Meet: John Howell

A quick Q & A with Sales Executive- Regulatory Solutions: John Howell

What is your favourite thing about your career?

I've been lucky to have had many client-facing roles over the years and really enjoy being able to meet with new people, whether it is virtual, at events or at their offices.

It's the best way to get to know their business and understand how your services can add value to clients.

What is your proudest accomplishment?

While I wouldn't consider it particularly unique, I am quite proud of the fact that despite a very busy work and travel schedule over the last few years, I have been present for all the major milestones in my children's life, first days in creche, school and teacher meetings, and of course all the birthdays too.

The work-life balance evolution has been incredible in just a few years, and credit has to be given to employers and management teams that have led the way and encouraged staff to prioritise the important things in life within a high-performance culture.

What's the best advice you've ever received?

A great piece of advice I received early in my career and have shared many times with other colleagues is very simple - pick up the phone.

Across many different roles, whether you are championing a client internally or need to cut through the red tape to make a deadline, I have found that there isn't any substitute for a direct conversation to get things done.

It also allows you to build rapport and develop your network, rather than being another email marked urgent sitting in an inbox.

What do you like about working at Deep Pool?

I have been impressed by the deep expertise throughout the firm and enjoy working with people who are also focused on helping our clients succeed.

How does your role assist our clients?

My role is to reach new potential clients, help them access solutions that best address their needs, and ensure they have strong representation as they embark on their relationship with Deep Pool.

What are the biggest challenges in the investor services industry today?

The pace at which the asset mix investors are looking to access, the venues which they wish to hold them, disruptors such as blockchain and crypto prompting the traditional investor service solutions to adapt rapidly and, of course, the spectre of Cyber risk are all massive pressures which our clients are facing today.

This is under the ever-changing regulatory environment, particularly concerning client data across multiple jurisdictions. This is why it is so important to work with a technology partner who is cognisant of these challenges and can provide fit-for-purpose solutions to survive and thrive.

What do you think the next big change will be in our industry?

The impact AI is going to have is still not yet fully appreciated, and yes, I do expect many roles will eventually be replaced.

I urge anyone coming into the workforce to focus on developing their interpersonal skills, communication and creative thinking that sets human energy apart.

No AI chatbot was deployed in writing this answer!

ABOUT DEEP POOL

Deep Pool is the?#1?investor servicing and compliance solutions supplier, providing cutting-edge software and consulting services to the world's leading fund administrators and asset managers. Our flexible solution suite, developed by an experienced team of accountants, business analysts and software engineers, supports offshore and onshore hedge funds, partnerships, private equity vehicles, retail funds and regulated financial firms. Deep Pool is a global organisation with offices in Dublin, Ireland, the United States, the Cayman Islands and Slovakia. For more information, visit?www.deep-pool.com.