NEWS

SunGard welcomes Tim Smith to Astec Analytics

SunGard welcomes Tim Smith, the new Director, North America for SunGard Astec Analytics. Tim joined the company in July to assist in the continued expansion of the range of products and services for transparency and benchmarking in the securities finance space. Specifically responsible for heading up the effort for Astec Analytics in North America, Tim and the team will be providing new products and services to the ever widening number of needs that are being created by market conditions and changes.

Tim has had wide ranging experience in all sides of the industry from hedge fund, through custodian and broker dealer to institutional lender. This has included expertise in the development, use and selling of benchmarking products. Tim has already been a customer several times over for SunGard's products in Securities Finance and is keen to maximize the synergies he sees that will take SunGard Astec Analytics to the next level. 'I found the SunGard Loanet and Global One products very useful in my former positions when I was setting up securities lending programs. The expansion of SunGard into the benchmarking area is a logical and exciting step at a time when the industry as a whole is demanding more transparency but wants to deal with known entities with proven and robust, and yet innovative, support structures.'

With his experience as Head of Inventory Management at AXA Investment Managers and prior management of the Pershing and BankAmerica International Securities Lending business on a global basis, Tim is well aware of the necessity of being able to empathize with the customer. 'The Securities Finance business is probably one of the most relationship-driven businesses in the financial sphere.' Tim says, 'Understanding client requirements is key, so I am glad to be here in this new role because I know this is actually practiced by SunGard, having been on the receiving end.'

Based in New York, Tim joins a dedicated team of professionals who have significant experience and expertise. 'One of the main reasons that I joined was the caliber of the people that I am working with both in Astec in particular and in SunGard in general. It is great to have such a depth of professional talent to call upon in my group and beyond. In addition, virtually every day I come across another area of potential synergy and expertise, which is very gratifying!'

Finally, Tim feels comfortable at SunGard, and not so much the new person just joined. 'Because I have been a client of SunGard, it has been very pleasant for me to join a company where my colleagues are already known to me as friends for many years. I am also pleased to report that their attitude and friendliness has not changed now that I am a colleague. How refreshing is that!'