AFTAs 2017: All the Winners and Why they Won

If we at Waters were to pick out a year that underscored and exemplified the quality of technologies and services on offer to the capital markets, 2017 would be that year. One just has scan the list of winners from this year’s Sell-Side Technology Awards, Waters Rankings, Buy-Side Technology Awards and American Financial Technology Awards (AFTAs) to appreciate the extent to which financial services firms are being looked after by the third-party vendor community serving them. And when one considers the outstanding quality of the entries making up the 14 end-user categories in this year’s AFTAs, there is little doubt that our industry has never been in ruder health.     

This year’s four highest-profile awards – three individual categories and one team award – were won by Neil Barua (IPC Systems, best third-party technology vendor CIO or CEO); Jodi Richard (US Bank, best technology executive, sell side); Mike Urciuoli, (JPMorgan, best technology executive, buy side), and Charles Schwab Investment Management, which won the coveted best IT team award. 
 

Below is the list of this year’s winners with write-ups about why they won their respective categories. 

Vendor Categories

Best AI technology initiative—FIS

Best back-office initiative—SmartStream Technologies. Click on this link for the winners’ circle interview. 

Best collaboration initiative—SS&C Advent and Maitland

Best communications infrastructure provider—IPC Systems

Best front-office initiative—State Street Global Exchange

Best middle-office initiative—RIMES Technologies

Best new technology introduced over the last 12 months – front office—IHS Markit

Best new technology introduced over the last 12 months – infrastructure—Metamako

Best new technology introduced over the last 12 months – middle and back office—AdvantageData

Best new technology introduced over the last 12 months – risk compliance and reporting—AQMetrics

Best partnership or alliance—Thomson Reuters & Symphony Communications. Click on this link for the winners’ circle interview.

Best third party technology vendor IT team—Axioma

Best trading infrastructure provider—Cobalt

Best use of the Agile methodology—Confluence

Most innovative technology vendor – front office—Overbond

Most innovative technology vendor – infrastructure—UnaVista

Most innovative technology vendor – middle office—S3 Partners

Most innovative technology vendor – risk, compliance and reporting—Imagine Software. Click on this link for the winners’ circle interview.

End-User Categories

Best analytics initiative—Credit Suisse

Best cloud initiative—Northern Trust

Best compliance initiative—Bank of America Merrill Lynch

Best cross-asset trading initiative—State Street Corporation

Best data management initiative—Deutsche Bank

Best infrastructure initiative—JPMorgan Asset Wealth Management

Best IT integration initiative —Cowen

Best IT team—Charles Schwab Investment Management

Best mobile strategy initiative—Janus Henderson

Best reporting initiative—State Street Corporation

Best risk management initiative—TD Securities

Most cutting-edge IT initiative —JPMorgan Asset Wealth Management

Individual Categories

Best third-party technology vendor CIO or CEO—Neil Barua (IPC Systems)

Best technology executive, buy side—Mike Urciuoli (JPMorgan Asset Wealth Management)

Best technology executive, sell side—Jodi Richard (US Bank)