Behind the Waterfall: Caroline Fink

In this edition of Behind the Waterfall, we speak with Caroline Fink, Head of Marketing at qashqade, about her journey from investment conferences and investor relations into private markets technology. Drawing on her client-side experience at a fund of funds manager, Caroline reflects on what first sparked her interest in the asset class, how witnessing operational complexity shaped her perspective, and why technology-driven allocation management became a natural next step.

We also explore her views on responsible technology adoption in private markets, the importance of calculation integrity, and what excites her most about qashqade’s current momentum, from product enhancements to expanding the firm’s presence in the US market.

What brought you to qashqade, and what made this the right next step in your career?

I began my career creating investment-focused conferences in London, where I was exposed to a wide range of professionals across quantitative strategies, infrastructure, and agricultural investment. Those early conversations sparked my interest in private markets, particularly the tangible impact these investments can have on the real economy. A few years later, I joined a fund of funds manager to support investor relations. That role gave me a unique dual perspective: working closely with institutional investors across private equity, debt and infrastructure programs, while also engaging directly with underlying fund managers during due diligence processes and AGMs. It was an excellent foundation, but I was struck by how limited the use of technology was in supporting complex allocation and reporting processes.

When I later had the opportunity to move into a technology provider within the private markets space, it felt like a natural progression of my earlier experience. Having seen operational challenges first-hand on the client side, I was increasingly drawn to solutions that could address them in a structured and scalable way. Years later, when the opportunity to join qashqade came up, it felt like the right moment. The combination of a focused allocation management platform and a pragmatic, solution-oriented culture aligned very well with my own approach to working with clients.

How has your client-side experience influenced your day-to-day work at qashqade?

I got first-hand insight into the breadth of responsibilities teams carry. Beyond investment decisions, there is a significant amount of calculation, reporting and stakeholder communication that needs to be handled accurately and efficiently. Much of that work was still heavily reliant on spreadsheets and manual processes. Having seen those pressures directly, I am very conscious of how transformative the right technology can be. The ability to calculate complex allocations outside of Excel, provide investors with access to modern portals and dashboards, and receive structured information directly from fund administrators makes a meaningful difference.

That experience shapes how I approach my work today. I understand the operational strain many teams face and appreciate how important it is that our solutions genuinely reduce complexity rather than add to it. It is encouraging to see how much more openness there now is toward adopting credible technology solutions across managers, investors and administrators alike.

What do you think qashqade gets right about solving real client problems?

For me, it starts with listening. What stands out is that product development is never driven by innovation for its own sake, it is always anchored in a clearly identified client need. That close collaboration ensures that new features are purposeful and practical.

The partnership approach is particularly important. We work closely with clients to understand their specific allocation challenges and stakeholder requirements, and then build solutions that genuinely address them. A good example is IQ-EQ’s carry modelling offering, where cooperation and shared expertise resulted in a solution tailored to real operational demands.

This focus on practical problem-solving, rather than theoretical enhancements, is what I believe differentiates the company and ensures that clients feel supported rather than sold to.

In your view, what is the biggest challenge in the private markets landscape today and how can providers like qashqade help close it?

There is clearly a strong momentum toward modern technology adoption across fund managers, investors and administrators. At the same time, many organisations are exploring how artificial intelligence can be integrated into their processes. I believe this evolution is both necessary and positive but it must be approached carefully.

When it comes to allocation calculations and financial reporting, systems cannot be “almost right.” A 99% accuracy rate is not sufficient when a single miscalculation can create significant financial and reputational consequences. The challenge is therefore not simply to adopt broader technology or AI tools, but to do so responsibly and with full confidence in the integrity of the outputs.

Providers like us can help bridge that gap by combining deep domain expertise with carefully implemented technology-enabled efficiencies, while ensuring that calculation engines remain fully robust and reliable. Choosing the right partner, one that understands the nuances of private markets and prioritises accuracy above all, is critical in closing this trust gap.

What initially sparked your interest in private markets and how has your perspective evolved since joining qashqade?

My initial interest was sparked by the private markets investment strategies I encountered while organising conferences. Learning about large-scale, real-world projects and the people driving them was genuinely fascinating. Private markets feel tangible; you are investing in actual companies and assets that shape economies and communities.

After moving into a service provider role, my perspective broadened significantly. I gained a much deeper appreciation for the complexity behind allocation management and the technical precision required in calculating distributions and carry structures. It is a level of detail I had not fully anticipated earlier in my career.

What I particularly value now is seeing how technology can remove the limitations of spreadsheet-based processes. At this level of structural complexity, manual tools are simply not sustainable. Being part of a solution that replaces fragile processes with robust systems adds a new dimension to how I view the industry.

What excites you most about what’s happening at qashqade right now?

What excites me most is the momentum. The major platform release at the end of last year, introduced further enhancements — particularly to the calculation engine — that significantly expand the range of use cases we can support. Seeing those capabilities come to life and enable increasingly sophisticated allocation calculation is incredibly rewarding.

At the same time, it is energising to see new clients joining because they believe in both our product and our people. Working closely with the leadership team to ensure the market recognises that we offer the leading solution for allocation management is a challenge I truly enjoy. It feels like we are at a point where the company is scaling to the next level, and being part of that trajectory is exciting.

What makes you feel that qashqade is the right place for you now?

I value being in an environment where everyone understands the product and receives the right level of training to engage with it meaningfully. I have never had this degree of exposure to a solution before and that depth makes my work in Marketing far more impactful.

The ability to work directly with clients, demonstrate how our platform improves efficiency and see the tangible benefits it creates is particularly fulfilling. It is important for me to contribute to something that genuinely improves how the industry operates, and I feel well positioned to do that here.

What impact do you hope to make at qashqade over the next year?

Over the coming year, I am looking forward to engaging with more clients and showcasing the progress they have achieved through our platform. Sharing those success stories is not only valuable for the market, but also reinforces the practical benefits of modern allocation management.

Expanding our presence in the US market is another key priority, and I am excited to support our sales colleagues in strengthening our position there. It feels like I joined the company at exactly the right time — when the focus is on accelerating growth and elevating our market standing.

Leading marketing for a company I genuinely believe in, within an industry I find intellectually engaging, is a privilege. My goal is to help ensure that our message reaches the right audiences and clearly communicates the expertise and reliability that define our offering.