Before taking this seat at Pirum just over two months ago, I was aware of the firm’s strong reputation in the industry, both for the quality of the products and service that we offer.
Since joining, what’s really shone through is the tremendous amount of in-house expertise across the ExCo, Product, Technology, and beyond. This wealth of knowledge serves as the foundation for Pirum’s ability to build products and solutions that genuinely meet our customers’ needs.
The depth of our client relationships, meanwhile, is the tributary that nurtures this success. In an industry where seemingly similar clients can often have vastly different needs, tech stacks, governance structures, and more, the strength of our client partnerships is key to determining what we should build, how we build it, and how we implement it.
After all, securities finance is a complex space. Each of our clients faces a myriad of challenges, such as reconciliation, collateral management, corporate actions, and avoiding settlement fails. Operational considerations like these are, in turn, driven by macro trends that can reshape entire ecosystems. For example, in Fixed Income and Equities, the proliferation of counterparties and venue types, as well as the globalisation of clearing, come to mind.
No firm is an island, however, and the best solutions are created collaboratively. The trust and mutual learning between our teams and those of our clients, alongside collaborative innovation with other service providers, form the bedrock of progress in any industry.
And, having had the pleasure of meeting with many outstanding leaders from across the industry, I’m excited about the direction of travel. Collaborations among clients, vendors, and market infrastructure players are consistently pushing the envelope and resulting in increased choice and liquidity while improving regulatory adherence, to give two examples.
Pirum is perfectly poised for 2025. We will continue to improve our core products while launching new ones, such as Pirum TradeConnect and Pirum ClearingConnect. Additionally, we are developing new data analytics tools to support our clients with P&L management, risk mitigation, regulatory reporting, and operational efficiency.
At Pirum, we don’t build solutions simply because they look appealing. We build solutions that address real-world problems. By solving these problems and listening acutely to our clients’ needs, we will continue to drive a successful roadmap in partnership with our clients.
At the same time, what better moment than the present – especially in the coming weeks – to reflect on this past year’s successes and seek out new challenges. Because it is by nurturing the intellectual curiosity within each of us that we continue to sustain our track record of innovation and excellence.
Season’s greetings, one and all.