As Morgan Stanley’s first chief digital officer for wealth management, Naureen Hassan oversees the technology and strategy underlying adviser desktop and client online access to the firm’s services.
The new position, created in 2016, reflects a recognition that technology is changing financial services, she said.
Ms. Hassan’s background in lean operations, which focuses on eliminating nonessential processes and adding value to the consumer, has informed her 15 years in the industry.
“The angle I’ve taken throughout my career is to use technology to make processes easier and more efficient for both advisers and clients,” she said. “There’s a view that a person has to choose between technology and [a human] adviser, but it’s about enabling both.”
Over the years, Ms. Hassan has introduced major innovations, including an artificial intelligence platform at Morgan Stanley that helps advisers by analyzing information and serving it to them with automated analysis and pre-written, customizable communications to clients.
Earlier in her career, Ms. Hassan helped Charles Schwab & Co. Inc. launch its retail robo-adviser. It had the ripple effect of offering well-diversified allocations to people without sizable portfolios, she said. And she introduced e-authorization, an alternative to fraud-vulnerable authentication options, which enables use of one’s fingerprint on a smartphone.
Looking to the future, Ms. Hassan said, “We’re continuing to see the advent of data. Advisers and firms that don’t use data to better serve their clients will be left behind.”
Leveraging technology plays a role in Ms. Hassan’s personal life, too. She telecommutes to the Morgan Stanley office in New York from San Francisco and stays connected online to her large extended family in India.
Looking to refine your strategy for investing in stocks in the US market? Discover expert insights, key trends, and risk management techniques to maximize your returns
The RIA led by Merrill Lynch veteran John Thiel is helping its advisors take part in the growing trend toward fee-based annuities.
Driven by robust transaction activity amid market turbulence and increased focus on billion-dollar plus targets, Echelon Partners expects another all-time high in 2025.
The looming threat of federal funding cuts to state and local governments has lawmakers weighing a levy that was phased out in 1981.
The fintech firms' new tools and integrations address pain points in overseeing investment lineups, account monitoring, and more.
RIAs face rising regulatory pressure in 2025. Forward-looking firms are responding with embedded technology, not more paperwork.
As inheritances are set to reshape client portfolios and next-gen heirs demand digital-first experiences, firms are retooling their wealth tech stacks and succession models in real time.
