Alpha FMC

Alpha's Kerri Heidemann recently attended the Ultimus Fund Solutions 2026 Client Summit, joining a range of industry practitioners for discussion on major trends across the investment management space. Kerri participated in a panel on industry product trends and capital movements, moderated by Ultimus Chief Commercial Officer Nickolaus Darsch. It's clear that the acceleration of product availability coupled with diversification of capital sources is impacting how asset managers support retail distribution - necessitating the strategic review and, in some cases, redesign of a firm's operating model, data management, governance, and broader distribution functions at firms of all sizes. Don't hesitate to reach out to Kerri Heidemann to continue the conversation! #alphafmc #ultimusfundsolutions #investmentmanagement

This week in Orlando, Appian CEO Matt Calkins anchored the conference under “Serious AI” and framed Appian's thesis as a triangle of AI, Data and Process, arguing that agents are powerful but unreliable on their own. The opportunity for customers is huge: faster delivery, lower modernization cost, and AI you can actually trust because it lives inside a governed process. Three messages worth carrying into the next board conversation: 1. Regulated AI deployment is now a vendor-selection criterion, governance and auditability are no longer back-office concerns, they are the basis of which agents make it into production. 2. The transformation starts with the user experience and understanding their pain points, then partnering with them to reimagine core business processes and piloting art of the possible leveraging the new set of tools to do iterative delivery. An early reaction to an MVP now comes in hours to days, not weeks to months. 3. The strategic question is no longer “should we use AI?” but “where in our process estate does governed agent orchestration justify its cost — and where do deterministic rules still win?” These are important framing questions that Alpha helps clients answer by translating Appian’s roadmap into board-ready business cases anchored on the workflows where AI delivers measurable ROI under audit. The combination of a governance-first AI platform and a specialist Insurance and Financial services consultancy that knows the operating model is where transformation lands. Ready to explore how Appian can accelerate your 2026 transformations? Reach out to Keval Mehta, Shyam Somani CPCU, AIC, AINS, ALMI, Charlie Bishop or Jeremy Weiss! #AppianWorld2026 #AppianWorld #Appian #ProcessAutomation #SeriousAI Jake Sloan | Sanat Joshi | Jack Moroney | Mark Sindoni | David Pelletier | Amy Richards | Bill Holland | Scott Van Valkenburgh | Elishia Rousos

Last week in Las Vegas, Adobe Summit brought together digital practitioners, product teams, and big ideas for the future of digital experiences, at a time when investment managers are navigating real shifts in how they engage clients, build their brands, and deploy technology. Between the panels, demos, and hallway conversations, we came away with plenty to think through. Here are a few things that stood out: The Adobe ecosystem is converging, and the roadmap is expansive. From innovations to core tools like Journey Optimizer to the launch of the new CX Enterprise, there is no shortage of Adobe products and capabilities that can meaningfully augment a firm's Marketing Technology stack. For asset and wealth managers looking to modernize how they engage advisors and investors, what's compelling is how these tools are designed to work together as a cohesive platform, not just as individual cogs bolted onto an existing stack. From PoCs to deployment: agentic AI is getting real for digital experience. The demos were flashy, the use cases ambitious, and the energy around AI agents was hard to miss. Adobe is clearly betting big on autonomous, AI-driven workflows, and for investment management firms, the application to distribution and client experiences is worth taking seriously. The firms that start experimenting now, even in limited, controlled ways, will be better positioned when the technology matures. Foundations still come first. The consistent theme across every conversation we had was, agentic AI workflows are only as good as the data, processes, and governance behind them. Firms racing to deploy AI on top of fragmented, inconsistent, or ungoverned data will find themselves back at square one. Instead, across content, data, and journeys, the firms seeing real results aren't just buying tools, they're investing in the fundamentals, like: 1️⃣ Standardized, reusable component libraries to enable design consistency and accelerated time-to-market 2️⃣ Automated client nurture journeys to deliver scalable, yet customized client experiences 3️⃣ A single, centralized site instance that powers regional experiences to govern, activate, and personalize at scale 4️⃣ Unified client profiles to provide a comprehensive view of clients and prospects across every touchpoint The message for investment management firms? The tools are ready. The question is whether your foundation is. Curious what this means for your firm? Get in touch with our team! #alphafmc #adobe

