IBACAS PEOPLE
EXPERIENCED EX-INSIDERS - MEET THE SENIOR TEAM
Ibacas is managed and staffed by a team of individuals, all of whom have deep sector experience. All have a background in Asset Services Processing and Change Management within the Asset Services space. All are sector specialists.
Before founding Ibacas, the Directors had worked in a number of key operational and change management roles within the Asset Services groups of major global banks.
This previous experience, combined with continuing this type of work with Ibacas has given them a deep experience of the sector, and of delivering optimisation projects for Asset Services clients.
As a result, all the Directors have an instinctive, first-hand sense of the unique challenges that Asset Services clients face.
ADAM STERN
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Adam Stern has been involved in Asset Services since processing his first dividend payment in 1988.
Prior to founding Ibacas in 2002, Adam performed a number of Asset Services related roles, from processing, to Ops Management, to Change Management, in both Custody and Investment Banking environments for Citi, Morgan Stanley and ABN Amro. During this time Adam was responsible for delivering change in relation to EMU and Y2K, initiating a major in house build project, managing a vendor implementation programme, as well as being a core member of the UK Market Practice Group.
Since forming Ibacas, Adam has focused on market level initiatives such as ISO standards, Proxy Voting initiative and issuer standardisation and is a regular speaker at industry events. In addition, he has formed excellent relationships with all the major data and software vendors, depositories and industry bodies.
An in depth understanding of Asset Services Operations, upstream and downstream processes, regulatory initiatives, technology improvements and market trends, has allowed Adam to work with many clients to assist with defining their short, medium and long term Asset Services strategies and helping to build the associated business cases to secure funding and buy in across our clients’ organisations.
In addition, Adam has undertaken a number of research initiatives such as comparing the levels of process optimisation of Asset Services across the market; methods for measuring the monetary value of Operational Risk in Asset Services; and the benefits and pitfalls of outsourcing Operations functions.
“I HAVE BEEN A CLIENT, BUYING THE KIND OF SERVICES THAT IBACAS PROVIDES. SO, NATURALLY, I KNOW WHAT MATTERS TO CLIENTS, AND I DO MY LEVEL BEST TO ENSURE THAT IBACAS PROVIDES JUST THAT.”
KEY SKILLS
-
Strategic Analysis
-
Programme & Delivery Management
-
Business Case Development
-
Target Operating Modelling
-
Buy vs Build Analysis
-
Outsourcing Strategy
-
Vendor Selection Process Management
-
Functional/Process Re-engineering
CHRIS OWENS
DIRECTOR
Chris Owens became a director of Ibacas in 2004 and began his banking career in Australia in 1987 in the back office, covering all aspects of settlements and latterly specialising in Derivative products.
Chris moved to London in 1994 and joined the Corporate Actions department at Bankers Trust. In 1996, he moved to Morgan Stanley, where he became a Senior Analyst within the Asset Services department, covering processing and management of all Corporate Action types and markets, particularly specialising in Stock Lending.
In 2000, Chris became an independent consultant and was involved in a number of projects, in London and Australia.
During his time at Ibacas, Chris has taken the lead BA role on numerous projects with a range of Tier 1 and Tier 2 clients. He has covered all aspects of the project lifecycle, covering Investment Banking, Custody, Stock Loan and Prime Brokerage. In addition to Asset Services projects, Chris has also been involved in a number of accounting renovation projects This experience has given Chris a proficient understanding in different flow and documentation methodologies, enabling him to define and implement standardised practices for Ibacas.
Chris has worked closely with Senior Operations Management and a number of IT teams advising on process re-engineering, process migration and system integration of both in-house builds and vendors solutions. This extensive experience means that one of Chris’ key strengths lies in the understanding of the upstream and downstream impact of any Asset Services related change to front and back office systems, as well as potential impacts on General Ledger accounting practices.
“HOWEVER MULTI-FACETED THE PROJECT, WE TAKE FULL OWNERSHIP AND RESPONSIBILITY. WE SEE IT AS OUR JOB TO CUT THROUGH COMPLEXITY TO DELIVER ACTIONABLE PLANS THAT DELIVER RESULTS.”
KEY SKILLS
-
Project Management
-
Delivery Strategy
-
Business Case Development
-
Cost Benefit Analysis
-
Stakeholder Management
-
Process Re-engineering
-
Target Operating Modelling
-
Testing Strategy
-
Current and Future Process Analysis
-
Gap Analysis
-
Comprehensive Requirements and Process Flow Delivery
