Genesis Global Appoints Co-Founder James Harrison as CEO as Stephen Murphy Steps Down After Ten Years

Genesis Global has appointed co-founder James Harrison as CEO, succeeding Stephen Murphy, who steps down after ten years leading the firm. Genesis delivers software and solutions for financial markets on its AI-native application development platform, helping institutions modernise legacy systems, reduce vendor dependencies and replace end-user computing with compliant applications.

In the past year the company has seen rising demand tied to T+1 compliance in Europe and efforts to cut risks from spreadsheets and other manual processes. Clients can extend and customise solutions or “buy to build” on a component-driven platform that includes guardrails for compliant AI use. Applications embed controls governing interactions with digital assistants and AI agents for workflow and data processing. Clients include Bank of America, BNY, Citi, ING, Marex, Neptune Networks, Octaura and StoneX.

Harrison previously held senior technology roles at Credit Suisse, Merrill Lynch, Bear Stearns, HSBC and Fidessa. He has worked in London, São Paulo and Hong Kong and is now based in New York.

smartTrade Technologies Appoints Christophe Montane as Chief Commercial Officer to Drive Global Expansion

smartTrade Technologies has appointed Christophe Montane as Chief Commercial Officer, effective 1 July 2025. This move follows a recent strategic growth investment from TA Associates and reflects the company’s focus on accelerating international expansion and refining its customer-centric commercial strategy.

Based in New York, Montane will oversee global sales and marketing, aiming to strengthen smartTrade’s presence in key financial markets. With over 20 years of leadership experience at SS&C Intralinks, Fujifilm Business Innovation, and Xerox, he brings a solid track record in scaling global sales operations and driving revenue growth. His expertise will support smartTrade’s efforts to enhance its unified trading platform, aiming to improve front-office performance and reduce operational risk for clients.

Broadridge Appoints Munish Gautam as Global Head of Trading Platforms – Product Management

Broadridge Financial Solutions has appointed Munish Gautam as Global Head of Trading Platforms – Product Management within its Broadridge Trading & Connectivity Solutions (BTCS) business. Based in London, Gautam will lead the integration of Broadridge’s trading platform suite and advance its multi-asset trading capabilities, reporting to Chief Product Officer Brian Pomraning.

Gautam brings over 15 years of experience from J.P. Morgan, where he was most recently Executive Director and Cash Equities Product Lead. His background includes driving transformation across client onboarding, execution, regulation, market structure, and risk management. This appointment reflects Broadridge’s ongoing investment in front office technology and follows a series of senior leadership hires across its BTCS division.

BridgePort Appoints Steven Bartfield as Chief Product Officer to Lead Product Innovation

BridgePort, a provider of institutional infrastructure for off-exchange crypto settlement, has named Steven Bartfield as its new Chief Product Officer (CPO). Bartfield will steer the company’s product strategy, focusing on enterprise integration, agentic AI development, and automation-led infrastructure tailored to institutional clients.

With nearly 15 years of experience in institutional trading, financial technology, and market structure, Bartfield brings a robust background in both front-office trading systems and back-end infrastructure. His previous roles include leading AI-driven product development and holding senior positions at Goldman Sachs and CME Group, where he developed trading solutions in fixed income and FX markets. Bartfield holds degrees from the Wharton School, the University of Chicago, and Loyola University Chicago, and is a CFA charterholder.

Liquidnet Bolsters Americas Equities Franchise with Senior Hires

Liquidnet has announced a trio of senior appointments aimed at accelerating the growth of its Equities business in the Americas. The hires support the firm’s strategy to broaden its regional presence, diversify trading capabilities, and strengthen client relationships.

Mark Turner joins as Co-Head of Equities Sales and Trading for the Americas, bringing 30 years of industry experience, including a senior role at Instinet. Hillary Budds takes on the role of Head of US Crossing, leveraging her background in block trading and venue development. David Ramirez also joins as a senior member of the High-Touch/Program Trading team, recognised for his revenue performance at Instinet. These appointments mark a significant step in Liquidnet’s commitment to expanding its equities franchise.

