Allfunds, Europe’s largest fund platform, is launching its Asian operational hub in Singapore to service local business as well as those in Hong Kong and Taiwan. The Singapore branch will start its operations early next year. The hub will also pursue other opportunities across Asia.
Back in 2014, the company assigned David Pérez de Albéniz to investigate Asian markets. He has since been establishing the businesses infrastructure in the region.
Allfunds CEO, Juan Alcaraz, is confident that the time is right to press ahead with Allfunds’ expansion. Not only is the Allfunds platform business readily leveraged into new territories at relatively low cost, but there is growing demand from many wealth management distributors to streamline operational efficiency, focusing on asset servicing, data analytics and fund research, for potential outsourcing areas.
Also, Alcaraz said, the expanded distribution reach that Asia provides Allfunds’ existing asset management partners improves the potential for distribution of their funds.
“We have identified the key differences between the various countries and territories in Asia – as in Europe they are all different with different requirements. But having gone deeply into the needs of the funds industry in the area, it became very clear, that our highly efficient open architecture model would suit most of Asian markets, so we see no reason to limit our ambitions in the area,” Alcaraz said.
“Asia will massively contribute to the future definition of the global asset management industry due to its economic and demographic significance, and its accelerated digitalisation pace. China is, and definitely will be in the coming future, a significant contributor to these trends due to its relevance and magnitude in the global economy. We want to become global and entering Asian markets is a natural and resolute step for us,” he said.
Perez de Albéniz added: “Asian distributors have become increasingly interested in Allfunds for three reasons – because of the expertise gained from being at the heart of the mutual funds industry with a genuinely non-conflicted, open architecture model; because Allfunds’ holistic proposition comprises the widest range of fund processing, information provision and fund research activities currently available; and all can be offered through a single high quality provider at an outstanding competitive price.”
“Banks, insurance companies, asset managers and wealth managers in Asia are taking a very hard look at their bottom lines and how effectively they run their business. When talking to Allfunds they quickly realise that they can hand over mutual fund services to a business that has an institutional focus with a very extraordinary degree of specialisation – it is a powerful combination during these challenging times.”
For Fórmate a Fondo