ISITC Member Spotlight – Paul Preisser

 

In our latest Member Spotlight, meet Paul Preisser: Executive Director at J.P. Morgan and North America OCRM (Operations Client Relationship Manager) Team Lead


When did you begin working with ISITC and what position do you hold?
J.P. Morgan has historically been active with ISITC and thanks to some of my peers, I started to be actively involved with ISITC in 2021. I was elected to the Board of Directors in the Fall of 2021.


What has been your favorite part about joining the ISITC team?
What I learned quickly is that ISITC members can have an instant impact within the organization and within the industry. There are so many working groups and committees within ISITC that you can easily find a group that aligns with your role or specific area of focus.

 As an example, participating in the conference task force has offered opportunities to help drive an agenda that benefits the industry. I was able to join working groups that worked to bring various session topics such as Skills of the Future and the regulatory changes around T+1 to the agenda for ISITC’s annual forum in Boston.

 If you are focused on specific aspect of Operations, you can easily find welcoming groups such as Settlements, Securities Lending or Derivatives that offer opportunities to not only network, but to deliver industry beneficial initiatives.

What upcoming projects are you most excited about?
There are two projects that I find to be extremely interesting. The first is the upcoming regulatory changes to shortened settlements (T+1). ISITC has hosted a few sessions on preparing for this regulatory change at our forums and have led various industry initiatives to bring awareness to these rules.

The second is a focus on digitization. I believe this is associated with the first, in that this industry will need to develop an evolving skill set focused on data and automation to prepare not only for T+1, but perhaps even a T+0 future. In the operations industry, you are now seeing more data scientists, machine learning experts and emerging fintechs that are assisting with this evolution to a more digital operations environment. These new skill sets are being incorporated across the industry and offering new opportunities to adapt.

What are some of the most impactful lessons you’ve gained from ISITC so far?
One of the biggest lessons is the importance of collaboration early on as the key to success for any industry initiative or regulatory change. This collaboration involves engaging both buy and sell-side, custodians, vendors and fintechs. The earlier that the industry can come together, the better.

What are your favorite activities/hobbies outside of work?
Being a softball dad, as my teenage daughter plays both high school and travel softball. When she is pitching, I find the stress level is higher than I face at work!