FMLS catch-up: Key points from the Finance Magnates London Summit

Author: Albina Zhdanova

Last week, the TFB team attended the London Summit organised by Finance Magnates.

As always, we’d like to share the key thoughts and insights from the event on our blog.

#1 Quality over quantity

While the London expo is half the size of other major events, it attracts prominent long-term players in the industry.

#2 The networking area was a hit

As always, the Summit featured a packed and exciting program. However, the networking and mingling areas were the prime locations for communicating with other participants. They were the place to be if you wanted to get to know more people within the industry, catch up with old friends, and participate in discussions.

#3 Nominations

The early FMLS Awards featured many strong market players, and finding out who won each category was exciting. This year, Tools for Brokers was honoured to win the Best Automated Performance Tool award.

#4 Panel discussions

Albina Zhdanova, the CCO at TFB, participated in a panel titled “Wonder Woman of Fintech”, where a group of experts reflected on how the industry has changed for the better, the impact of maternity leaves and childcare on women's careers, and cultural structures that affect women’s potential career paths.

Ultimately, it all comes down to knowledge and skills, and the best way for women to succeed is to focus on gaining experience in the field and being proactive in making themselves seen.

#5 Automation

Although automation has been around forever, it has moved to the forefront again. Whether for risk avoidance, resource efficiency, or simplifying the workflow – everyone was talking about it. And it’s not surprising, given how much stress brokerages and hedge funds are constantly under. Companies are looking for ways to enhance their operations, stay compliant, and keep their clients happy. Automation is a great way to achieve all of those goals.

#6 Business impact

Speaking of the overall summit experience, the TFB team met many new prospects and discussed several ongoing projects, with some of them moving to the next stages of implementation right during the summit.

The event helped us catch up with old and new friends, discuss important deals with clients and partners, and learn about the latest changes and challenges of market players. It is always important to us because it is the top priority for our company to help brokers and hedge funds with the most pressing issues and goals.

Final thoughts on the FMLS 2024

Overall, the event has validated the current trends we are seeing worldwide. While the UK market is stable and self-sufficient, the primary growth is mainly happening in regions such as Asia, the Middle East, and LATAM. The prop trading business is also struggling in some areas due to unclear regulations that create a shaky position for many. However, the demand for prop trading and interest in launching such business models is still relatively high. Alternative asset classes, such as futures and options, seem to slowly fill in the gaps, and if they continue to grow at such a pace, it may become a local UK trend and a new global focus in the financial world.