Redefining Cross-Border Fund Distribution: Interview with Mike Tae, Group President of Funds, Issuer, and Data-driven Solutions, Broadridge

By Vriti Gothi

As cross-border fund distribution grows more complex, global asset managers are under pressure to reconcile fragmented regulation, rising compliance costs, and the demand for greater transparency and personalisation. Digital infrastructure is rapidly redefining what scale means in asset servicing from embedded regulatory workflows and advanced analytics to tokenisation and lifecycle-focused operating models. In this conversation, Mike Tae, Group President of Funds, Issuer, and Data-driven Solutions at Broadridge, shares how convergence across RegTech, data intelligence, and distribution technology is transforming global operating models and unlocking new efficiencies across the fund lifecycle.

Cross-border fund distribution has long been constrained by fragmented infrastructure and regulatory complexity. From Broadridge’s vantage point, how are digital platforms and FinTech solutions changing what is possible at a global scale?

Digital platforms are enabling asset managers to enhance the growth opportunity provided by cross-border passporting. Front, middle and back-office systems are being designed to embed regulatory rules directly into operational workflows. This allows regulatory changes to be interpreted more quickly, supported by automated monitoring and exception-based human review.

Digital platforms and FinTech solutions enable asset managers to scale cross-border distribution by identifying the most interesting markets and investor segments based on analytics and insights, enabling seamless, fully integrated digital workflows across the entire fund lifecycle and tailored, direct client communication.

While regulation remains fragmented across jurisdictions and asset managers need to adapt to local market requirements, technology has significantly reduced the unit cost and operational burden of compliance, making global distribution more scalable and resilient. We are also seeing early convergence between public and private assets within the same operating platforms.

Building on that, what role do data, analytics, and automation play in simplifying regulatory compliance and reducing operational friction for asset managers operating across multiple jurisdictions?

Data, analytics and automation are becoming central to how asset managers manage regulatory complexity while improving commercial decision-making across jurisdictions. Master data management is increasingly used to consolidate previously fragmented datasets onto shared platforms, enabling firms to apply analytics and automation consistently across regions rather than operating in silos. This improves efficiency in areas such as reconciliation and exception management, but it also provides better commercial insight into distribution performance, market opportunity and sales effectiveness. Interest in AI is growing to help simplify operational friction, and success is dependent on a solid data foundation.

Automation streamlines filings and materials production, reducing reliance on manual processes and enabling faster, more consistent compliance across jurisdictions.

As asset managers look to manage the entire fund lifecycle more holistically, what technology-driven approaches are proving most effective in supporting fund creation, distribution, and ongoing oversight at scale?

Asset managers that take a data-driven approach across the fund lifecycle are making faster, more disciplined decisions at scale. Advanced analytics supports market sizing by geography, channel, and asset class, while flow and macro analysis provide early indicators of demand.

When combined with capability assessments, brand analytics, and marketing data, asset managers can more confidently prioritise markets, sequence product launches, and allocate resources. These tools also enable more objective portfolio reviews, supporting disciplined decisions on where to invest, refresh, or exit product capabilities.

Technology-driven approaches can also enhance operational oversight. Although accounting standards vary by jurisdiction, review and compliance processes can be similar globally, and dashboards and dynamic reporting tools are the key to supporting global oversight.

We are seeing increasing convergence between RegTech, data intelligence, and distribution technology. How is this convergence reshaping operating models within global asset management firms?

The convergence of RegTech, data intelligence, and distribution technology is fundamentally reshaping operating models in global asset management. Asset managers are moving away from fragmented infrastructures towards integrated, lifecycle-focused operating models, standardising core processes globally while retaining local tailoring to meet regulatory filing and oversight requirements.

Integration supports the full fund lifecycle, from product concept informed by market and regulatory insight, through fund registration and data dissemination, to ongoing compliance monitoring and performance evaluation. By reducing vendor complexity and embedding intelligence across the lifecycle, firms are lowering operating costs, strengthening governance and delivering a more consistent and transparent experience for clients and intermediaries.

Finally, from Broadridge’s perspective, which FinTech trends are likely to have the most meaningful impact on asset servicing and fund distribution over the next few years?

The next phase of asset servicing and fund distribution will be defined by greater speed, transparency, and personalisation, driven by advances in FinTech. Tokenisation, distribution data analytics, hyper-personalisation, broader utilisation of Distribution 360 tools, and enhancements in KYC and KYD processes will have a significant impact on asset servicing and fund distribution in the coming years.

1) Tokenization enables intraday trading of traditionally illiquid instruments (e.g. loans and repos), reducing settlement cycles from days to hours, modernizes private markets infrastructure in wealth channels where shareholder registers and trading processes remain highly manual, improves audit efficiency by reducing reconciliation complexity and lowering audit costs through immutable transaction records, enables true T+0 settlement across fund and instrument types, and facilitates fractionalization, removing minimum investment barriers and allowing diversified strategies to be delivered at virtually any investment size.

2) Distribution Data Analytics enhances transparency into unit-holder registries in non-US markets, enabling a deeper understanding of end investors.

3) Hyper-personalisation allows individuals, plans, or institutions to access tailored versions of investment capabilities without requiring disproportionate scale or operational complexity.

4) Broader utilisation of Distribution 360 tools enables firms to manage products holistically across their lifecycle, identifying priority markets, assessing marketing and event ROI, and evaluating product and capability competitiveness.

5) Enhancements in KYC and KYD processes, including digital ID, delivering faster onboarding and ongoing due diligence without compromising regulatory standards.