www.wealthandfinance-news.com Q4 2022 &wealth finance i n t e r n a t i o n a l Featuring: Plienegger & Partner: Most Innovative Online Sales Training Platform 2022
www.wealthandfinance-news.com 2 Wealth & Finance International - Q4 2022 Editor’s Comment Welcome to the Q4 edition of Wealth & Finance International Magazine. As always, with every issue we endeavour to provide fund managers, alongside institutional and private investors with the very latest industry news in the traditional and alternative investment spheres. As we find ourselves in the final quarter of 2022, there’s no denying the rollercoaster that this financial year has been, for example with the economic slowdown and cost of living crisis in the UK. The world of wealth and finance is fastpaced, and indeed turbulent at times – but businesses within the industry remain passionate and determined to help their clients through their financial struggles and to look after their wealth. The companies continue to press ahead, despite any challenges that may arise, driving innovation and exceeding expectations, all while keeping clients’ best interests at heart and doing all they can to make their lives easier. From property investment firms, investment advisers, hedge fund managers, and management consultancies, to capital markets communications and online sales training platforms, these companies are focused on streamlining their processes and therefore delivering outstanding services, with the help of cutting-edge technology. In this issue of Wealth & Finance International Magazine, we zone in on the businesses that show their dedication, expertise, and resilience every single day. We hope you enjoy exploring the success stories of our award-winning businesses. We wish you all the best for the quarter ahead and look forward to welcoming you back for our 2023 Q1 issue. Sofi Bajor, Editor AI Global Media, Ltd. (AI) takes reasonable measures to ensure the quality of the information on this web site. However, AI will not assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, correctness or completeness of any information that is available through this web site. If errors are brought to our attention, we will try to correct them. The information available through the website and our partner publications is for your general information and use and is not intended to address any particular finance or investment requirements. In particular, the information does not constitute any form of advice or recommendation by us or any of our partner publications and is not intended to be relied upon by users in making or refraining from making any investment or financial decisions. Appropriate independent advice should be obtained before making any such decision. Any arrangement made between you and any third party named in the site is at your sole risk and responsibility.
Wealth & Finance International - Q4 2022 3 4. News - Evelyn Partners recruits new Partner as Head of Fraud and Financial Crime to lead Forensic investigations - Planning to treat your staff this Christmas? Here’s what you need to know about tax 6. O.B.S. Sales Services Ltd: Best Crypto/ Blockchain VC Fund: Crypto VCF: Blockchain Opportunity Fund & Best Emerging Crypto Fund Managers - USA 7. Calla Property Pty Ltd: Best Investment Property Specialists - NSW 8. Plienegger & Partner: Most Innovative Online Sales Training Platform 2022 9. Beyond Investing: Going Above and Beyond 10. DiligenceVault: Best Due Diligence & Analysis Software Solutions Provider 2022 11. TraditionDATA: Best Financial Market Data & Analytics Provider – TraditionDATA 12. AEI Capital: Best Private Equity Investment Group - East Asia 14. Woodworth Contrarian Fund: Best ValueBased Hedge Fund (YTD): Woodworth Contrarian Stock & Bond Fund & Best Contrarian Hedge Fund Manager – USA 15. Q4 Inc.: Best Capital Markets Communications Platform 2022 16. JLB Management Consultancy: Management Consultancy Firm of the Year 2022 – Australia 17. UK Business Consulting: Best London Market Entry & Foreign Business Development Consultancy 2022 18. bfinance: Most Innovative Investment Consulting Firm 2022 - London 19. Lifestyle Money Management: Best Alternative Investment Advisors - South Australia 20. Architas Limited: Best Global MultiManager Investment Company 2022 & Best Fixed Income Investment Fund (1 Year): Architas Flexible Bond 21. Icoinic Capital: Best Crypto-Asset Fund Manager 2022 Contents
www.wealthandfinance-news.com 4 Wealth & Finance International - Q4 2022 Evelyn Partners Recruits New Partner as Head of Fraud and Financial Crime to Lead Forensic Investigations Leading UK professional services firm Evelyn Partners today revealed a significant move to strengthen its Forensic Services team with the appointment of Annabel Kerley FCA as Head of Fraud and Financial Crime. As a Partner specialising in investigations Annabel will build and grow Evelyn Partners’ Forensic Services practice, working closely with David Alexander, Head of Forensic Services, and John Holden, Head of Forensic Technology. Evelyn Partners is the UK’s leading integrated professional services and wealth management group – having been formed from the merger of Smith & Williamson and Tilney - looking after clients’ combined wealth and tax needs both personal and business. Annabel is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants England and Wales and a former senior investigator at the Serious Fraud Office and Financial Conduct Authority. She joins from boutique forensic firm StoneTurn where she notably founded the London investigations practice, and previous to that held a senior position at EY. During her 20-year career Annabel has led investigations into asset misappropriation, employee misconduct, financial misstatement, sanctions breaches, market abuse and misleading statements in civil, regulatory and criminal contexts. She has helped clients across multiple sectors navigate high-stakes investigations into complex multi-million cross-border fraud, bribery and corruption cases. In addition, Annabel has in-depth experience of private prosecutions and is currently Chair of the Private Prosecutors’ Association. She also has extensive experience in Monitorships having led the Compliance and AntiFinancial Crime workstreams for the Department of Justice / SEC-appointed Monitor to a global bank subject to a Deferred Prosecution Agreement. David Alexander said: “With financial crime on the rise, organisations operating today increasingly require specialist forensic support to protect value in their business. Annabel offers unique expertise gained across a wide range of geographies, industries and regulators to help clients mitigate the impact of fraud and misconduct. Annabel’s ability to lead multi-disciplinary teams and deploy the latest forensic technology and forensic accounting techniques make her a valuable addition to the Evelyn Partners team.” Annabel adds: “I am thrilled to be joining Evelyn Partners at this exciting time in the firm’s growth journey. It is a full-service accounting firm with a highlyregarded Forensics practice and an extensive international footprint as a founding member of the CLA Global network. “Its agile, partner-led and conflict-free service sets it apart in the market. I look forward to working with the Forensic team and wider firm to support clients navigating high-stakes economic crime issues.”
