Breakthroughs on the Buy Side: Karina Sidhu
Breakthroughs on the Buy-Side
Karina Sidhu
Chief Technology & Data Officer (CTDO) | Investment Management Corporation of Ontario (IMCO)
Karina is a technologist who has worked in financial services for the last 12 years. She is focused on bringing technology and data together to help drive value and outcomes for the clients of IMCO — an independent, long-term investor for Ontario’s public-sector institutions.
We’re continually assessing partners and solutions with the potential to help our teams work faster, better, and more at scale.
Q. Are you the first Chief Technology & Data Officer at IMCO? How did the data side of your role come to be?
I first joined IMCO as CTO, then a few months into the role, we decided to have the Chief Data Officer under the same remit.
Marrying data with technology simply made sense. There is no point in building technology unless we understand the value it delivers to the business and to our investment team. We can’t do that without data. My vision coming in was to be business driven and make business-led investments in data and tech.
Q. How has IMCO evolved over the course of your time there, and what role has Bloomberg played in that evolution?
I’ve been with IMCO since September 2022. Throughout that time, we’ve continually evolved our strategies and ideas, mindful of emerging themes in the markets as well as economic realities.
IMCO completed implementation of Bloomberg’s order and investment management solution, AIM, at the end of 2022. Implementing AIM was a key part of our ongoing journey to systematize. We’re continually assessing partners and solutions with the potential to help our teams work faster, better, and more at scale.
The data needs in our industry are evolving rapidly, and organizations need more data at their fingertips to access new dimensions of information.
Q. How have the changes you’ve been making helped IMCO stay competitive?
We’re keeping clients at the forefront by prioritizing cybersecurity as well as scalability. Utilizing the cloud, and leveraging emerging technologies and automation, are also top of mind.
Q. What are some of the key trends affecting your firm?
One trend is a new outlook on costs. In the current macro environment, we’re asking, “what can we internalize?” and “how can we bring our costs down so that the upside goes back to our clients?” That is driving an appreciation for the internal operations teams and partners helping us bring down operating and processing costs.
Other key trends include innovations like generative AI and investors’ interest in direct investing in privates and alternatives. Also, the data needs in our industry are evolving rapidly. Organizations need more data at their fingertips to access new dimensions of information.
Q. How have you been investing in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) or working to close gender and minority gaps?
I’m very proud to say that IMCO is the best firm I’ve worked for when it comes to DEI. We currently have a female CTDO and a female CIO, which I, personally, have never previously experienced in my career in financial services and capital markets.
For me, DEI is always top of mind. Outside of IMCO, for example, I invest a lot of personal time in mentoring and coaching both women and people of minority backgrounds — specifically in areas where there is still a lack of representation at senior levels or within very technical roles.
Q. How do you see IMCO evolving over the next five years?
I see us evolving on a number of fronts. We will grow, we will become more systematized, and we will capitalize on emerging technologies and real time insights to move our business forward.