20 months since the acquisition of Itiviti by Broadridge - now Broadridge Trading and Connectivity solutions – I’m pleased to be able to open the quarterly Capital Markets newsletter to share my thoughts with our clients and the industry at large.

Broadridge Trading and Connectivity Solutions focuses on improving the trading operations of our clients. We strive to create competitive advantages through the delivery of innovative, modular and disruptive technologies. In addition, we are sharply focused on consistently improving our solutions and backing them up with unremitting attention to customer service.

That is an essential goal in any environment but now, it is more critical than ever. Last year was one of the most difficult years the market has faced since the Great Financial Crisis. Companies are under pressure to do more with less and our technology can make that possible by:

• Simplifying technology operations. Broadridge works in all parts of our clients’ business, providing a wide range of solutions spanning the trade lifecycle. Our open, flexible architecture can easily be integrated with legacy technologies. In short, we make life easier for our clients, and minimize the risks inherent in dealing with multiple vendors. In January, we announced an agreement to use software from Glue42, whose product helps deliver a seamless desktop experience for traders around the world. We are always on the lookout for technology that creates an edge for our clients.
• Putting data at the fingertips of traders. Massive amounts of data is available today, which can be turned into information that traders can use to make faster and smarter decisions. Working alongside our enterprise wide colleagues, we can ensure this data is consistent in the front, middle and back offices through the use of a unified data architecture.
• Lowering costs. By automating more tasks, our technology can create efficiencies, freeing up people to concentrate on higher-value projects. Automation is the norm in equity trading but in the coming years it will spread to other markets. We want to be there to help drive that transition.

The transformation of technology within financial markets these past few years has been remarkable, but in truth, in many areas we are just in the early innings of the game. Our clients understand that. In Broadridge’s recent Next-Gen Technology Adoption Survey, nearly half (49 percent) of respondents said that investing in innovative technologies can deliver significant financial and strategic benefits to their firms. 

I have been talking about technology because that is the business Broadridge is in. But in the 40 years I have worked in this industry, I have learned that technology alone isn’t enough. It has to be delivered by people who work in an environment that allows them to thrive. Towards that end, we are creating a culture that promotes accountability and collaboration and rewards it accordingly. Broadridge is a workplace that fosters curiosity and creativity because that is the only way we can produce disruptive and innovative trading solutions and be the first to bring them to market.

Broadridge has been built to be the partner of choice to help existing and new customers take the next steps along the road. I am excited to be a part of that transformation.