Years of leading innovation taught Raj Madan an important lesson: Before you can solve the technological challenge, you have to pay attention to the people around you.
“I have my own personal code,” he explains. “My intelligence is limited by the space between my ears. There’s a dual meaning: You’re limited by your brain, but you’re also limited by how much you can hear your own people. Leaders often make that mistake. You can’t know everything. You have to rely on your people.”
As AdvisorEngine’s new Chief Information Officer, Madan will be busy listening and then building out innovation as the lead of all technology functions here, including architecture, software development, infrastructure and IT.
With broad experience overseeing digital innovation projects in financial services at BNY Mellon's Pershing, one of his focuses will be partnering with wealth management firms to harness data across CRM and portfolio management to deliver personalization at scale.
That’s going to further the transformational work already happening here at AdvisorEngine, Madan says.
“The AdvisorEngine team has quietly been delivering major enhancements to both its CRM and its wealth technology platform,” Madan says. “Before my joining, the team had introduced an entirely redesigned user experience for CRM clients -- fewer clicks, a cleaner layout -- making completing daily tasks simpler and more intuitive.”
The team also added key new CRM features and functionality, he notes, including expanded client records capabilities and Web Forms, a tool that helps advisors prospect from their own website traffic. And the team has implemented integrations with popular advisor tools such as Calendly and Office365.
“Also, the AdvisorEngine’s wealth technology platform offers a robust, end-to-end practice management solution for advisory firms,” Madan continued. “This brings a new level of customization for advisors seeking a modern and comprehensive practice management solution that is also truly open architecture.”
“If you haven’t demoed the AdvisorEngine products recently, you’re missing a transformation,” Madan notes. “It’s one of the reasons I was excited to take the role -- there is a strong, modern technology framework here that I can build upon.”
Madan’s background and industry connections will come into play as he helps AdvisorEngine deepen relationships with senior leaders at custodians and fintech companies. If you fit one of these categories, feel free to schedule time on Madan's calendar.
One quality that Madan will likely draw attention to is the level of support AdvisorEngine clients receive.
“Our clients are loyal and for good reason – our technology is purpose-built for growing RIAs, and the client success team supporting our products is truly top-notch. I’m a technologist first, of course, but service is ultimately just as important as the technology itself in enabling wealth managers to drive successful technology adoption.”
Tech-savvy though is just part of his eclectic list of skills.
Teaching at a major university, woodworking to build a birdhouse, performing the perfect mixed martial arts takedown and serving as a handyman for his and his extended family? Madan can claim it all. (Though he’s since switched from MMA to tennis twice a week; easier on the knees, he explains.)
Madan’s proudest talking about his two sons and their accomplishments – his eldest is nearly done with his business analytics degree and is growing a deep interest in cryptocurrency/blockchain development (Madan says he didn’t influence his son’s interests), and his younger son just got accepted into a direct medical program with a merit scholarship.
Their academic achievements were a gift, Madan says, as it spurred him to embrace change and take on the new opportunity AdvisorEngine presented to him.
Madan’s priorities will be on listening and focusing on relationships among his team. “There always has to be a mutual benefit when it comes to working with people and being part of a company,” Madan says. “That’s how strong teams are built because you feel like you are supporting each other.”