Rule Financial

Rule Financial was a British multinational business and technology consultancy focused on the investment-banking and wider financial-services industry. Founded by Marcus Rule in 1997, the company was established in the City of London with the aim of combining financial-domain expertise with technology and change-delivery capabilities. Its clients included investment banks, asset and wealth managers, central counterparties, exchanges, hedge funds, and related financial institutions. The company operated across business consulting, technical consulting, programme and project management, implementation, user-experience design, and technical strategy. Its work was directed at complex institutional environments in which firms needed to modernise operating models, implement systems, manage regulatory or operational change, reduce costs, and improve productivity. Rule Financial’s consultants were described as having experience across wholesale banking and investment-banking activities, allowing the firm to work between business stakeholders and technology teams. Rule Financial expanded internationally as demand for its specialist services grew. It developed a presence in major financial centres including London, New York, Boston, and Toronto, while also building delivery capacity in Europe and Central America. In 2008, the company opened development centres in Barcelona and Łódź following the acquisition of Polish-based Peer-to-Peer Systems. Poland subsequently became an important nearshore engineering location for the business, and a second Polish development centre was established in Poznań. By 2014, the company employed more than 810 people worldwide, with more than 250 associated with its Polish operations according to the available reference material. The firm also expanded through the acquisition of The Waterline Group, which supported its presence in Boston and Toronto. In October 2013, it opened an office in Heredia, Costa Rica, to support clients in North America. Its technology ecosystem included relationships with Microsoft, Oracle, OpenFin, Dtex Systems, and Recommind. Rule Financial attained Microsoft Gold Certified Partner status in 2009 and was also a member of the Oracle partner network. The company received recognition in The Sunday Times Tech Track 100 on four occasions, including in 2010. This reflected its growth as a technology-oriented professional-services business, although the available material does not provide detailed rankings or financial results. In June 2014, GFT Technologies AG announced that it would acquire Rule Financial. The transaction was completed and the businesses were merged by the end of 2014. Rule Financial therefore ceased to operate as an independent company, with its capabilities becoming part of GFT’s financial-services and technology consulting activities.

Marcus Rule founded Rule Financial in 1997 and established its headquarters in the City of London. The original concept was a specialist consultancy dedicated to the business and technology requirements of the global investment-banking community. Rather than operating as a generalist technology supplier, the company concentrated on financial institutions and developed consulting capabilities around wholesale banking, investment banking, operating-model change, and technology delivery. The business expanded as its client base and service portfolio developed. In 2008, it established development centres in Barcelona and Łódź after acquiring the Polish company Peer-to-Peer Systems. The Polish operation became a significant part of Rule Financial’s delivery model and reflected the company’s use of European nearshore engineering capacity. In 2011, the Polish office moved to larger premises as the operation grew. Rule Financial later added a second Polish development centre in Poznań, reinforcing the country’s role in the company’s European technology network. The company’s London operation also grew. By 2010, it had outgrown its London premises for a second time and moved to a new location in the City. That year it was recognised in The Sunday Times Tech Track 100 for the fourth time since its inception. The available reference material presents this recognition as an indicator of sustained technology-business growth, but does not provide the underlying ranking or financial data. International expansion continued through the addition of offices in Boston and Toronto following the acquisition of The Waterline Group. Rule Financial also maintained or developed operations in New York and other financial centres. In October 2013, it opened an office in Heredia, Costa Rica, to support customers in North America. By 2014, the company had offices or development operations serving the United Kingdom, North America, continental Europe, Poland, and Costa Rica, and employed more than 810 people worldwide. Rule Financial’s services included business and management consulting, programme and project management, implementation services, user-experience design, technical strategy, and software development. Its consulting work included defining target operating models and change plans for financial institutions. The firm used a roadmapping approach that modelled dependencies, schedules, and alternative delivery scenarios to help clients plan transformation programmes. Its technical partnerships included Microsoft, Oracle, OpenFin, Dtex Systems, and Recommind. It achieved Microsoft Gold Certified Partner status in 2009 and retained that accreditation in subsequent years, while also participating in the Oracle partner network. In June 2014, GFT Technologies AG announced that it would acquire Rule Financial. The transaction was completed and Rule Financial was merged into GFT by the end of that year. Consequently, Rule Financial is best understood as a former independent consulting and IT-services brand whose financial-services expertise and operations were absorbed into GFT Technologies rather than as an active standalone company.

