Our Services

Designated Persons refers to a Pre-Approved Control Function (‘PCF’) that must be approved by the Irish Regulator, the Central Bank of Ireland. There are 6 Management Functions (oversight functions) that must be carried out by a funds Designated Persons on a day-to-day basis.

The 6 functions are the following:

• Investment Management
• Fund Risk Management
• Operational Risk Management
• Regulatory Compliance
• Capital & Financial Management
• Distribution

We currently act as Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) to over 70 unique fund structures. The MLRO team reviews AML processes and procedures on behalf of your funds, undertaking on-site due diligence reviews of Administration firms. We work with the majority of all Administration firms based in Ireland thereby providing a unique insight in to best market practice and developing market/regulatory trends.

What does the service deliver:

• A highly experienced support team to your Board of directors
• AML advice to a Fund’s Board of directors which includes recommendations and managing implementation of action items
• Attendance at quarterly board meetings to deliver MLRO reporting and relevant regulatory updates
• Ongoing active management and support for the implementation of regulatory changes
• An Annual Business Risk Assessment for the company
• Ability to manage all regulatory contacts if required
• Our team has worked closely with the Central Bank of Ireland on a number of AML-themed reviews.
• Our experience and expertise gives our clients comfort that appropriate AML frameworks are in place for their products.

In June 2008, we created Bridge Independent Risk Solutions ‘BIRS’ in partnership with Independent Risk Monitoring Limited (‘IRML’), now ARKUS Financial Services.

BIRS provides flexible and independent risk management solutions, including portfolio risk measurement, independent pricing of derivatives, risk analysis, interpretation and investigation to asset managers meeting UCITS and AIFMD regulatory requirements.

We will formalise and document a sound Risk Management Process ensuring compliance with the latest regulatory guidance and best market practice.

We will prepare a Risk Management Policy which will include a Risk Profile for each of your portfolios, which includes:

• Key Risk Identification: risks inherent to your portfolios based on the analysis of investment objectives, policies and constraints
• Market Risks: appropriate measures based on the assets and strategies of your portfolios, including IRR, Net equity delta, Net DV01, Net CS01
• Borrowing & Exposure: Gross and Commitment Leverage
• Liquidity Risk: liquidity management & profiling techniques

• Operational Risk: risk assessment profiling, due diligence and ongoing oversight.

Data is fed directly from a Fund’s administrator/depositary to BIRS. Following the completion of an Integrity check of the data uploaded, it is uploaded to RiskRadar^TM the proprietary risk system of ARKUS.

RiskRadar^TM creates reports covering a comprehensive range of risk metrics ( Market Risk, Liquidity, Counterparty and Concentration)

• UCITS compliant risk report: allows you to monitor the compliance of your portfolios with UCITS regulatory requirements
• Global Exposure: VaR vs. Commitment Approach (including netting and hedging arrangements)
• Back Testing & Stress Testing: historical as well as factor stresses
• Liquidity Risk Monitoring: Asset and Liability side including stress testing redemptions
• Counterparty Risk Monitoring: OTC limits and combined
• SRRI: calculation and alert if falling outside current
• OTC: independent valuation

In addition to our core offering, we also provide related services which leverage our team’s unique range of skillsets. These services are typically used by clients to meet a skills shortage within their firm such as the secondment of compliance and risk personnel. 

These services are also suitable for project based work.

Risk Calculations

e.g. VAR, ReLATIVE VAR, COMMITMENT APPROACH, GLOBAL EXPOSURE

Reporting Solutions–

ANNEX IV, FORM PF, FATCa, EMT, EPT, EET, PRIIPS

Compliance Helpdesk

Based on our experience we are able to provide a wide range of advisory services based on an underlying philosophy of presenting clients with practical solutions.

Key Elements of the Service:

• Assistance with business strategy and product development e.g. ESG
• Appraisal of investment businesses and services / products being offered
• Guidance and assistance with regulatory responses and dispute resolution
• Re-engineering of business processes to improve efficiency and profitability
• Assistance with setting up policies which incorporate conduct of business rules

Fund Registrations

Our Fund Registration Service has been designed to provide our clients with a flexible solution to meet a client’s cross border fund registration requirements both at the initial point of registration  and ongoing maintenance in both the Irish and international fund regulation jurisdictions.

Our Fund Registration team has comprehensive industry experience in providing support to clients that are marketing their fund products across a rang of markets, including where required, a streamlined process for those clients wishing to passport/register their funds.

• CBI Portal System Administration
• UCITS KIID & PRIIPS KID Production / SRRI Calculation
• Performance Reporting / Investor Newsletters
• Management Company Accounts
• Vat / PAYE & PRSI Returns
• Liquidation Services
• Irish Facilities Agent
• UK Facilities Agent
• Centralised EU Facilities Agent