As post-trade finally claims its spot at the centre of the investment agenda, industry players are rethinking their systems, and fast. Billy Daws, panelist at the session “Post-trade tech investments suddenly became cool, and why” during PostTrade 360° 2025, will take the stage to unpack this shift in a session dedicated to the operational and technological changes driving the next chapter of market infrastructure.
“The title may be tongue-in-cheek, but the shift is real,” says Daws, Global Lead, Post Trade Product Design at EquiLend. “Post-trade tech is finally having its moment.”
He points to several converging forces that have elevated the conversation: regulatory demands, cost pressures, and the global shift toward T+1 settlement. “These factors have put post-trade operations, especially pre-matching and recall automation, at the top of the investment agenda,” he explains.
The session will spotlight how firms are addressing these challenges, where they are focusing their budgets, and what’s changing internally to keep up with the momentum.
Who should tune in?
Senior leaders across operations, technology, and business units, especially those navigating the reality of legacy systems, will find the session particularly relevant. “For firms dealing with increased fail costs and staffing pressures in the wake of T+1, we’ll offer both a benchmark on peer strategies and a reality check on what happens when you don’t prepare,” says Daws.
One development in particular underscores the urgency: the T+1 migrations in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico in May 2024. “That was a wake-up call,” says Daws. “Firms without automation had to scale up staffing just to meet the deadline, with some seeing cost increases of up to 18 percent.”
Automation
Meanwhile, automation is catching on fast. At EquiLend, automated recall relationships jumped by 39 percent following the shift to T+1. With Europe, the U.K., and Switzerland set to follow in 2027, the time to act is now. “Firms are already taking a much harder look at their tech stacks, and learning from the lessons others have learned the hard way.”
The post-trade moment has arrived. And as Daws and his fellow panellists will show, it’s not one to miss.
Have you signed up yet to be in Stockholm for PostTrade 360° 2025 on 3–4 September? It’s free for securities operations pros, both trading and investor sides! (Vendor firm representatives need a sponsorship agreement.) The powerful event website lets you register, see all other delegates, schedule sessions and meetings, and message. Find all related articles, including loads of teaser interviews, here.
