Simon Knowles

As previous role had expanded beyond original scope of Fixed Income and Global Investment Control I advocated for moving role into Global Client Services where there would be more natural synergies and flexibility to go end to end in the client lifecycle.

Highlights:

• Implemented a new FICORG Governance process as part of GSA V&A workstream that will reduce the volume of governance board submissions by 50%.
• Established IO Vetting as part of the GCAT team, completing cross training of associates in US & Asia to remove key person risk.
• Established a prospective Global Separate Account pipeline tracker to support demand management forecasting for separate account activity.

Newly created Global Manager Equivalent role in Investment Operations bridging together IO, Client Groups & Investment Group BMO to provide operational oversight for FI Institutional separate accounts.

Achievements in Role

• Created new global process for operational vetting of prospective Separate Account clients. Led creation of the function & ongoing BAU.
• Defined process for PIO reviews of existing Separate accounts to ensure that we optimize available investment universe.
• Expanded role beyond just Fixed Income with Equity, Multi-Asset and solutions included in Operational vetting function.
• Global Project Leadership: Led a Cross Department Growth Platform initiative workstream tasked with scaling Governance & Approvals process for prospective Separate Accounts. Led a workstream comprising IO, ECO, IG, EACG, NACG & ITG.
• People Management: Managed the 2022 IO Graduate cohort. This involved managing 3 Early Career Hire Associates through a 2 year rotation programme across IO London.

Newly established Leadership role within Client Operations with a focus on improving Institutional Client Reporting and building new digital reporting solutions. Managed a team of 3 Business Analysts in London & 3 contractors in India. Additionally, covered a 6 month paternity leave where I manged an additional 6 analysts.

Notable Achievements:

• Defined standard Client Reporting collateral for our Fixed Income range of strategies. This involved working with stakeholders to capture client requirements, conduct peer analysis & work with third party design agency to establish brand consistency.
• Supported the process for production of a new Digital Reporting capability for our Multi-Strategy Target Return Fund.
• Established a Business Analysis Framework for all Change activities within Client Reporting. This involves developing a consistent approach to engaging stakeholders, conducting workshops, communication with stakeholders, Business Requirement Documentation.
• Successfully delivered a project to eliminate "At Desk" reporting whereby Relationship managers and Service Managers are sending clients unaudited performance and statistics on their mandates. Project was to define and ensure all such reporting is re-housed within the Client Reporting Function.

Reporting into the Fixed Income Operating Director I was responsible for leading a team of 3 ensuring the oversight of operational support, projects and resource allocation within the department. The role led to a circa 18 month period based full time in Singapore leading a number of key strategic projects.

Project Implementations:

• Implementing Netting within the OMS workflow. Cross department project to allow for netting of exchange traded futures within our OMS and execution process.
• Automating the order entry process for Quarterly Futures Roll. Headed up a project to Leverage a BRS Aladdin module (Position Roller) to automate the rolling of Futures contracts globally across the firm. Strong focus on Resistance management with Portfolio Managers deeply impacted by the change, Sponsor Coaching & coordinating global training workshops.
• Risk profiling & Strategy Tagging Process. Co-headed project to implement Strategy Tagging across the Fixed Income Department.

I managed to team of 3 across London, Singapore & New York supporting the Fixed Income Portfolio Managers & Research Analysts reporting to the Head of Fixed Income, Europe.

Role Highlights:

• Positioning Reporting. Providing portfolio Mangers reporting on portfolio position vs. Benchmarks & ensuring portfolio are within tolerance of their respective mandates.
• Cash Monitoring. Ensuring Portfolios are sufficiently well funded to meet day to day requirements and that portfolios are able to meet any redemption/rebalancing needs.
• Credit Relative Valuation Tools. Monitoring to help the Credit Fund Management team have an understanding of relative value across their respective corporate bond holdings and make switch recommendations where appropriate.
• Automating of Risk Reporting for corporate Credit Portfolio. Leveraging the BRS Aladdin risk reporting and analytics tools to build a full suite of bespoke risk and portfolio composition reports. This resulted in significant efficiency savings and more a robust deliverable (moving away from excel based reporting).

Worked within the Interest Derivatives Risk Control Team. Responsible for mitigating operational risk, process mapping, incident reporting and escalation to the Head of the Interest Rate Desk on issues that we deemed posed significant financial or reputational risk to the Firm. One of a team of five who represented the firm in ISDA working groups for Interest rate derivative documentation and Novation protocols.

• Operational Risk Mitigation. Ensuring operational risk standards are maintained across the Interest Rate Derivatives business (structured and vanilla) and building new controls, escalating problems & producing incident reviews to ensure lessons are learnt from mistakes.
• ISDA Documentation Expertise. Review ISDA documents and confirmations to ensure deal terms are inline with the scope of normal business i.e. ensuring credit terms are consistent across the business.

Spent the summer as an intern with Baillie Gifford. Rotated through the various department including Equity Research, Equity dealing, OEIC dealing & Client Accounting.