The majority (96%) of respondents at the FundsTech Forum held in London today said they feel technologists are underrepresented at the board level, highlighting a gap in tech leadership within the sector.
About 52% of participants agreed that there has been no significant innovation in fund management products or distribution since the launch of the first ETF 25 years ago.
However, 24% countered this view, arguing that there have indeed been positive developments, while another 24% found the point to be very fair.
Almost all the attendees said they think the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority ( FCA) needs more technologists to make regulation and technology work in greater harmony.
When it came to the momentum of tech-related projects in the past year, opinions were more divided. Nearly half (47%) felt that these projects had maintained momentum. In contrast, 27% believed there had been a “drastic cut” in such initiatives, and an equal percentage felt that tech-related projects had actually “augmented”.
These survey results reflected a mixed sentiment among industry professionals, with concerns over innovation and tech representation at the forefront of discussions.