Wealth & Finance International - Q4 2022 5 Planning to Treat Your Staff this Christmas? Here’s What You Need to Know About Tax As the Christmas party season gets into full swing, companies across the country will be enjoying a well-deserved get together following a two-year hiatus. For businesses hoping to treat their staff this Christmas, then there are tax rules they should be aware of. Craig Harman, a tax specialist at Perrys Chartered Accountants, explains: “For businesses arranging client and staff entertainment, training, and events, or planning to give their staff gifts, the rules on taxation can be somewhat unclear. Showing your appreciation to highly valued clients and hardworking staff is important, so organising an event, like a Christmas party, or rewarding them with a gift, is part and parcel of maintaining and building relationships and boosting team morale. However, while some expenses will be tax deductible, others aren’t.” So, what are the rules for Christmas parties and employee presents, and what do business owners need to know if they’re planning to treat their staff? Craig continues: “Whether you are a small business that is organising a quiet meal out for two or three people or arranging an extravagant party for multiple staff, these are generally tax-deductible expenses – meaning you can deduct these from your profits before tax. “However, the cost of the dinner, function or party must be less than £150 per head. If the cost exceeds this, and this includes not just the venue hire and bar bill, but the cost of providing transport and overnight accommodation too, then it will be considered as a taxable benefit in kind and must be included on an employee’s P11d form.” There are other rules that apply to staff entertainment as outlined below: • This £150 limit is an exemption and not an allowance, which means if the overall cost of the party amounts to £151 per head, the whole amount will be taxable as a benefit in kind (not simply the £1 excess) • The limit applies to the entire tax year, not to individual events. Therefore, employers need to ensure the combined cost of all events is less than £150 per head • The function or party must be open to all employees or all of those in a particular area - smaller team dinners will not be tax deductible • The exemption is only available for annual events, such as a Christmas party - ad hoc staff meals throughout the year are unlikely to qualify for exemption If the function fails to meet the above conditions, and is therefore taxable, employers can enter into a PAYE Settlement Agreement (PSA) with HMRC to pay the tax on behalf of their employees. There is some good news though, says Craig: “The £150 limit can also include a spouse or partner, so if a business wants to be even more generous, then the overall limit is effectively doubled.” Christmas gifts to staff may also be exempt from tax and NI up to £50 under the trivial benefit exemption, so non-cash gifts or vouchers can be given to reward staff for their hard work all year. Craig added: “If you’re feeling generous, giving additional time off for Christmas shopping or to watch the school play also has no tax implications.”
