In the wealth management business, data is a key differentiator. And for Josh Bergen, it’s the foundation. As head of Product Management for SS&C Black Diamond® Wealth Solutions, Josh focuses on our data strategy to help the platform evolve alongside the changing needs of today’s wealth managers.
In this edition of our Five Questions With series, Josh shares how a strong data strategy drives platform innovation and empowers advisors to deliver meaningful client value.
You’ve been with SS&C for over a decade. What first drew you to Black Diamond, and what keeps you excited today?
I joined Black Diamond in June 2010 as a senior developer, looking for an opportunity to make a big impact on a product’s trajectory. It turned out to be the right place at the right time, as Black Diamond was in the middle of transitioning from the original product (bdreporting) to the new product (blueSky). I learned so much about product launch and client success through that experience. What continues to excite me today is ensuring the platform continues to meet our clients’ needs, both now and in the future.
Data drives decisions. How do you ensure Black Diamond remains useful and relevant to wealth managers and their clients?
Black Diamond was founded on the idea that we could provide clients with insights in fast, accurate, and scalable ways. That’s still true today, but the way clients use data is changing. With easy access to big data platforms and business intelligence dashboards, our success now depends not only on creating the best ways to deliver insights but also on providing clients with large amounts of data sets for them to leverage in their own way. We’re excited to partner with our clients to do this!
How do you balance pushing innovative solutions with making sure the data remains accurate and reliable?
Data quality and platform stability must be unwavering goals every day. If we can’t deliver scale and confidence in our platform, we risk losing our clients’ trust. That is the core tenet of our development strategy, and we expand from there. This enables us to stay on top of these tenets while also creating pathways for innovative products. Today, we deliver more new content in a single cycle than we historically were able to deliver in an entire year.
Advisors are under pressure to stand out. How does Black Diamond help them leverage data to tell their story and deliver real client value?
Black Diamond's strength lies in our ability to deliver advisor data wherever and however they need it – whether through our web platform, mobile apps, APIs for custom integrations, or direct data sharing capabilities. This omnichannel approach allows advisors to access critical client insights in real time during meetings, integrate portfolio data into their existing workflows, and share compelling visual reports that help clients understand their financial story. By making data truly portable and accessible across all touchpoints, we enable advisors to be more responsive and ultimately enable them to deliver more value to their clients compared to providers that limit data access to a single platform.
In your view, what makes “great” data different from just “good” data when it comes to helping advisors make decisions?
I see two things that separate “great” data from “good” data: quality and timeliness. Quality starts with our service teams, whose sole responsibility is to ensure that as data comes in from the custodians, it is fully reconciled and available on the platform. Through rigorous audits and review processes, we make sure the data flowing into our production systems is locked in and withstands the scrutiny of our clients. We also proactively monitor any data changes across our platforms to ensure previously validated data remains intact.
Timeliness is the other critical factor. Great data must be immediately accessible and easy to work with – from fast load times, flexible filtering, and the ability to adjust views to quickly home in on what matters most. Together, these elements define a data experience that truly supports confident decision-making, and we remain committed to delivering it.
At the core of Josh’s work is a simple idea: data should make life easier, not more complicated. By staying focused on quality, accessibility, and thoughtful innovation, he helps ensure Black Diamond continues to meet advisors where they are and support where they’re headed.
Stay tuned as our Five Questions With series continues in 2026, exploring how long-standing leadership and bold innovation are shaping the future of wealth management.
Ready to see how SS&C Black Diamond® Wealth Solutions can help your firm scale smarter, serve clients better, and grow with confidence? Request a personalized demo, call 1-800-727-0605, or email info@sscblackdiamond.com today.