Broadridge Appoints Kenneth MacHarg as Global Head of Futures and Options Trading

Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. has named Kenneth MacHarg as Managing Director and Global Head of Futures and Options (F&O) Trading, effective 23 June. In his new role, MacHarg will oversee the commercial strategy and development of Broadridge’s next-generation F&O platform, a SaaS solution offering global order and execution management for futures commission merchants and agency brokers.

MacHarg brings extensive experience in execution and clearing of global futures and options, having most recently served as Managing Director at J.P. Morgan Securities. His previous roles include senior positions at Barclays Capital and Lehman Brothers. Based in New York, MacHarg will report to Frank Troise, President of Broadridge Trading & Connectivity Solutions.

Validus Risk Management Appoints Daniel Johnson as Chief Technology Officer

Validus Risk Management has named Daniel Johnson as its new Chief Technology Officer (CTO), furthering its commitment to technology-driven growth. Based in London and reporting directly to CEO Kevin Lester, Johnson will be responsible for shaping and executing the company’s technology strategy during a phase of international expansion and product development.

Johnson brings over 15 years of experience in technology leadership roles, most recently serving as Chief Digital Platforms Officer at Hargreaves Lansdown. His background includes CTO positions at several software companies, where he focused on scaling operations and enhancing efficiency. This appointment follows a $45 million growth equity investment from FTV Capital in February 2025, which is aimed at supporting Validus’s expansion across APAC, US, and European markets, and fuelling innovation in its technology and product offerings.

LSEG Appoints Nick Rustad as Group Head of LCH SwapClear and Listed Rates

The London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) has announced the appointment of Nick Rustad as the new Group Head of LCH SwapClear and Listed Rates. In his new role, Rustad will be responsible for overseeing performance and growth across these clearing services, while maintaining their operational resilience. He will report to Susi de Verdelon, CEO of LCH Limited, and will join her leadership team.

Rustad brings extensive industry experience, including over two decades at JPMorgan, where he led the Global Futures and Derivatives Clearing business. Most recently, he served as Deputy Chief Operating Officer at Taula Capital Management. His previous roles also include a term as chairman of the FIA Board of Directors and a stint as a non-executive Director at LCH Limited.

SimCorp Appoints Dean McIntyre as Chief Commercial Officer

SimCorp, the global financial technology subsidiary of Deutsche Börse Group, has promoted Dean McIntyre to Chief Commercial Officer, effective immediately. In his new role, McIntyre will oversee global commercial operations, including data and operations management, frontline commercial teams, and marketing, to enhance support for client-facing teams worldwide. He will continue to report to Chief Revenue Officer Oliver Johnson.

McIntyre joined SimCorp in January 2023 as Director of Strategy and later served as Global Head of Commercial. His career includes senior positions at Bloomberg, FactSet, Northern Trust, Schroders, and UBS Global Asset Management. This appointment follows a series of leadership promotions at SimCorp in 2025, with Ronan Donnelly becoming Chief Operations Officer in April and Keith Haberlin named Global Head of Business Services, Sales in February.

valantic FSA Appoints Dr. Holger Wohlenberg as CEO to Lead Next Growth Phase

Digital automation solutions provider valantic FSA has named Dr. Holger Wohlenberg as Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 June 2025. Dr. Wohlenberg joins with significant expertise in finance, technology, and data, having previously held senior leadership positions at Deutsche Börse Group where he helped expand its data and technology businesses.

His appointment signals valantic FSA’s strategic push to further scale its operations across Europe and globally, offering advanced workflow automation and integration solutions for financial markets and services firms. Dr. Wohlenberg succeeds Joachim Lauterbach, who steps down after a decade during which he established valantic FSA as a multi-solution provider serving over 100 customers in 18 countries. The leadership change comes as financial market participants increasingly seek scalable, intelligent digital solutions to manage complex operational and regulatory workflows.