www.wealthandfinance-news.com 6 Wealth & Finance International - Q4 2022 O.B.S. Sales Services Ltd O.B.S. provides full-blown outsourced sales and business development consultancy and execution services to software houses, consultancies and service providers operating in the financial technology sector. Growing organically through word of mouth and supporting a diverse client base, O.B.S.’ clients trust it to provide innovative, class-leading outsourced sales and business development services. Founder and CEO, Richard Waller worked in the early 2000s as a sales and business development executive in the burgeoning financial services software and technology market. During this time, he noticed a material gap in the market for a high-end, specialist sales/business development agency which could deliver the type of outsourced services he believed the market in this area truly deserved. Following his instinct, Richard founded O.B.S. and the agency has never looked back. O.B.S specialises in the creation, management and closure of sales prospects. It assists its clients by providing comprehensive outsourcing services to complement either existing sales and business development programmes or to provide complete, fully tailored outsourced solutions as required. O.B.S.’ services are delivered only by seasoned FinTech sales practitioners with, crucially, direct, prior financial services/markets first-phase careers specifically on the business side including banker, trader, OTC derivatives broker, sales, sales-trader, risk manager, etc. The ability to look its clients’ target markets in the eye and indeed approach them as peers - because that’s what it is - is paramount and a key component to how it successfully delivers its services. The agency’s services range from “O.B.S. Pipeline Generation Services” - helping take its clients into new prospective customers within an already established market vertical - to providing full blown, end-to-end sales and business development outsourcing solutions. And all flavours in between. Its track record in helping take clients into new markets both from a proposition and geographical perspective is second to none. O.B.S. works with all shapes and sizes of clients, ranging from established multinational financial software houses to smaller shops looking to scale beyond their initial charter clients. It also frequently works with non-UK domiciled firms looking to gain a foothold and develop business within the UK financial services market. Common to all is helping them grow top line revenue by winning new sales. An O.B.S. originated new customer win for one of its clients is the biggest buzz there is. O.B.S.’ mantra is excellence and to be class leading in all the flavours of services the agency provides for its clients. Going the extra mile for its clients is a given and one that can be testified to. In terms of the outlook for the agency, it is business as usual in these ever-challenging times. O.B.S. continues to work tightly with its present clients to deliver best in class service while working with new clients as they arise. Strategically, the aim going forward is to continue to scale at a contained rate and work with clients who truly ‘get’ the agency’s rationale, value proposition and how it fits in. Richard is also interested to now extend the agency’s presence overseas and is presently exploring options to this effect. Additionally, with O.B.S.’ deep experience in working with many leading financial software houses over its history, the agency has recently extended a new, standalone advisory service to the market. Over its many years of operation, it has accrued first-hand deep insight into how successful business development/sales engines work within the space. It knows what they look like and what it takes. This advisory service might suit both smaller houses looking to move beyond start-up phase and put in place a more systematic business development/sales infrastructure and larger houses looking to sanity check their operations in this area by seeking a third-party view. Winning the 2022 Wealth & Finance International award for ‘Best Outsourced Business Development Services Agency” from AI Global Media is a true accolade and affirmation for the agency. It is one it deeply appreciates. As O.B.S. begins its next phase of growth, it is helping its clients grow which will always be its principal driver. And as said, its greatest buzz. Company: O.B.S. Sales Services Ltd Contact: Richard Waller, Founder & CEO Email: [email protected] Website: www.obs-sales-services.com Sep22195 Founded back in May 2007 and headquartered in London, O.B.S. Sales Services Ltd (‘O.B.S.’) is a unique, specialist high-end agency in the FinTech sector. Best Crypto/Blockchain VC Fund: Crypto VCF: Blockchain Opportunity Fund & Best Emerging Crypto Fund Managers - USA
Wealth & Finance International - Q4 2022 7 Best Investment Property Specialists - NSW 20 years back, the research methodology that underpins Calla Property Pty Ltd, an accessible Australian property investment firm, was created. The company works closely with its clients to bring their dreams to life, and as a result, it has cultivated a highly diverse clientele. Join us as we speak to Managing Director, Susan Farquhar, and learn more about the innovative business. Over the course of two decades, Susan Farquhar has devised an effective research methodology that is used to identify impeccable properties for investors based on their specific wealth creation strategies. Since 2014, Calla Property has helped 100s of clients to create robust and diverse property portfolios that typically amass three to six properties within the first five years. The company name CALLA stands for the people in my family who support me in business and life,’ explains Susan. ‘It was the first core value as it was a daily reminder, that if I wouldn’t recommend a property to my family, then I couldn’t recommend it to an investor. Many of my clients have become like family and just last week, one of my investor couples, who have invested in 4 properties in just 3 years, sent me and my team a video of their first dance at their wedding.’ Henceforth, this value has not only become a fundamental factor in Susan’s mission, but it has also strongly impacted the way in which Calla Property operates. The company is guided by a motto that Susan created – ‘Building Your Dreams’ – and this simply explains why the company does what it does. It begins with the client’s vision, and then it works to achieve this for the client. In order to effectively match its clients’ goals, Calla Property analyses 100s of data points that direct it to the ‘right property, in the right place, at the right time.’ Beginning with economic data, Calla Property ensures that it asks a range of questions: Is the economy strong and diversified? Who are the major employers and what are their short, medium and long-term goals in regard to growth and diversification? Additionally, it looks at employment, particularly in terms of unemployment rates and how they compare to other regions. Then Calla Property shifts into analysing the population and demographic trends, potential infrastructure projects in the area, and money supply. Susan explains this process, stating that, ‘the naissance of this research was due to me investing Aug22548 in the wrong properties when I was in my 20s. We often hear that you will always make money out of property, however what I didn’t understand is that if you don’t have the cashflow to support it, you will never be able to hold onto the property for long enough to realise strong capital growth.’ Supported by this approach, the company provides its clients with an unmatched service. Most of Calla clients are ordinary Australians with average incomes, subverting the stereotype of only wealthy people having property portfolios. Its clients range from 23 to 84 years of age, with some using the service to get their start in life and some using it as an investment for their retirement. For example, the company’s oldest client, an 84-year-old man, used his retirement funds to invest debt-free in a high cash-flow property that netted seven times what he was earning from his pension funds. The company’s team play an integral role in the success of the business; the staff ensure that the business runs smoothly. In just 15 months, the team has grown from one person to 11, with employees spanning two countries and two Australian states, and as a result, they work entirely remotely. Therefore, it is imperative that the company maintains a strong and cohesive internal culture. It has accomplished this through technological innovation – including the development of a platform of integrated apps that aid communication, automation, workflows, checklists, templates, alerts, and reporting. In turn, there is a greater standard of accountability and there has been an increase in efficiency, meaning that meetings are shorter and more focused and that there is more time for connection. Susan has great hopes for Calla Property’s future: ‘next year, I’ll be able to hand over the day-today operations of the company and I will focus on building more offerings to our clients. This will include new product types to invest in, more education and more research. Next year, will see another year of growth where I expect to double the team and continue to add value to a property platform I’m developing.’ Indeed, Calla Property will continue its purpose of ‘Building Your Dreams’ for both its clients and employees. Contact: Susan Farquhar Company: Calla Property Pty Ltd Email: mailto:[email protected] Web Address: www.callaproperty.com.au
www.wealthandfinance-news.com 8 Wealth & Finance International - Q4 2022 Most Innovative Online Sales Training Platform 2022 At the forefront of the online sales training platform industry stands salestrainerplatform.com, an innovative site developed by Plienegger & Partner. From contemporary micro training courses to quizzes, the company has based its content on the LAB Profile® for Sales, meaning that customers receive a unique insight into and education on the sales industry. Operating as a state-of-the-art learning platform for mobile, salestrainerplatform.com provides effective sales training and education based on the LAB Profile® for Sales. Through the platform, clients can partake in sales training through either an online format – for which they will receive micro training, quizzes, downloads, and more – or a hybrid concept, with some sessions taking place either onsite or live-online. As such, salestrainerplatform.com is able to deliver standardised training sessions and bespoke programmes as well. A main focus that the company has is working with independent trainers, providing them with the chance to offer highly scalable and powerful learning tools to their corporate clients. In turn, salestrainerplatform.com can leverage this exposure to target corporate clients on an international scale. salestrainerplatform.com is unique in this sense, as it is equipped to roll out bespoke training courses on a large scale without the delays that many platforms face. Technologically advanced and tuned into the industry, it is clear to see why the company has such a great advantage over its competitors. The company’s team play a significant role in ensuring that this process runs smoothly. salestrainerplatform.com has cultivated an internal culture that encourages active participation, and as a result, its team are highly collaborative, taking part in every single project and creating new and exciting ideas. Innovation is fundamental. Staff members are experts within their fields, and therefore, they understand how to produce courses that are engaging, motivating, and of course, educational. With the Covid-19 pandemic creating a boom in business, Plienegger & Partner have ambitious plans for the future of salestrainerplatform.com. It is continuously working on optimising its current offerings, with courses being developed to remain up to date with current sales trends. In addition, the company has plans to further expand the business, leveraging its post-Covid success to roll out a global trainer certification programme. The intended result of such a programme would be to onboard more trainers. Consequently, salestrainerplatform.com would be able to reach a more diverse and internationally-spread audience, educating a greater range of people on effective sales techniques. Contact: Andreas Plienegger Company: Plienegger & Partner Web: https://www.salestrainerplatform.com/ Aug22671
Wealth & Finance International - Q4 2022 9 Going Above and Beyond As leading and pioneering providers of vegan and environmentally friendly investment solutions, we want to showcase Beyond Investing’s work. Here we learn more about its success as it wins Most Innovative Large Cap Equity Fund 2022: US Vegan Climate ETF & Most Pioneering Sustainable Investment Platform 2022. Beyond Investing is a US-based registered investment adviser formed in 2017, by a group of seasoned investment professionals, to promote vegan investment products for the masses. Beyond Investing was formed by vegan entrepreneur, impact investor, and Chief Executive Officer, Claire Smith; Chief Investment Officer and Chartered Financial Analyst, Larry Abele; and OBE, Head of Ethical Screening, and veteran in ethical investment, research, and financial services, Lee Coates. Claire tells us, “Our USP is our strong ethical stance, backed by our founders’ deep sector experience. In a crowded market, we stand out as a company which ensures investments are made ethically, whilst proving that ethics and business can and do mix. We have brought integrity and honesty to investment. People appreciate that, and understand our approach.” It has created the first ever publicly available vegan and environmentally conscious investment products and is the creator