Country Profile: Slovenia

Since its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, Slovenia joined the European Union in 2004 and adopted its single currency three years later. Today, the country is considered substantially wealthier and economically more stable than many other Central European “transitional economies” that share a Socialist past.

In 1992, Slovenia became the first Balkan country to introduce investment funds, and its fund management industry has grown steadily to an estimated EUR 2 billion. Deregulation schemes, such as the relaxation of foreign investment restrictions in 2001, have buoyed the industry by providing individual investors with incentives to channel savings into mutual funds. On the regulatory side, the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID), which mandates best execution for all asset managers doing business in the European Union, came into effect in 2007.

Slovenia’s leading and most progressive fund managers fully embrace global market opportunities. Firms like Charles River client KD Funds (KD Skladi), are focused on growth and provisioning of market-leading services.  Customarily, regional firms have supported investment operations via spreadsheets and locally-developed systems. Today, they require more sophisticated and efficient investment management processes.

KD Funds selected Charles River to advance the firm’s investment operations with industry best practices. KD Funds is currently implementing the Charles River Investment Management System (Charles River IMS) across its entire investment platform of equity, fixed income and money market funds. The system will interface with the firm’s custody and accounting providers, and give KD Funds the flexibility to adhere to firm mandates, workflows, and evolving country- and region-specific rules and regulations.

“Charles River helps Slovene managers – and managers throughout Central Europe – to scale their operations for growth,” said Jon Steward, Managing Director, EMEA, Charles River Development. “As requirements become more complex, automation and reduction of operational risk become paramount. Charles River’s integrated platform can be a real differentiator for regional firms seeking to increase their market share.”

For more information about Charles River’s products and services in Slovenia and Central Europe, please contact Rob Watts, Sales Executive, +44 (0)20 7397 6835 or RobWatts@crd.com.

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