• 2014

  Acquired by GFT Technologies

  [1]Rule Financialen.wikipedia.org

  GFT Technologies announced the acquisition in June, and Rule Financial was merged into GFT by the end of the year.

• 2013

  Heredia office opened

  [1]Rule Financialen.wikipedia.org

  Rule Financial opened an office in Heredia, Costa Rica, to support clients in North America.

• 2011

  Polish office moved to larger premises

  [1]Rule Financialen.wikipedia.org

  The Polish operation relocated to larger premises, reflecting the company’s wider growth.

• 2010

  London headquarters relocated during continued expansion

  [1]Rule Financialen.wikipedia.org

  After outgrowing its London premises for the second time, Rule Financial moved to a larger location in the City and was recognised in The Sunday Times Tech Track 100.

• 2009

  Microsoft Gold Certified Partner status attained

  [1]Rule Financialen.wikipedia.org

  Rule Financial attained Microsoft Gold Certified Partner status and retained the accreditation in subsequent years.

• 2008

  Barcelona and Łódź development centres established

  [1]Rule Financialen.wikipedia.org

  The company opened development centres in Barcelona and Łódź following the acquisition of Polish-based Peer-to-Peer Systems.

• 1997

  Rule Financial founded

  [1]Rule Financialen.wikipedia.org

  Marcus Rule established Rule Financial in the City of London as a specialist business and technology consultancy for the investment-banking sector.

A specialist financial-services consultancy combining investment-banking domain knowledge with business transformation, programme delivery, software implementation, and technical engineering.

• Consulting

  Business and management consulting

  Rule Financial advised financial institutions on business transformation, target operating models, and change planning. Its approach was designed for complex wholesale and investment-banking environments, where business processes, organisational structures, technology platforms, and delivery dependencies had to be considered together.

• Professional services

  Programme and project management

  The company provided programme and project management support for financial-services change initiatives. Its consultants helped institutions structure delivery plans, coordinate dependencies, and manage implementation activity across business and technology workstreams.

• IT services

  Technology implementation and software development

  Rule Financial supplied implementation and engineering services for institutional financial clients. Development centres in Poland, Spain, and Costa Rica supported its international delivery model, while offices in major financial centres connected technical teams with client programmes.

• Digital and technology consulting

  Technical strategy and user-experience design

  The firm worked on technical strategy and user-experience design for financial-services systems. These capabilities complemented its implementation work by addressing architecture, technology direction, and the usability of tools used by institutional market participants.

• 2014

  Accepted acquisition by GFT TechnologiesM&A

  Background

  Rule Financial had developed an international network of financial-services consulting and technology operations, including offices in major financial centres and development capacity in Poland and Costa Rica.

  Action taken

  GFT Technologies AG announced the acquisition in June 2014, and the two businesses were merged by the end of the year.

  Aftermath

  Rule Financial ceased to exist as an independent company, with its business and capabilities incorporated into GFT Technologies.

  Source

• 2014

  GFT Technologies announces acquisition of Rule Financial[1]Rule Financialen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  GFT Technologies AG announced the acquisition of Rule Financial in June 2014 as part of its expansion in financial-services consulting and technology.

• 2014

  Rule Financial merged into GFT Technologies[1]Rule Financialen.wikipedia.org

  M&A · Other

  The acquisition of Rule Financial by GFT Technologies was completed and the businesses were merged by the end of 2014, ending Rule Financial’s independent corporate existence.

1. 1Rule Financialen.wikipedia.org