of the US Vegan Climate Index®, launched in June 2018 – independently calculated by Solactive. It is also the name behind the Europe Vegan Climate Index, the International Vegan Climate Index, the Global Vegan Climate Index, and the Vegan World Index®. All of the Vegan Climate Indexes are passive, rules-based indices of large- and mid-cap stocks, screened according to vegan and climateconscious principles. The Vegan World Index®, in contrast to the Vegan Climate Indexes, includes all eligible stocks after application of its screening policies. It first applies these screens and then proactively selects companies whose activities contribute the most towards the achievement of a world free from animal exploitation. All Beyond Investing indexes screen companies for a variety of ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) considerations, seeking to exclude companies engaged in animal exploitation, defence, human rights abuses, fossil fuels extraction, and energy production, alongside other environmentally damaging activities. Together, the indexes have a weighted average market cap of around $219bn, with over 1200 stocks. They are all measured against impact metrics such as avoiding greenhouse gases, limiting social and environmental harm, waste production, and water usage. The US Vegan Climate ETF (Ticker: VEGN), the world’s first vegan-friendly and climate-conscious Exchange Traded Fund, has tracked the US Vegan Climate Index since September 2019. Beyond Investing, through its sister company and venture capital arm, Beyond Impact, operates a number of vegan venture capital funds. The flagship global Beyond Impact Funds I and II invest in innovative plant-based companies, seeding over 20 companies over the period of 2017 and 2020 and going on to participate in Series A raises and beyond from 2021 onwards. Specialist geographic funds have been launched in the US and UK. Firstly, the Vegan Diversity Fund seeds companies with diverse founding teams, mostly in the US. The second, the Vegan S/EIS Fund, provides early-stage financing to diverse UK businesses. Beyond Animal operates the professional and business networking platform for the industry and assists companies in fundraising through regular educational and pitching events. Finally, with regards to the future, Claire shares, “Our plans are to continually grow our investment product offerings to reach a larger base of investors and to expand our footprint as an investor in forward-thinking and ethical companies. Specifically, we plan to provide access to international markets to US investors, create a global fund for European investors and continue to support our start-ups as they grow in the hope that they also become eligible to list on the stock market. By end of year we expect to be able to report significantly larger assets across the group, which will assist us in implementing the next stage of our strategy to be the world’s leading ethical and sustainable investment platform.” Company Name: Beyond Investing Contact Name: Claire Smith Website: https://beyondinvesting.com/ Sep22114 Simply put, Beyond Investing seeks to avoid all animal exploitation in its portfolios and will not invest in companies deemed to have a significant negative environmental impact. Growth is driven by the rising tide of ESG and SI awareness, and the vital need for investment to reflect the aims of the UN SDGs. Our core mission is to play a role in shaping a kinder, cleaner, healthier world.
www.wealthandfinance-news.com 10 Wealth & Finance International - Q4 2022 Best Due Diligence & Analysis Software Solutions Provider 2022 DiligenceVault has crafted a two-sided digital ecosystem for investors and allocators to strengthen engagement with their investment partners, save precious time, and empower them to act diligently. Their technology solution provides unique value for investors and asset managers to digitise their due diligence process and reduce manually intensive, error prone and expensive workflows. DiligenceVault is the investment management industry’s leading two-sided – and global – fund diligence ecosystem. The company supports institutional and wealth allocators, asset owners, consultants, LPs, GPs, and fund managers in their due diligence process for all types of public and private funds and strategies Established in 2014, DiligenceVault has built an ecosystem of over 12,000 unique firms on the platform, with well over 50,000 users. This industry leading ecosystem and adoption is the result of focusing on a single diligence portal for the industry delivering a centralised response experience, collaboration and audit functionalities backed by a responsive client service support. Its unique selling point is driven by the ecosystem adoption ensuring investors get rapid and, more importantly complete responses from their investment partners. Its mission is to create value for the investment management industry. To that end, DiligenceVault serves both sides of the due diligence process. First, a solution for requestors of information - a group comprising: • asset owners – pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and foundations, and insurance companies. • investment consultants, multi-managers, wealth managers, delegate and distributor oversight and other firms in an advisory or outsourced fiduciary capacity. • asset managers who leverage the platform to collect information from their portfolio companies and service providers. This first group of requestors of information - leverage the platform to digitise, centralise and automate their initial and ongoing due diligence processes while significantly cutting their time to analyse data and documents. The responding investment partners leverage the platform, and its industry-specific features to save time and enhance client productivity - for FREE. The second group comprises the responders, who complete questionnaires and investor reporting requests – RFP, RFI, DDQ, and surveys. DiligenceVault works with asset management firms across all asset classes, geographies, and AUM sizes. While any firm can respond for FREE, DiligenceVault offers a premium solution for RFP, investor relations and portfolio specialist teams at asset managers. The solution empowers teams to digitise and centralise all their investor content and Q&A, collaborate as a team, and automate RFP and DDQ requests. Asset managers leverage DiligenceVault’s intelligent algorithms to deliver a responsive and modern experience to their investor clients in an environment which is very competitive for growth and fundraising. The industry needs a data-driven due diligence experience and standard, significantly cutting down costs for all involved. DiligenceVault shares this vision in getting its clients ready for the future of data. A key aspect of the due diligence process is around collecting more quantitative and qualitative data from investment partners during the initial and ongoing due