Calastone has made three strategic hires to support the next stage of its growth and bolster its digital offering.
Calastone has appointed Ahsan Raza as CFO, Varun Atre as head of product, and Paul Elflain to a newly created role as head of distributor managed inventory sales.
In his new role as CFO, Raza will be responsible for managing all financial and strategic activities of the business.
Raza brings more than 15 years of experience working with institutional clients in the financial technology, market infrastructure and asset management sectors. Raza was one of the first bankers to start building dedicated fintech coverage in Europe.
Before joining Calastone, Raza was a managing director and co-head of the technology investment banking coverage team for Barclays in Europe, Middle-East and Africa.
Atre will oversee the continued innovation of Calastone’s product offering. Varun brings with him more than 15 years of experience in technology and financial services.
Prior to Calastone, Varun was an associate partner in McKinsey & Company’s London office, where he helped guide a range of technology and financial services clients to define product strategies.
Elflain has more than 25 years’ experience in fintech and capital markets. Prior to Calastone, Eflian has held leadership roles at global technology firms including Linedata, FIS Global and DTCC Omgeo.
Commenting on the new appointments, Julien Hammerson, CEO at Calastone says: “The funds industry is facing pressure to innovate and digitally transform with an increasing need to provide better experience and value to investors.
He adds: “We aim to support the industry through its digital transformation by combining the best technology with the connectivity of our global network. I’m thrilled to welcome the exceptional talent and experience that Ahsan, Varun and Paul bring to help us deliver on this mission.”
Raza comments: “I’m delighted to join Calastone, a company that I’ve both advised and admired for a number of years. Calastone is truly leading the industry in helping solve challenges for fund managers and distributors using technology and I’m excited to be working with Julien and the rest of the team on the next phase of its growth journey.”