The technology architecture of asset managers and asset owners alike has followed a remarkably consistent playbook for the past decade. Consolidate on an enterprise investment management platform. Build a centralized Investment Book of Record. Outsource and/or augment technology capabilities. Keep internal teams small and focused on configuration rather than creation. This playbook was rational. Enterprise platforms offered breadth of capability that most internal teams couldn’t replicate. Centralized data stores promised a single source of truth. Vendor partnerships meant firms could focus on their core purpose of generating returns for clients and members. For many organizations, this approach has delivered exactly what it promised: operational resilience, regulatory confidence, and a stable platform for growth. However, the AI inflection point of 2026 has forced each of these assumptions to evolve, opening new strategic options for firms to build on the foundations they have already established. Our latest whitepaper, The Impact of AI on Asset Manager & Asset Owner IT Architecture, examines the implications of this evolution for the IT architecture of asset managers and owners, offering a framework for understanding how AI changes the strategic options available while delivering a practical guide for navigating the transition. Read the full piece here: https://lnkd.in/gFAqAquQ Bruce Russell | Laura (Dissinger) Kayrouz | Kevin Faulkner | Chris Rushworth | Luke Ferreira #AlphaFMC #AI #FinTech #AssetManagement #AssetOwners #Investments

Alpha FMC was pleased to attend AssetOps Toronto 2026 this week, joining senior leaders for a day of discussions on operational transformation in asset management. Michael Thomson, CFA, Partner at Alpha FMC, delivered the opening keynote "The Enforcer and the Brown M&Ms", drawing on lessons from hockey and rock concerts to explore what high-performing operations can learn from the smallest details. A strong reminder that seemingly minor elements often reveal the most about how well a system really works. This focus on operational discipline and execution aligned well with the forum's broader purpose. Thank you to the AssetOps team for hosting an excellent forum, and to everyone who joined the conversation with Alpha during the event. Michael Thomson, CFA | Boden Anderson | Kerri Heidemann | Safiya Bannister, CFA, MFin | Jay Romano #AssetManagement #OperationalExcellence #AssetOpsToronto #DataStrategy #DigitalTransformation

Alpha FMC will be attending Insurance Innovators USA in Nashville on May 11–12!   If you are looking to pioneer AI-driven distribution, modernize your technology stack, or transform your underwriting processes, we would love the chance to connect.   Jeremy Weiss and Taylor Fay will be representing our team at the event. If you are attending, please reach out to arrange time!   #InsuranceInnovators #IIUSA26 #InsuranceTransformation #AIinInsurance #InsuranceTechnology #AlphaFMC Keval Mehta | Britton Van Dalen | Ryan Lemoie | Mike Driesen | Salil Nadgauda

Alpha FMC is delighted to have advised Shackleton - Britain’s financial adviser as part of their agreement to acquire Hurst Point Group. Alpha provided Technology Due Diligence services in support of the transaction. The Alpha team was led by Rob Owen and Jessica Collett (nee Mayhew). Details of the transaction can be found here: https://lnkd.in/eUagKCS5 For more information on Alpha Deal Advisory, please visit: https://lnkd.in/d64wDpfj #mergersandacquisitions #duediligence

Alpha's Christian Pellegrino, CAIA (Partner, Head of Digital Assets) was featured on Nasdaq's TradeTalks to discuss how understanding digital infrastructure and interoperability will coexist with traditional systems to enhance global liquidity, transparency, and operational speed. "We're at a point where there's a strategic imperative to define your strategy around digital assets. Even if you don't want to act now, you need to define where you see the future of investment management going, where you see your differentiation or strategic capabilities, and ultimately if digital assets are on that roadmap." Watch the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/gtyU5X7U

AssetOps Toronto kicks off in a little over an hour! Our team is looking forward to sponsoring such an impactful and topical event. Don't miss Michael Thomson, CFA's opening keynote at 9am and be sure to swing by our booth to meet the team and chat through what we are seeing in the industry today. See you there! AssetOps Toronto Agenda: https://lnkd.in/dFw4Viur Michael Thomson, CFA | Boden Anderson | Kerri Heidemann | Jay Romano | Safiya Bannister, CFA, MFin