Fiona will head up NZX's Auckland office, joining Kathryn Jaggard, ex London International Financial Futures Exchange (LIFFE), in setting up a base for new tradable futures and commodities products.

Fiona spent the last five years in US and then Asia ex Japan institutional equity sales at Morgan Stanley, based in New York and San Francisco. Previous to this Fiona was in the office of the Chief Financial Officer at Credit Suisse. Fiona graduated with a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Otago and completed an MBA specialising in Finance from Columbia Business School in New York in 2004.

Over the next three months Fiona will be focused on relationships with NZXʼs key stakeholders, and refining the NZX liquidity strategy across existing traded products and those currently in development.

NZX Head of Market Products Geoff Brown will be concentrating on new listings and M&A activities. He said, "Delivery of an upgraded Clearing and Settlement system and improving liquidity for the NZX Markets are key priorities for NZX this year. It is fantastic to have Fiona on board to lend her considerable skills and experience to what will be one of the most exciting opportunities NZX will have to make a real difference to New Zealand markets."

The new Clearing House, which will improve the risk profile of NZX Markets and broaden the product set available to investors, is scheduled for launch on 20 November 2009. Equity options, index futures and dairy commodity derivatives products will be< launched in a phased approach over the next twelve months.