diligence process, and practitioners recognize that manual ways of doing this are not scalable. DiligenceVault empowers its clients to spend less time on manually intensive tasks and more time on value-adding tasks by replacing the exchange of information through Word, Excel and email with a digital solution on its platform. In addition to facilitating the collection of the data, its digital due diligence platform speeds up the analysis of the responses, reduces manual error, and enables the tracking of activity for the firm, internal workflows and collaboration. Historically, investors and managers have had their own templates for their DDQs, RFIs and other information requests, leading to inefficiencies for the responding parties and for trying to create industry-specific benchmarks. As the industry grows, and due diligence processes become more complex and sophisticated, there has been a greater push for standardisation in data exchange between investors and asset managers. DiligenceVault has partnered with numerous leading industry standards across functional due diligence areas and geographies. In particular, DiligenceVault has seen an increased need for requirements around ESG, diversity and inclusion, and cyber security. It has formed partnerships with thought leaders in these spaces to encourage best practices, and to provide a resource for its clients by making these questionnaire templates available in a digital capacity on the platform. DiligenceVault has built its platform with the understanding that due diligence is not a one size fits all process. Whether clients use their own templates or industry standard templates, the platform continues to adapt and evolve to allow for different due diligence approaches and processes. With constant innovation in technology, a firm focused on making due diligence easy alongside its adaptation and growth is one that will continue to be rewarded. As DiligenceVault continues to support diligence industry standards in a digital format on a single user network for the entire industry, it is well positioned to be the Best Due Diligence & Analysis Software Solutions Provider. From its versatility, being used by users in over 100 countries, for many different diligence use cases, to the global scale of its operations, DiligenceVault is genuinely an ecosystem matched by no other. Contact: Guillaume Rouault Company: DiligenceVault Web Address: https://diligencevault.com/ Sep22195
Wealth & Finance International - Q4 2022 11 Best Financial Market Data & Analytics Provider – TraditionDATA Whether it is for risk management, back-testing, hedging, or measuring the costs and quality of execution, data is a critical component of every financial institution’s arsenal. Underpinned by our global geographic coverage of both developed and emerging markets, TraditionDATA provides real-time data as the market moved based on prices sourced from its globally regulated businesses. A report from Burton-Taylor International Consulting revealed that global spend on financial market data reached a record $35.6 billion in 2021, with an increase of 7.6%. Despite rising demand, the pricing and consumption models for market data have largely remained the same for the last few decades and are arguably no longer fit for purpose. Whether it is for risk management, back-testing, hedging, or measuring the costs and quality of execution, data is a critical component of every financial institution’s arsenal. However, with such a large range of data sources available, organisations are increasingly seeking more value from their data spend. The majority of data vendors still require customers to buy data packages with vast quantities of information, much of which may not be needed. Large cumbersome data packages, vendor-dictated product suites, inflexibility in delivery mechanisms and, most important of all, legacy pricing methodologies, remain a challenge to the industry. TraditionDATA’s approach to this problem We are always pursuing new, diverse, and flexible ways in our approach to market data provision across all asset classes in the global OTC derivatives markets. By offering smaller, focused and more granular packages based on currency, region, or product, we enable our clients to pay for what they need, as opposed to larger packages that need unbundling. With over 1 trillion data points across 200+ products and 186k+ instruments going back 15+ years, as well as 43 offices in 30 countries, TraditionDATA’s ever-increasing data asset is providing participants across the global financial marketplace with the information they need to power their trading and business decisions. TraditionDATA is part of Tradition (Compagnie Financière Tradition S.A. (SWX: CFT)), one of the world’s largest interdealer brokers in over-thecounter financial and commodity related products. Tradition’s long history of managing pricing liquidity and trade execution across multiple asset classes in vanilla and complex products, in primary and emerging markets, enables TraditionDATA to source prices in many of the world’s fastest-moving markets that others can’t. The TraditionDATA team Led by CEO, Scott Fitzpatrick, we believe that our team is integral to our success and winning this award is testament to their effort. In response to growing demand for our flexible market data offering, we have hired top talent from leading institutions. In the past three months, we have brought on board four Business Development Managers, a Commodity Product Manager, and a Global Marketing Manager all based in London, alongside three new roles in our U.S. team as part of our continued global growth plans. Each person brings a wealth of experience and expertise from a range of backgrounds along with a passion for modernising the market data industry. This expansion demonstrates our commitment to delivering the best possible service to our clients. Expanding our offering So far in 2022, we have continued to build and publish over 135 new Interest Rate Derivative (IRD) curves and over 6,600 instruments. This augments the 30,000+ new interest rate derivatives instruments already published, with more constantly being developed in line with client demand. TraditionDATA has also grown its FX offering from around 2,500 instruments to over 12,000 as a result of an enhanced FX analytics product that will be relaunched in Q4. What’s next? Continued client and industry engagement by our product and customer services teams, along with input from our global brokerage division, keeps us aligned with market developments and consumer requirements. We look forward to providing new and enhanced products to our customers over the course of 2023. Contact: Lexa Palfrey Company: TraditionDATA Website: www.traditiondata.com Sep22456 TraditionDATA is disrupting this industry by offering smaller, focused, and more granular packages, enabling firms to pay for what they need, as opposed to larger packages that need unbundling.
