DST International (DSTi), a leading business services provider for the investment
management industry, has been selected by Crèdit Andorrà to implement
its new Wealth Management and Risk & Performance solutions.
The project, which integrates the bank's front and middle office systems, began
in May 2005 and was completed at the end of last year.
Crèdit Andorrà - which has embarked on a period of aggressive
growth - has up to now been using in-house methods to run its Asset Management,
Wealth Management and Mutual Funds operations. The relationship with DSTi will
give Crèdit Andorrà significant competitive advantage and operational
efficiencies in the area of Portfolio/Order Management, Compliance, Performance
/Fixed Income Attribution and Risk Management.
Commenting on the project, Xavier Cornella, Crèdit Andorrà’s
Chief Financial Officer, noted:
"We are very pleased to be working closely with the DST International team
on this strategic project. At the end of a rigorous vendor selection process
we found that they were clearly ahead on key qualifiers. In particular DST’s
solution is tightly integrated and superior, we felt, in the area of Performance
Attribution and Risk Management."
"Their ability to implement this entire front/middle office project well
within a 12-month period is extremely compelling for us, as well as the fact
that working with one single vendor meant that the typical complexity of such
a project was reduced to a minimum."
"Finally, their Front Office solution for our Portfolio Managers offered
a unique blend of the required sophistication for our institutional clients
coupled with the scalability requirements of our Wealth Management business."
Meanwhile, Hugh Evans, DSTi's European Sales Director added that:
"This is an exciting project for us and Crèdit Andorrà.
We both feel that Crèdit Andorrà will benefit from the best of
all worlds."
"In one tightly integrated solution, they can now offer world leading
Fund Management services for their three key lines of business – Mutual
Funds, Wealth Management and Asset Management. The implementation of DST’s
solution will allow them to keep costs relatively constant whilst rapidly growing
their Assets Under Management."
Crèdit Andorrà began its activities 56 years ago in universal
banking and is today the largest of the five banking groups in Andorra. Recently
Fitch Ratings affirmed the long term A+ rating for Crèdit Andorrà,
thanks to its "strong domestic franchise and solid performance" amongst
others.
The acquisition of Caixabank – then the fifth largest bank in Andorra
by assets – has further consolidated Crèdit Andorra’s leading
position in the banking sector, with enviable profitability.