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MiFID II at the start of last year,
in conjunction with the increasing
electronification of trading and
available data. These three factors
– not to mention harder to define
elements, such as Brexit – mean
that buy-side firms such as RLAM
must be better prepared to adapt
than ever before.
Much like its peers, RLAM is em-
bracing developments in technol-
ogy and data to aid traders and the
desk in general as much as possi-
ble. The firm appointed a new head
of data strategy last year to bolster
its capabilities in this area and
Gibson says this will be an ongoing
focus for RLAM, to create tools and
resources that aid both the trading
and investment processes, as well
as enhanced client reporting.
Gibson says that it would be “out
of touch” to say that its data is
where she wants it to be, because
“that space is changing so much
that it’s never going to be a case of
being done with a full stop. It will
always be an ongoing process for
us all."
Likewise, the adaptation and
adoption of technology creates
its own set of issues. While the
buy-side in general are happy to
espouse on the new opportunities
technology can provide, Gibson
takes a slightly more pragmatic
view of the issue, informed by the
position of RLAM as a “traditional
asset manager”.
“We are not technologists, that is
not our subject matter expertise,
so for us, it is a matter of buying
"I would love to say that most
technology is plug and play, but
unfortunately it's not, so there is
a lot of cost involved."
46 // TheTrade // Summer 2019
solutions rather than building them ourselves,” she
explains. “Even when you buy solutions you still need
to have the knowledge associated with it, because
someone has to evaluate 10 different execution man-
agement systems, for example, to come up with the
best option.
“With most technology there is no single best provid-
er out there, you really review what you have internal-
ly and try to find the best fit. I would love to say that
most technology is plug and play, but unfortunately it’s
not, so there is a lot of cost involved.”
That is not to say that Gibson doesn’t see the advan-
tages and opportunities that technological develop-
ment can offer to the buy-side, and she says that she is
fascinated by the evolution of artificial intelligence.
RLAM currently utilises for some of its quantitative
models, although there is still a long way to go until AI
can be used as an outright investment decision-making
tool in the active space.
“For me, the fundamental issue in the investment
space, especially when you step out of the passive or
quant-drive investment strategy is that markets aren’t