www.wealthandfinance-news.com 12 Wealth & Finance International - Q4 2022 Best Private Equity Investment Group - East Asia AEI Capital is passionate about dealing with the capitalization of corporate vision. It knows that anything is possible with the correct strategy alongside a smart capitalization model and a knowledgeable blueprint for the most effective, essential parts of the Private Equity industry. Looking to nestle itself within the industry as a great business to work with for the global capitalization and re-stratification opportunities of the modern world. Here we look at the industry as AEI continues to grow. AEI Capital is a Private Equity (PE) firm with over 20 years of accumulative experience. With over 500 Million USD of Assets Under Management (AUM), it is growing exponentially and with great tenacity. PE is a financial approach that helps companies to acquire funds from firms or accredited investors instead of stock markets. It makes a direct investment that doesn’t depend on stocks as the PE industry offers equity stakes in businesses that aren’t listed. This global market is something to be tapped into by investors. The goal of PE investments is to create a space where each business can grow rapidly, so that it can go public or become recognised by a larger company. In exchange of this investment, investors are benefitted by huge shares of improved profits that allows them to also become part of the company’s shareholders. All of this means that companies can reap the rewards of larger funds without having to fundraise via public listings or acquire business loans. Investors look for PE so that they can earn more than what can be achieved in public equity markets. In the present times, PE refers to a variety of subcategories within investments that are all connected via the process of raising funds from private investors. Venture capital is one of the most important strategies that aids the start-up of a business and helps to provide it with the ability to evolve early. It is mainly concerned with technology firms with ideas and products that are moulding the modern way of life. We have recently seen an explosion of alternative data sources that rely on collection and scraping processes. Traditional data can include investor presentations, SEC filings, financial statements, and press releases. However, alternative data includes externally sourced factors such as Aug21525 company size, location of HQ and branch offices, website traffic, reviews, employee salaries, organizational structure and more. Over the next decade, it is predictable that we will see even more advancements in the industry and harvesting of data as we see more in-depth machine learning through the studies of algorithms that can solve new problems without humans having to program them. PE firms are using machine learning to analyse and evaluate investment opportunities that help them to discover better investments for the future. Machine learning plays a crucial part in the future of PE as it substantially improves the efficiency of opportunity analysis. With automated data comes higher levels of efficiency and the expansion of the tools used to improve the process. These tools generally mean less mistakes are made, and a lot of money is saved. As technical challenges arise it is most important for us to move away from the human bias against technology, as with this tool it is more possible to feel the benefits and keep up the pace within the industry. As AEI continues to work with tech scalable businesses and it is able to aid the growth of businesses by means of technological developments. It focuses on three levers of the capital force such as capitalization, strategy, and digitalization to ensure a wide scope of growth. With regards to COVID-19, many industries have had to implement remote work strategies very quickly. This increased the rate of virtualization of a selection of PE procedures. With more meetings, decisions, and deals happening online, the pandemic has meant that remote work and virtualization has been entirely helpful and is never going to return to the normal amount, as things have actually been more positive this way than imagined before. Continuing through 2021 and beyond, virtualization of the workflow will help to remove the barriers set by distance. It also reduces unnecessary administration as moving towards remote work, we learn to recognize which procedures or documentations are nonessential and even redundant. All of this leads to improved efficiency and sustainability for PE firms. AEI understands every business as a continuously evolving living being that needs to be nourished and taken care of. It helps businesses to thrive and build on what they already have as well as giving them further life after they may have collapsed. Intending to reach a target in the Greater China Region or Southeast Asia, AEI is aware of the “new economy” that is a combination of globalization, information technology, and the communication revolution. This applies to all high growth industries such as internet, financial technology such as e-commerce, O2O retail, renewable energy, AI, Cloud-based technology, healthcare, education, and other consumerdriven, big data or digitally enabled properties that ensure the capitalization of global trends. According to AEI these characteristics allow businesses that follow global trends to grow and adapt along with the industry changes, pandemic or not. Overall, AEI Capital offers the best solutions and services to its customers that are based all around the world. It has adapted swiftly to any problems that have arisen due to the global pandemic, and it is picking other businesses up with its viable solutions. Contact: John Tan Company: AEI Capital Web Address: https://aeicapital.com/
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www.wealthandfinance-news.com 14 Wealth & Finance International - Q4 2022 Woodworth Contrarian Fund Regardless of the conditions of the market or the circumstances of the parties involved, hedge funds are expected to provide returns. Providing profits irrespective of the market’s status – with an open and fully transparent service – Woodworth Contrarian Fund is a hedge fund that understands this well and is very well equipped to respond to even the slightest turbulence in the market. At the Oregon-based Woodworth Contrarian Fund, the Millegans meet the long-term needs of investors seeking aggressive returns by allocating a portion of its client’s overall investments. Woodworth manages its portfolio directly – trained as true stock pickers with a contrarian focus – which is a rarity in a world filled with market averages, ETFs, and derivatives. Its liquid portfolio saw returns of over 50% in 2020 and over 43% in 2021. In addition to the largely US-public equity portfolio, Woodworth also provides a minority exposure to private venture capital deals on a case-by-case basis that its investors wouldn’t normally have access to with potential for longerterm, above-average