experience with fresh perspectives as that is where innovation really happens.
Have you noticed any misconceptions about the asset servicing industry? Is there anything in the industry you would like to see evolve or change?
One common misconception about asset servicing is that it is purely operational or back office focused. In reality, it plays a critical strategic role in enabling investment decision-making, improving efficiency, and delivering better outcomes for clients-office focused. In reality, it plays a critical strategic role in enabling investment decision-making, improving efficiency, and delivering better outcomes for clients.
In my role I am fortunate to collaborate with a wide range of experts across the industry. This has allowed me to develop a much broader understanding of the asset servicing landscape, extending well beyond TCA and highlighting how interconnected the different components of the investment lifecycle truly are.
Looking ahead, I would like to see continued evolution around data integration and transparency. The industry has access to vast amounts of information and there is significant potential in better connecting datasets across the investment lifecycle to drive deeper insight, automation, and greater value for clients.
If implemented effectively, advances in technology could deliver more meaningful insights for trading teams and clients, leading to improved performance outcomes and increased efficiency across both trading and data analytics.
What is the training process of a new employee? Do you think it was beneficial to your role and others who may now be in the same position you were?
The training process for my graduate role as a consultant was a structured 16-week programme, similar in style to university study. It included formal training in banking and markets, alongside project management, and professional skills.
Once the programme was completed, the focus shifted to hands-on experience.
This approach provided a strong grounding in both the technical and operational aspects of the role and created a solid foundation for those entering a corporate financial environment for the first time, similar in style to university study. It included formal training in banking and markets, alongside project management and professional skills.
Following my initial role, training in subsequent positions has been less structured, with learning primarily delivered through hands-on experience and on-the-job development.
For someone moving into asset servicing, particularly from a different area of financial services, this approach can be extremely beneficial. It helps build confidence quickly and ensures new employees understand how their role fits into the wider organisation and client offering.
It also encourages two-way learning and collaboration, allowing prior experience to be recognised and effectively applied within the new role-on experience and on-the-job development.
In terms of your career, where do you see yourself in a decade?
Over the next decade, I see myself continuing to grow as a leader within data and analytics, building and developing a larger team and expanding the scope of analytics beyond TCA into a broader capital markets context. A key focus for me will be enabling teams to deliver deeper, more holistic insights that support trading and investment decision-making across asset classes-making across asset classes.
While equities analytics are relatively mature, other asset classes such as fixed income and foreign exchange present more complex challenges due to the fragmented and less transparent nature of the data.
I am particularly interested in being at the forefront of developing new methodologies and analytical approaches for these asset classes, with the aim of delivering the same level of insight, impact and consistency that is now expected in equities.
Ultimately, I would like to be in a position where I am helping shape how advanced analytics is embedded across asset servicing and capital markets more broadly, combining strong leadership, innovative use of data and technology and a clear focus on improving outcomes for both trading teams and clients.
What advice would you give to young graduates when entering the financial services field?
Remain open-minded and curious. The industry is vast, and early on it is unlikely that you will fully understand the breadth of roles and opportunities available and that is completely normal. Rather than feeling pressure to have a fixed career plan from the outset, it is more important to focus on building strong foundational skills and gaining exposure to different areas of the industry.
Developing analytical and data-driven skills is increasingly important across all parts of financial services, regardless of role. At the same time, understanding how markets work and different functions are interconnected will help set you apart.
Seeking out opportunities to learn, asking questions and finding mentors who are willing to share their experience can make a significant difference — driven skills are increasingly important across all parts of financial services, regardless of role.
It is important to be willing to embrace opportunities as they arise, even if they do not align perfectly with your original plan.
Some of the most valuable career moves come from roles that stretch and expose you to new ways of thinking.
Adaptability and a willingness to continuously learn are key to building a rewarding and sustainable career in financial services.
Finally, as someone who did not come from a traditional finance background or a highly targeted university, I could not have predicted ten years ago, when I was starting my career, that I would be in a leadership role within the asset servicing space.
What I have learnt over the past 10 years is that passion, drive and a genuine desire to learn are often underestimated, yet they can take you a long way in this industry.
Everyone you look up to had to learn what they know today and staying motivated and committed to learning is often half the battle. With that mindset, you are capable of achieving far more than you might initially expect.
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J.P. Morgan
J.P. Morgan
Image: Northern Trust 
