GlobeOp (B), Organizing for Hedge Fund Growth, 2003 to 2008

By 2008, GlobeOp was a leader in technology-enabled middle- and back-office support services and fund administration for hedge funds, fund managers, family wealth managers, and institutional investors, serving more than 160 clients worldwide (55 percent in the United States and the remainder in Europe, aside from a few in Asia). Now with a total of over US$100 billion in assets under administration (AUA), the company had been profitable since its second year of operations (2001). GlobeOp employed over 1,700 people in all of its offices—London, New York, Dublin, Ireland, the Cayman Islands, Harrison, New York, Hartford, Connecticut, and Mumbai, India. In fact, two-thirds of the company’s employees were based in India by 2008. In terms of services to its clients, GlobeOp handled a broad palette of services post-execution of a trade. By 2008, GlobeOp had defined functional leadership with processes, and developed the technology to support such people and processes. But the road to that point had not been easy. Typical of many growth companies, GlobeOp had faced several internal and external challenges that tested the skills and tenacity of its management team. In addition, on the product side, GlobeOp had begun to unbundle its products and target new clients, which required a new emphasis on marketing and sales. As Hufschmid reflected on the company’s path, he wondered whether he and his team had made all the optimal decisions while growing the company, and more importantly, how to map out the future of GlobeOp, given his desire for continued improvement and growth.