Press release: Financial-services data and marketing expert Heather Hopkins has founded a new research and consulting business, NextWealth, to help firms identify trends and thrive amid disruption in the finance sector. Based in London, NextWealth helps asset managers, life insurance companies, platforms and financial advisers adapt to market changes.

The three initial areas of focus are segregated mandates in retail investing, research to support product development and product launches, and trends in the financial advice market. NextWealth’s first clients include Fidelity International and Bravura Solutions.

“I am thrilled to support the asset management, fund and advice industry as a trusted partner and fair observer of vital industry trends,” said Hopkins. “We are in a period of intense disruption” she added. “The investment industry is being reshaped by regulators, margin pressure, shifting customer needs and digital disruption. At NextWealth we help firms understand what’s next in wealth and to exploit the trends for long-term competitive advantage.”

Tie to leading events and awards programme 

Alongside the launch of NextWealth, Hopkins has become a director of Clive Waller Consulting Ltd, as well as named Vice-Chair of The Investment Network and a Director of the UK Platform Awards. The three businesses are among the most respected events and content businesses in Britain’s financial-services industry. At the same time, Clive Waller has become a director of NexWealth.

“I am honoured to bring Heather into the leadership of these businesses,” said Waller. “Her expertise and reputation for frank and wise judgement are exactly what the industry needs,” he said. Hopkins added: “I am humbled that I can build on Clive’s extraordinary success and benefit from his good counsel.”

NextWealth is also pleased to announce that Vassili Dagiakidis, data-analytics expert, has joined the firm to lead on quantitative analysis and project management.

Report: “Wealth Managers as Manufacturers”

NextWealth has published its first whitepaper, “Wealth Managers as Manufacturers: The Rise of Segregated Mandates in Retail Fund Distribution”. It unveils that an estimated £86bn of retail assets are currently held in funds managed as segregated mandates by wealth managers. NextWealth forecasts the market for wealth manager and DFM segregated mandates to swell to a hefty £180bn in the next two years. This represents a more than doubling of assets and will have a profound effect on the margins for asset managers.

Contacts:
Heather Hopkins heather@nextwealth.co,uk

Clive Waller clive@cwcresearch.co.uk

About the Author

Heather has spent most of her career in financial services helping asset managers, platforms and financial advisers improve their propositions, customer communication and to benchmark success against competitors. She was Head of Platforum until December 2017 and has also worked in digital marketing at Hitwise and Econsultancy.