Our people, their stories: Kerri Richards

Meet our experts and the passionate people who work behind the scenes at AUSIEX to deliver the best outcomes for you and your clients.

Meet Kerri Richards, AUSIEX Operations Manager.

How would you describe your role at AUSIEX in a few sentences?

As a member of the Operations Leadership Team, I am responsible for the execution of strategic initiatives impacting the Market Operations team. In addition to representing Operations on various projects, risk management forms a large part of my role. This includes the design and testing of controls and collaborating with the Managers and broader team on improving and documenting processes and identifying any potential gaps.?

What do you enjoy about your current role?

I enjoy the relationship management side of my role. After sixteen years in the business, I have developed a holistic view of the organisation and how it operates. I love nothing more than collaborating with internal stakeholders to design and implement the best possible client outcome, factoring in business impacts and risk mitigation.

Tell us about your job history prior to taking on your current role.

Before moving to Australia, I worked at a unit trust and asset management firm in South Africa. On joining AUSIEX, I managed the Client Support Team in our Portfolio Services department, responsible for managing the relationships with Investment Advisers and our institutional clients. I then took on responsibility for the Quality Assurance function, and later the Portfolio Operations team in my role as Portfolio Service Delivery Manager. At the end of 2017 I moved into the project focused role I am in now.

What is a typical day like in your role?

I am lucky in that I am able to spend a lot of time talking to people. Depending on what I am working on at the time, most days will involve interacting with managers or operations team members, project teams or other stakeholders from technology, legal, risk and compliance or external providers.?

What is your proudest or greatest achievement while working for AUSIEX?

We have an amazing team at AUSIEX. Particularly in Perth, the length of tenure is remarkable (most people in our Portfolio team have been there for over ten years), which says a lot for the culture of a business. I have always strived to champion authenticity and inclusion in the workplace. The relationships I have developed, both with colleagues and our clients, are the most important aspect of my time here.

Outside of work, what do you spend most of your time doing?

With two young kids, family time is priority. I am happiest in the bush or out on the water, so I am thrilled that they are now old enough to join us on our mountain bikes, and we have recently discovered a love of camping.?