PR94376

SYDNEY, Feb. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

- CFS strengthens commitment to significantly increase competition in

Australia's wrap platform market through strategic partnership with one of the

world's leading wealth management platform providers.

Colonial First State (CFS) today announces a major revamp of its wrap business,

with a new wrap platform expected to open to new business in late 2022. CFS has

appointed FNZ as the platform provider to replace its current solution under

its unique platform-as-a-service model. As part of the new partnership, CFS and

FNZ will use their combined strengths to significantly grow CFS's business in

the Australian wrap platform sector.

The launch of the new wrap platform marks the next stage of the $430 million

investment CFS is making across the business over the next four years. The

replacement of technology underpinning the current wrap platform will increase

CFS's competitiveness and is expected to drive significant growth in coming

years.

The agreement with FNZ will see CFS launch the new wrap platform combining

FNZ's state-of-the-art technology and a range of business services to create a

market leading proposition for financial advisers using CFS's wrap platform and

underpinned by a scalable operating model. The transformation will deliver a

significantly improved experience for advisers and their clients, providing the

foundation for CFS's future growth plans to be one of the best players in the

platform market.

FNZ is a global wealth platform that provides many of the world's leading

financial institutions with a unique integrated end-to-end software, technology

infrastructure, and investment operations platform in 18 countries across Asia

Pacific, Europe and North America. Trusted by more than 150 major financial

institutions, FNZ has over $A2.1 trillion in assets under administration, which

represents the combined savings and investments of over 20 million customers.

In Australia, FNZ has grown rapidly in recent years with over $A70 billion in

assets on its wealth platform service.

The new wrap platform will offer market leading features in the areas of

investment selection and managed account management, adviser services, advice

tech integration and data management. More details will be announced closer to

the platform's launch.

CFS and FNZ are already working directly with a group of advisers to design the

new platform to make it easier for advisers to deliver their guidance to

clients.

Strategic partnership arrangements for new CFS wrap platform offer post launch

CFS and FNZ have also agreed a strategic partnership arrangement to distribute

the wrap platform to new clients of CFS. This will include CFS actively

pursuing M&A and client acquisition opportunities, by leveraging its scale,

brand, depth of adviser relationships and technical expertise, supported by

FNZ's wealth management platform.

Kelly Power, Chief Executive Officer of Colonial First State Super said:

"Colonial First State is excited to be building this market leading wrap

platform, built on FNZ's global wealth management platform with the backing of

our shareholders KKR and CBA.

"While we already have a strong position in the master trust platform segment,

this will greatly strengthen our competitiveness in the wrap platform sector,

deliver substantial benefits for our members and their advisers, and allow us

to become one of the major players.

"The partnership with FNZ will also allow us to pursue future growth

opportunities in the Australian market with a new platform that provides

greater choice of products and providers, competitive pricing to deliver a

significantly improved service experience for advisers and their clients. A key

focus for us will be to work with advisers on the new design to seamlessly

integrate the platform into other systems that advisers use every day in their

practices."

Tim Neville, Chief Executive Officer, FNZ Asia Pacific said: "We are delighted

to be partnering with Colonial First State to provide an unrivalled growth

platform to accelerate its digital transformation and improve the adviser and

client experience.

"FNZ is a leader in the global wealth management platform sector and is well

established in Australia. Together with CFS, we look forward to delivering a

market leading proposition, which will help to accelerate growth, drive

innovation and enable personalised advice and wealth management solutions for

advisers and their clients across Australia."

Media enquiries:

Lisa Macnamara, Senior Manager External Communications, CFS

lisa.macnamara1@cfs.com.au

Alasdair Munro, Head of Marketing & Communications, FNZ

Alasdair.munro@fnz.com

About Colonial First State

Colonial First State (CFS) is Superannuation and Investments HoldCo Pty Limited

ABN 64 644 660 882 and its subsidiaries which include Colonial First State

Investments Limited ABN 98 002 348 352, AFSL 232468 (CFSIL) and Avanteos

Investments Limited ABN 20 096 259 979, AFSL 245531 (AIL). CFS is majority

owned by an affiliate of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P. (KKR), with the

Commonwealth Bank of Australia ABN 48 123 123 124 AFSL 234945 (CBA) holding a

significant minority interest.

About FNZ

FNZ is a global wealth management platform empowering the world's leading

financial institutions with a unique integrated end-to-end software, technology

infrastructure and investment operations platform in 18 countries across North

America, Europe and Asia-Pacific.

By unifying a fragmented value chain, digitising distribution and

mass-personalising wealth management, FNZ has transformed the way the wealth

industry serves its clients, creating better outcomes for all stakeholders, be

they superannuation providers, wealth managers, asset managers, financial

services providers or the end-customer.

Trusted by more than 150 major financial institutions, FNZ has over $A2.1

trillion in assets under administration, which represents the combined savings

and investments of over 20 million customers.

FNZ (Australia) Pty Ltd is a corporate authorised representative (CAR number

001274269) of FNZ Custodians (Australia) Pty Ltd (ABN 88 624 689 694, AFSL

507452).

Sources: CSF and FNZ