Perspective from Fiona Bassett, IIA Chair and FTSE Russell CEO

Cutting edge technology, artificial intelligence, data science, huge structural tailwinds, disruption, enormous growth potential – are we describing an emerging new tech sector?

In fact, we are describing the world of indexing and its bright future. It’s an industry riding an extended wave of growth, driven by long-term trends in the financial industry like the rise in index-based investing, growing demand for customization, tremendous advancements in data sourcing and analytical tools, and increasingly diverse leadership.

These are just some of the key topics from the Index Industry Association’s recent panel in celebration of Women’s History Month moderated by Jill Malandrino at Nasdaq on March 7^th. As the recently elected Chair of the IIA, I was privileged to join two of my fellow board members on the panel, MSCI Head of Index Jana Haines and Nasdaq Senior Vice President and Global Head of Index Emily Spurling.

We had a wide-ranging discussion on the impact of data and technology on our industry, the growing customization of indexes, and how index providers can better deliver for their clients. We also explored the importance of diversity in organizations, some of the nuances of working in the index industry, and how we can harness the lessons from our careers to help the next generation of leaders excel.

I believe you will learn a lot about an industry utilizing cutting-edge technology and innovation to deliver solutions by viewing a replay of the panel in its entirety here.