FIX Protocol Limited (FPL) is proud to announce that Chris Jackson, Director of Equity Markets at Merrill Lynch, has been elected as Co-Chair of the FPL EMEA Regional Committee.
In this role Mr. Jackson will work closely alongside Co-Chair Daemon Bear, Head of Equity Trading at JPMorgan Asset Management, who was elected to this position in June 2008.
Mr. Jackson has a strong understanding of the global electronic trading environment, with over 15 years professional experience. He joined Merrill Lynch in 1997 and has held senior positions in portfolio trading sales in both the firm's EMEA and New York offices. He is currently responsible for selling Merrill Lynch's global equity execution platform including algorithmic trading, direct market access, smart order routing and transitions. Prior to his current tenure, he worked within Equities at SBC Warburg.
Mr. Jackson has been a very active member of the FPL EMEA Governance Board over recent years, participating in both strategic and operational decision making. Commenting on his appointment he stated "Over the past decade, advancements in trading technology have delivered significant benefits for the underlying investor in the form of greater efficiencies, transparency, cost savings and more streamlined business practices. By developing and maintaining an industry-wide open standard for the transfer of electronic trading information, FIX Protocol Limited stands out as an example of effective self-regulation in the financial services market. Within this new position I look forward to applying my skills and experience to help FPL achieve its strategic goals to ensure that the adoption of the FIX Protocol continues to gain momentum for the benefit of the financial services industry globally."
Co-Chair Daemon Bear added, "It is a very interesting time for the EMEA region. In November 2007 we witnessed the implementation of MiFID in Europe and we are now seeing new players entering the market in response to this regulation. There is growing interest in electronic trading practices in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, and the FIX Protocol, which was traditionally utilised within buy-side to sell-side communications, is gaining traction as a solution within the exchange-to-market space. I am very excited about the potential these developments offer for FPL and I look forward to working alongside Chris who is an outstanding advocate for the advancement of electronic trading practices."
In welcoming Mr. Jackson to this role, FPL would also like to take the opportunity to thank his predecessor as Co-Chair, Alasdair Haynes - CEO of ITG International, who has served in this position since 2006 and significantly contributed to the organisation's regional success during this time. We are thankful that Alasdair will remain an active participant in the FPL EMEA Regional Committee so that it continues to benefit from his strong industry knowledge and expertise.