So says Richard Bentley at Adenza, who is the focus of this FTF Exchange podcast.
[zoomsounds_player type="detect" dzsap_meta_source_attachment_id="" source="https://www.ftfnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Adenza-Richard-Bentley-FTF-Podcast-15-2021.mp3" config="default" autoplay="off" loop="off" open_in_ultibox="off" enable_likes="off" enable_views="off" play_in_footer_player="default" enable_download_button="off" download_custom_link_enable="off"]While Adenza was actually fully prepared to work in a virtual world, the importance of human contact cannot be denied, says Richard Bentley, chief product and engineering officer for Adenza, who is the focus of this FTF Exchange podcast. Adenza was created from the merger of Calypso Technology and AxiomSL in July 2021.
“So, I’ve mentioned technical readiness for the pandemic and the remote working situation,” Bentley says. “As a global, distributed software company we were well used to working in that way with colleagues in different geographies and across time zones … But I think by now we’ve all become appreciative that the ability to work at home is not just about the quality of your IT — you need space, you need privacy, you need quiet. And for some people it’s just not possible to find those things at home. And, for that reason, we did work hard to provide people who needed it with continuing access to the office subject to restrictions, of course.”
Bentley adds that benefits “professionally and personally from everyday human contact really can’t be overstated.” This has been particularly true for new members of staff and those in junior positions who often benefit from mentoring.
“What’s a quick question and a casual 10-minute conversation over a coffee in the office suddenly becomes a Zoom meeting that has to be scheduled in the calendar,” Bentley says. “So, it’s much less likely to happen than it would with people together in the same office. What that means is that people can become disconnected in this situation and that’s why regular communication becomes so much more important.”
To support that human contact, Adenza has introduced video calls for all employees, less formal virtual coffee meetups, and remote social events – all facilitated by advances in technology that were essential during the pandemic lockdowns.
“Even with the technology, you simply can’t recreate the creativity and energy of a group meeting,” says Bentley, noting the spontaneity of staff members bouncing ideas off of each other.
The podcast also covers:
- How the pandemic impacted on-cloud and on-premise support of customers;
- How the pandemic changed Adenza’s customer relationships, including the onboarding of new customers;
- The long-term changes for Adenza;
- The long-term consequences of the pandemic upon the securities industry;
- And how Adenza will react to the profound changes underway across global markets.
(Hear more from Adenza on the upcoming webinar Reaping the Rewards of Integrated Trading, Collateral & Risk on December 9th! Join FTF for this live webinar with Regions Bank, Truist and Adenza (recently formed by the merger of Calypso and AxiomSL) as they discuss how cloud computing and innovative technologies are helping firms move to tighter workflows that enable internal teams to better support front, middle- and back-office systems. With the emergence of market volatility, regulatory demands for more collateral and margining controls, and better technologies, financial services firms are under pressure to revamp these efforts, including better leveraging of where risk and trading intersect. Click here to register! )
Need a Reprint?
Leave a Reply