Ahead of the Curve

About Ahead of the Curve

Acadia presents Ahead of the Curve, a podcast that provides unique perspectives and insights into the margin and collateral industry. Hosts from Acadia’s leadership team are joined by special guest speakers from across the industry to share topical perspectives and really get ‘under the skin’ of the issues that are transforming the sector.

Publisher

Acadia

Category

business · technology

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

28 May 2020

Latest episode

29 Apr 2026

Latest episodes

2 of 41 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   29 Apr 2026

   Agentic AI in Quant Risk: Adoption, Open Source and What Comes Next

   In this episode of Ahead of the Curve, we explore how rapid advances in artificial intelligence are reshaping quant modelling, risk management and analytics development across the industry. Hosted by Xabier Anduaga, Partner, Post Trade Solutions Quant Services team, the discussion brings together Stuart Smith, Head of Risk Services, and Joey O’Brien, Principal Quant Consultant, to examine how AI adoption in risk modelling has evolved since the early days of large language models – and why the last 6–12 months have marked a turning point for the quant community. The conversation moves beyond hype to focus on real‑world applications, including how agentic AI is being used for model development, market data analysis, backtesting, regulatory calculations, and dynamic stress testing. The speakers discuss how custom prompts and domain‑specific agents are becoming critical differentiators, and why open‑source risk libraries are uniquely positioned to unlock the full potential of AI‑driven development. Looking ahead, the episode also explores how AI is changing the day‑to‑day role of quants and risk analysts, reducing time spent on manual cleansing and coding tasks, and enabling deeper analysis, research and decision‑making. From the future of risk system APIs to the possibility of fully AI‑driven stress scenario generation, the panel shares practical insight into what risk teams should be preparing for next.

2. 

   17 Mar 2026TRANSCRIPT

   SRTs, NBFIs, and Regulatory Focus? What’s Driving the Momentum

   Host John Pucciarelli interviews Stuart Smith about the growing momentum of Synthetic Risk Transfers, their regulatory focus, and impact on non-bank financial institutions.

3. 

   3 Feb 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Artificial Intelligence and Tokenisation in Post Trade Solutions: Current Applications and Future Plans

   This episode of Ahead of the Curve offers a forward-looking perspective on how AI and tokenisation will redefine collateral management. Learn how Post Trade Solutions AI initiatives, from natural language search to predictive insights, are helping clients reduce manual tasks and focus on strategic risk management. Explore the intersection of AI and distributed ledger technology, and how tokenisation could enable real-time settlement, optimise collateral usage, and mitigate systemic risk. With regulatory considerations and client needs at the forefront, Post Trade Solutions is charting a path toward a more agile, intelligent, and secure post-trade ecosystem.

Inside a recent episode

SRTs, NBFIs, and Regulatory Focus? What’s Driving the Momentum

Published 17 Mar 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] That big cost that we put on those banks has then opened up this space for competitors to come in who aren't holding the public's money. But are willing to do some of those services that we traditionally associate with banks. So yeah, this space is grown enormously. And you've got traditional NBFI agents like pension funds, pension funds are still pension funds. They're doing what they've always done. They're under some pressure to increase their yield. But then you've got sort of a new breed of their swap dealers who might call them in the US under the SEC swap dealer rule and other firms across the globe who are filling in a non bank void but doing bank like services. […]

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

43,373

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

6 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 43 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

42

Social presence

0

YouTube

76

Engagement

32

Contact Ahead of the Curve

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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