A bold vision for the future of financial operations took center stage as CEOs from Broadridge, DTCC, and BetaNXT kicked off OPS2025 with a powerful message: modernisation is no longer optional, it’s essential.
The annual flagship operations conference, hosted by the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), opened in Orlando, Florida, with a high-profile executive panel focused on the industry’s top priorities. The session, titled Executive Insights: Modernization, Market Trends, and the Future of Operations, was moderated by SIFMA President and CEO Kenneth Bentsen and featured Timothy Gokey (Broadridge), Frank La Salla (DTCC), and Bob Santella (BetaNXT).
From the outset, panelists emphasised that resilience, data integration, and talent are now at the heart of how firms are responding to rapid changes in the market structure.
“We’re seeing an acceleration in digitisation and automation,” said Timothy Gokey, CEO of Broadridge. “That’s being driven by demand for resilience and speed, but also transparency.” Gokey underlined that institutions are operating in a fundamentally different landscape than just a few years ago, with growing expectations from both clients and regulators pushing for faster, smarter action.
Bulletproof
Frank La Salla, President and CEO of DTCC, stressed that modernisation must be underpinned by robust, trusted infrastructure. “We’re not just talking about speed for speed’s sake,” he said. “What matters is trusted infrastructure. We’re doing the plumbing that allows markets to run safely and efficiently – no one notices until it breaks.” He pointed to the US transition to T+1 settlement as a major catalyst for reinforcing resilience and interoperability.
Bob Santella, CEO of BetaNXT, echoed the connection between modernisation and risk control. “You can’t separate modernisation from risk management anymore,” he said. “The infrastructure has to evolve, but the controls and governance around it must be bulletproof.”
Insights & Scalability
The discussion also turned to the evolving expectations of clients, who increasingly demand more than just raw data. “Clients don’t just want data; they want insights,” said Gokey. “They want you to help them interpret it, connect it across systems, and turn it into action.”
La Salla added that clients are moving away from isolated tools and looking for unified, scalable solutions. “The firms we work with are no longer content with point solutions. They’re looking for platforms that evolve, scale, and reduce friction,” he said.
Talent is the multiplier
While much of the discussion centered on technology, the panelists were clear that transformation hinges equally on talent. “Yes, we’re investing in tech, but talent is the multiplier,” said Santella. “We need people who understand operations and code.”
Bentsen closed the session by underscoring the broader picture: “The future of operations is not just about technology, it’s about trust, collaboration, and vision.”
With that, OPS2025 opened on a note of urgency and optimism. As market complexity grows and timelines shorten, the message from industry leaders was clear: transformation must be intentional, resilient, and deeply human.
