For the last 20 years Villain's sector focus has firmly been on advanced and innovative trading technology. While at Chi-X Global Technology he was involved with high-frequency trading, when it was in its infancy, with a focus on providing infrastructure and ultra-low latency connectivity solutions to hedge funds and buy- and sell-side firms engaged in systematic, algorithmic, prop and arbitrage trading. Prior to joining NanoSpeed Villain held a number of senior executive positions at various exchanges as well as information and financial technology firms (MATIF, Reuters, NYFIX, GATElab), where he was developing sales in the electronic and algo trading arena.

Villain said: "What attracted me to NanoSpeed was the company's new and impressively different approach to FPGA development in the ultra-low latency space. The NanoSpeed team have an excellent understanding of capital markets, and HFT in particular. Uniquely, they combine this with a background in aerospace, which allows them to build exceptionally fast and highly robust systems. Their skill and resources have allowed them to create a clear strategy for becoming the leaders in FPGA development and I'm very much looking forward to communicating just what a competitive offering we are bringing to the market."

Sanjay Shah, CTO of NanoSpeed, commented: "Having Michael join us is a tremendous step forward in our roadmap of working with the low-latency community. We are a new company with a new approach to old problems. Michael was quick to see the value of our technology and he will be a great asset in developing our business. He is a cornerstone in the commercialisation of our technology."