returns. Woodworth regularly meets with companies and their management, attends earnings calls, and deep dives into company financials. It stays nimble and diversified and can pivot as the market changes. Because of this, Woodworth provides high net-worth investors with a high-touch, long-term value investment strategy. It deals with details and long-term investment opportunities, so its clients don’t have to, so it can stay informed while focusing on the broader picture. Its clients and partners are kept in the loop and informed of its decision-making process. However, Woodworth still manages the portfolio directly and remains at the forefront, hunting for new and better ways to grow the capital under its purview. When the market counts a company down and out, Woodworth takes a second look – its portfolio is not filled with popular stocks, but rather companies with good fundamentals, good management, and are generally in a transitionary period or are undervalued as a whole. As a hedge fund, there is constant pressure to adapt and change its operations and strategies in response to changing market conditions. Its job is to find opportunities in change and uncertainty and it accomplishes this, regardless of circumstances. For example, its administrative staff were already remote before the pandemic; COVID-19 had minimal impact on Woodworth’s physical operations and provided a once-in-a-lifetime investment opportunity. Woodworth was able to persevere with above-average returns from the uncertain investing environment of the pandemic – but it was not without significant calculated risks that paid off long-term. Being a tight-knit family-run fund, Woodworth operates as a well-oiled machine, and the team is unafraid to tell each other how they can improve. Communication and trust between its team members are always open and transparent, allowing the firm to make better decisions faster and pivot if Woodworth needs to. Woodworth must be okay making mistakes - they are of the firm belief that if you hide from risk, you hide from its rewards. Its investment targets typically assume that Woodworth holds an investment for 3-5 years. When Woodworth hits investment targets or the situation with the investment changes, Woodworth reassesses the holding. This means that its investments are constantly being re-examined. Its long-range operational plans are to continue growing its net assets under management, which reduces individual partner costs while raising its operating efficiency. From a viewing of the services it offers, and the dedication its team has taken to maximising returns regardless of circumstances, it should come as no surprise that the Woodworth Contrarian Fund is both the Best Value-Based Hedge Fund and the Best Contrarian Hedge Fund Manager in the entirety of the United States. From its forward-thinking model ensuring its team was well-prepared for the challenges of Covid to the taking of calculated risks and reaping the rewards, Woodworth is precisely the fund an investor would want to align with on the path for greater profits. Not just because of its practice of seeking new avenues, but because of its record of success. Contact: Quinn Millegan Company: Woodworth Contrarian Fund Web Address: https://www.woodworth.fund/ Sep22505 Best Value-Based Hedge Fund (YTD): Woodworth Contrarian Stock & Bond Fund & Best Contrarian Hedge Fund Manager – USA “Deep Roots. Stubborn Growth. Oregon-Based.”
Wealth & Finance International - Q4 2022 15 Best Capital Markets Communications Platform 2022 Q4 Inc. is a leader – an innovator – known for streamlining and strengthening communications between publicly traded companies, investors, and investment banks. Through doing this, Q4 has propelled itself to the forefront of the industry, working with companies like McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, and Shopify. Join us as we learn more about Q4’s path to global prestige. Q4 strives to help its clients succeed. The company’s solutions push its clients towards their IR goals and encourages them to build trust and confidence in the capital markets. Such solutions involve providing actionable intelligence, groundbreaking technologies, and industry-leading client service, with the customer’s needs always remaining their main priority. In addition, Q4 partners with public companies to help tell their stories and strengthen their brands, enabling them to attract, pursue, and maintain an exceptional shareholder base. The company offers a range of solutions and products and even has its own platform, Q4 Capital Connect. Indeed, the innovative platform serves to be the company’s unique selling point, as it is entirely unlike anything else available on the market. Q4 Capital Connect allows users to connect with insights across their programme and it is the only platform that works across all the critical touchpoints between public companies and capital markets – simply, the platform has been built for the capital markets to engage and connect. This is perhaps one of the reasons why Q4 has become so successful; the company works with 50% of the S&P 500. Over 2,700 customers from around the world have benefited from Q4’s services, resulting in a 95% customer retention rate and a wealth of prestige for Q4. As such, Q4 has had the opportunity to work with clients from a wide range of sectors and sizes from $50 million to over $50 billion in market capitalisation, with clients including Netflix, Spotify, Mastercard, McDonald’s, Visa, Levi’s, and more. Thereby, by working with Q4, you can be sure that you are working with a winning team. Another significant factor in the company’s success is that Q4 is wholly focused on providing a client-centric service, with its work being built on a foundation of stringent core values. Transparency, honesty, and integrity all play a fundamental role in the company’s work, which is always delivered in a timely and communicative manner. Furthermore, the Q4 team play an integral part in the delivery of these services, and they are encouraged to approach each client with respect and positivity. The customers are the beating heart at the centre of everything Q4 does; their needs are of paramount importance to the company and are factored into the day-to-day decision making. Best Capital Markets Communications Platform 2022 is a title that captures the quality of Q4’s work, which exceeds far beyond that of its competitors. Unsurprisingly, this is only one of an abundance of awards that Q4 has acquired in its lifetime – the company has, after all, transformed the way in which publicly traded companies, investors, and investment banks make decisions in terms of communication. The company has been recognised by Great Place To Work, The Globe and Mail, and Deloitte, earning a spot on the latter’s 2021 Technology Fast 500 North America list. Henceforth, it is fair to say that Q4 is a trailblazer. Contact: Lisa Edwards Company: Q4 Inc. Web: https://www.q4inc.com/home/default.aspx Jul22067
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