Vontobel Asset Management will adopt the flagship front-to-back outsourcing platform from State Street to manage its entire trading operations.
Through a multi-year service agreement, Vontobel Asset Management will use State Street Alpha for front-office technology, investment operations services, Alpha data services and liquidity risk solutions.
The agreement represents a new strategic partnership for the CHF 120 billion Swiss active asset manager, enabling it to create additional growth capacity for its investment operations.
“We are happy to be partnering with State Street to further enhance the investment servicing platform for our investment boutiques,” said Felix Lenhard, COO and member of the executive board at Vontobel.
“With this solution Vontobel will benefit from access to a robust, high quality and scalable operating model that will provide best in class services to our portfolio managers and supporting functions. We will also be able to improve servicing and onboarding of our clients as a result of expanded connectivity with custodians and brokers.”
The deal builds on State Street’s string of front-to-back investment servicing mandates from last year. According to the Boston-based bank, it won six Alpha mandates last year, and over a quarter of asset servicing wins in the second half of 2020 were attributed to Alpha deals.
In December, State Street announced it had extended its investment servicing mandate with US asset manager Glenmede Investment Management to include new front-to-back office services.
“We are delighted with Vontobel Asset Management becoming an important European client for State Street Alpha” said Jörg Ambrosius, head of EMEA, State Street.
“Our platform integrates and streamlines the investment process to deliver efficiencies, insights, speed and execution that support asset managers across every aspect of their investment lifecycle. By leveraging the platform’s open infrastructure, Vontobel AM can streamline day-to-day processes and operations to optimise returns and focus on future growth.