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Deals & People January 6, 2015
DST and Kasina Outline Acquisition Deal
DST Systems, a provider of strategically unified data management, business processing, and customer communication tools, says it has acquired Kasina LLC, a strategic advisory firm to the asset management industry.
Reported by Jill Cornfield
Combining DST’s data analytics and sales reporting tools with Kasina’s understanding of the challenges facing asset managers and insurers can bring the financial industry new ways to make economically favorable business decisions, DST Systems suggests.
New York-based Kasina provides business analytics, consulting and research to the largest U.S. and global asset managers. The firm is recognized for innovation in the areas of hybrid wholesaling, profit-based compensation systems, digital marketing, social media use, and behavior-based segmentation, DST says. Kasina’s consulting services include engagements to analyze product strategies, sales models, and marketing strategies.
Kasina was founded by Steven Miyao, who has served as the company’s chief executive, and Lee Kowarski. Both will continue their strategic roles for DST, where they will lead consulting and product development organizations for the company’s financial services unit.
“Two industry leaders will be able to leverage their core strengths,” Miyao says. “Together, we will provide clients with accurate, timely, actionable data analytics and insights that will enable them to transform their distribution, marketing, and product organizations.”
DST Systems provides data management, analytics and business intelligence, including tools for financial services firms, such as the retirement income clearing and calculation tool, a solution designed to support retirement income product management through recordkeeping platforms.
The new combined entity will shore up DST’s offering of consulting, research, data management and analytics to the asset management industry. Kasina’s research and consulting capabilities will provide perspective and insights that impact and leverage DST’s SalesConnect platform and its data-driven applied analytics capabilities.
According to Steve Hooley, president and CEO of DST Systems, the acquisition of Kasina will combine with DST’s solid foundation of data management excellence to produce a powerful new solution set for the industry.
“The synergy between Kasina’s strategic advisory expertise and DST’s technical resources and systems will result in extraordinary benefits for asset managers,” Hooley says. “The data-driven insights we’ll be able to provide will literally change the way fund company executives view their operations, their customers, and their market opportunities.”
Immediate plans call for Kasina to represent and enhance DST’s “Predictive Wholesaling” and “Asset Persistency” products.
“Given their deep understanding of the business, Kasina will provide us an enormous advantage in the way we help asset managers utilize data, research and new technologies,” Hooley says.
DST Systems, with headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri, is a provider of information processing and servicing solutions to companies around the world. More information is at www.dstsystems.com.