Transforming Shareholder Services: An Interview with Dan Kramer, Global CEO, EQ Shareholder Services

In an exclusive conversation, Dan Kramer discusses how Equiniti is leveraging AI, expanding the role of its India operations, and reshaping the future of shareholder services through digital transformation.

Q1: How is Equiniti evolving to stay competitive and relevant in today's rapidly changing financial and technology landscape?

Our evolution is grounded in three strategic pillars. First, artificial intelligence (AI) will be the defining force in shaping the future of financial services. We are moving with urgency to embed AI-enabled operations across shareholder services, driving greater speed, precision, and efficiency at every stage of the value chain. This is not just about incremental gains but about setting a new standard for what our clients can expect..

Second, we are elevating our leadership and talent bench strength to scale transformation initiatives globally. By aligning world-class expertise with our strategic objectives, we are ensuring that Equiniti has both the vision and the execution capability to lead in a highly competitive market.

Third, we are sharpening our portfolio through targeted acquisitions such as Notified. This strengthens our public relations and investor relations capabilities and brings new data and workflow advantages to issuers and listed companies. Taken together, these steps position Equiniti to lead with innovation, deliver long-term value, and remain indispensable to our client.

Q2: What role does the Global Capability Centre in India play in Equiniti's global strategy?

Our GCC in India is more than an operational hub; it is a catalyst for innovation, resilience, and global competitiveness.

India is the backbone of Equiniti's global digital transformation. What began as traditional back-office operations has matured into a full-scale transformation and value-creation hub at the heart of our strategy. The Global Capability Centre (GCC) drives innovation through platform development, advanced analytics, and cloud-native automation, while establishing Centres of Excellence that serve every market in which we operate.

Its strategic importance is clear. Today, India represents a third of our global workforce and anchors our cybersecurity and business continuity capabilities. It is also where we prototype and industrialize next generation solutions that scale across our enterprise. A prime example is the migration of core U.S. shareholder operations to India, which not only delivered stronger returns on investment but also elevated the client experience.

Q3: What are the key areas of growth that Equiniti India will focus on over the next 3 to 5 years, and how will you leverage AI, ML, and automation?

At the foundation is platform engineering, where we are designing secure, cloud-based shareholder services and migrating critical operations from US to India. This shift accelerates our global scalability, while strengthening our technical backbone.

In data and analytics, we're establishing Finance Centres of Excellence and consolidated platforms that deliver integrated forecasting sharper insights. This elevates our ability to provide clients with actionable intelligence and more strategic value. Equally important is our focus on automation and experience modernization that involves developing future-ready solutions through automation and cloud platforms--driving efficiency, improving accuracy, and enhancing the end-user experience at scale.

Most importantly, we are shaping GCC India as a test-and-scale environment that embodies innovation, agility, and continuous learning. Over the next several years, its role will evolve beyond cost-saving to become a generator of growth and profit—making India a true value creator at the core of our global ecosystem.

Q4: Technology is reshaping every industry. How is Equiniti leveraging digital transformation to enhance shareholder services?

We are digitizing the end-to-end shareholder journey—from secure communications and intuitive self-service portals to data-driven interventions that anticipate client needs. The goal is not technology for its own sake, but transformation that delivers measurable outcomes: fewer paper interactions, faster settlement times, higher first-contact resolution rates, and greater accessibility.

Client adoption underscore the real value of this approach. We are reinforcing these gains with continued investments in technology leadership and with a strong commitment to client enablement. Through webinars and thought leadership initiatives, we are ensuring our clients understand and maximize the benefits of these innovations.

In short, digital transformation is central to how EQ is redefining shareholder services and setting new standards for the industry.

Q5: How does Equiniti balance business growth with delivering meaningful impact to its clients and stakeholders?

Transparency, timeliness, and accuracy for both issuers and shareholders are paramount. We invest in AI and modern platforms not for their novelty, but for the value they unlock for clients. Equally important is investing in our people and culture – evidenced by our recognition as a Top Employer in the UK, US, and India. By balancing technology and talent, we scale responsibly while maintaining the trusted service standards essential in regulated markets.

Q6: What has been the most defining moment in your leadership journey at Equiniti so far?

The most defining moment has been seeing firsthand the passion and deep expertise of our team. I am consistently impressed by the depth of knowledge within our teams and the strong relationships they sustain. Our team is genuinely customer-obsessed, constantly striving to understand and meet the evolving needs and expectations of our clients.

It is also hard to miss that we are an ambitious organization driven by innovation – encouraging creative thinking, problem-solving, and adaptability to stay ahead of the curve and offer unique products and services.

The result, not surprisingly, is a strong and compelling brand that resonates with our customers, shareholders, and employees, built on the foundation of experience, trust, and reliability, and it is my privilege to steer this ship.