ISIN/CFI Files Now Linked to Markets, LEIs and More

ANNA and GLEIF win ‘Most Innovative Data Standards Initiative’ at the A-Team Innovation Awards 2022
Second win in a row for the ISINs to LEIs linkage initiative which aids the global financial industry

London, 23rd March 2022 – The Association of National Numbering Agencies (ANNA) and the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLEIF) today announced that for the second year running they have won the ‘Most innovative data standards initiative’ at the A-Team Innovation Awards.

Since April 2019, when ANNA and GLEIF first launched the ISIN to LEI service, they have provided a daily consolidated list of ISIN-to-LEI linkages provided by National Numbering Agencies (NNAs). By bringing two ISO standards together, ISIN (ISO 6166) and LEI (ISO 17442), both issuer and issued securities are linked together. ISIN-to-LEI mapping data is also published free of charge and available to everyone on the GLEIF website, alongside the entire LEI data pool. This has worked to bring about increased harmony in the financial markets by promoting further standardisation and availability of essential data. Organisations are now able to aggregate data easily, improving their risk management and transparency of exposures.

To date, over 6 million ISINs have been linked to over 85,000 unique LEIs. These linkages have been voluntarily provided by NNAs, with ISIN coverage across 60 jurisdictions. ISIN-to-LEI mapping data serves as a global directory to promote transparency. There are currently 24 NNAs who have opted into the initiative, with more to follow in the coming months.

The linking of ISINs and LEIs has also been endorsed by regulators, including the Financial Stability Board (FSB) in their Thematic Review on Implementation of the Legal Entity Identifier and the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) within their SFTR consultation.

Uwe Meyer, Executive Director & Secretariat, ANNA, said, “We are delighted to be recognised by A-Team for our joint initiative with GLEIF. This initiative underlines ANNA’s and GLEIF’s commitment to promote the use of standards, and through the use of technology has allowed for broad industry integration and adoption through open data. Integrating standards has helped facilitate firms to meet regulatory trade reporting requirements, as well as improved timeliness to market participants for issuer and issuance mapping.”

Stephan Wolf, CEO, GLEIF, said, “We are excited to win this award for the work we do with ANNA.  GLEIF is overseen by the Regulatory Oversight Committee, which is made up of representatives of public authorities from across the globe. The ISIN to LEI linkage initiative is at the core of what we do, to ensure better financial standards which aid improved trading through transparency and efficiency.”

Angela Wilbraham, CEO of the A-Team Group, said, “Our A-Team Innovation Awards 2022 celebrate and reward those companies at the forefront of innovation within our industry. We congratulate ANNA and GLEIF in winning the ‘Most innovative data standards initiative’ award in recognition of their excellence in driving forward progress in capital markets capabilities.”

For more information and if it helps to widen the picture of the work we do, please view our very short ANNA animated video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VK8e2qxYw0Q For a list of the NNA’s who have opted in to the ISIN-LEI initiative please visit ANNA’s ISIN – LEI page GLEIF’s ISIN-LEI file is available for download here.