KNEIP - 22 years of adaptation

Visites d'entreprises
Steve Breier, financial director Chamber of Commerce; Bob Kneip, CEO; Carlo Thelen, general director, Chamber of Commerce 264 specialists are employed by KNEIP working from 6 countries around the world: Luxembourg, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Belgiu

KNEIP was founded in 1993 by Bob Kneip to help banks and financial institutions fulfil their communication needs and obligations. From this simple concept, KNEIP's ambition has been to provide consistent and accurate fund data and documents for their clients to a large variety of destinations including specialised media, data vendors, distributors and regulators, hence meeting their reporting obligations.

KNEIP is the place where asset managers come to aggregate, format and disseminate their fund data and reporting documents. Change is flavour of the day and the pace of change is accelerating: regulation, economic cycles, technology, virtualisation, business drivers, markets, client needs-they're constantly changing.

KNEIP's challenge is to permanently adapt to these changes. Innovation in processes, people and technology are in the company's DNA. KNEIP has consistently been working on various developments and innovations, which resulted in making a name for itself in the distribution of financial information, turning it into the financial information supplier of choice for numerous recipients around the globe, such as newspapers, specialist websites and market and regulatory authorities.

Supervised by the Luxembourg CSSF since 2006, KNEIP is also certified by the ISAE/SSAE serving over 400 asset management companies combining an estimated worth of EUR 2 trillion of assets under management. 264 specialists are employed by KNEIP working from 6 countries around the world: Luxembourg (where the group's headquarters are located), the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Belgium and Switzerland. Being located in the leading cross-border fund centre in the world and using cutting-edge technology, KNEIP leverages Luxembourg's significant investment in financial technology, infrastructure, knowledge and expertise, without relying on workforces outside of Europe.

KNEIP focuses on bringing its clients peace of mind in managing all of their regulatory reporting and investor disclosure by delivering the most adapted service to their needs.

Interview with Bob Kneip, CEO

What projects are you currently working on?

Our generic "project" is to support our clients' needs country by country. The objective of our IT transformation project is to reduce time to market, cost and infrastructure for our clients. New reporting obligations should be a no-brainer-in particular Solvency, PRIIPS, MiFid, AML/KYC and UCITS V In addition we will move to Bertrange-Bourmicht in October this year, where we will have 3700 square metres of open-space office on a single floor for our Luxembourg team. This is a new challenge!

What successes are you particularly proud of?

Being the reference in regulatory reporting and investor disclosure, worldwide! Over 400 asset managers, 10% of European alternative investment managers and 45 out of the 50 top cross-border distribution companies are served by a company located in one of the smallest countries in the world. This demonstrates that with passion and determination, a small company from a small country in the right industry can provide world class service on a global level.

What are the biggest challenges your sector is facing?

One of the big challenges for our company is that we constantly need to change and adapt our teams, technology and processes to economic cycles and marketplace changes, new and expanding regulation, and technological evolutions.

If you could change one thing about your sector, what would it be? How could the Chamber of Commerce support you?

By creating awareness and supporting: Equal treatment for Luxembourg grown companies and those attracted to Luxembourg from abroad. A strong FinTech culture and infrastructure in terms of safety, availability and cost. Targeted education programs to support 1/3 of the country's wealth. A framework for the "working poor" generation.

KNEIP at a glance
1993: KNEIP is incorporated - industrialization of legal announcements in the press and production of sales presentations
1998: Opening of KNEIP's Switzerland office
2006: CSR launched. IMS incorporation Luxembourg chapter & KNEIP'art collection begins
2007: Expand through the investment of 3i Growth Capital who provided support in making three acquisitions in 2009
2009: Opening of the London Office & acquisition of La Côte Bleue Paris
2010: Repurchase of all shares of 3i Growth Capital, acquisition of Co-Link Brussels and Patrimoine TV Paris, opening of Frankfurt office
2013: KNEIP celebrates 20 years of upholding standards and building trust
2015: KNEIP moves to a new office premises in Bertrange, completely renews ITT and infrastructure

 

Photos: Pierre Guersing