The Headhunter

New Business Sales - Financial Research - New York

This is an opportunity to join a small but high growth company as it builds its presence in North America. The company has seen sales increase by more than 100% in the past year and is currently generating revenues of USD 30m worldwide.  The company markets online financial research which measures performance in key areas of portfolio management activity.

Headquartered in Europe they have established a sales office in New York and are looking for someone to lead and build a sales operation servicing the North America region. We seek a driven, highly focused senior sales professional who has an excellent record of success in sales to the buy side.

Remuneration is negotiable and will include stock options.

For a confidential discussion about this role, please contact Paul Chambers on +44 (0)20 7392 2644.

New Document Exchange Service from Markit

Banking Technology reports that a group of investment banks has backed a new document exchange service from Markit, the data, valuation and trade services specialist. The service is called Markit Document Exchange. It is backed by Bank of America, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan, the combined RBS/ABN Amro, Eton Park Capital Management and Pimco.

Markit says that the service allows buy-side and sell-side institutions to comply with regulatory requirements and industry best practice relating to compliance, credit and regulatory documentation. By automating Know Your Client, Anti-Money Laundering and Compliance Certification processes, it will reduce the risks associated with these documentation requirements and bring operational efficiency and cost savings to the process.

Click here for the Markit press release.

LCH in Merger Talks with DTCC

The FT reports this morning that the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation and LCH.Clearnet have held talks about a possible merger that would create the first post-trade services group straddling the Atlantic.

The article states that a merger with LCH.Clearnet - likely to be structured as a takeover by the DTCC - would create by far the largest clearing and settlement group in Europe. The FT also points out that the talks, which have been under way intermittently during the past nine months, were by no means likely to result in a deal.

Product Manager - Risk - based London, global remit

Our client is a global player in the securities lending space.

We seek a global Product Manager to drive forward revenues within their Risk business division. You will develop new risk-related products within the securities lending arena. You will have a good understanding of credit risk models, particularly the application of VAR models in the context of Basel II. You will also have a strong understanding of the current regulatory environment.

You will have direct experience of building products in the credit markets and you will be used to creating strong client realtionships with clients, Sales, Support and Marketing.

For a confidential discussion about this role, please contact Aine Hall on +44 (0) 20 7392 2644.

Global Partner Manager - Risk Solutions - London

Our client, a privately owned firm in the risk solutions space, seeks a global Partner Manager to manage relationships with their partners. These partners include data, research and technology firms as well as industry bodies. The role is based in London and there will be global travel.

This role will suit candidates who have strong client relationship skills within the wholesale financial markets. You will also be keen to learn about risk. In your current or previous roles you will have strong experience of client training/product implementation/client support where you have worked towards signing contractual user agreements with investment banks or investment managers. You will have excellent networking skills.

For a confidential discussion about this role, please call Aine Hall on +44 (0)20 7392 2644.

Thomson Completes Acquisition of Reuters

Thomson today completes its acquisition of Reuters.

Tom Glocer, CEO of Thomson Reuters, is cited in the press saying this is "a very exciting day for our shareholders, customers and employees. Thomson Reuters will deliver the intelligent information needed to give businesses and professionals the knowledge to act. We call our information "intelligent" because it is not only insightful, highly relevant andtimely, but it is also made available in formats which applications can consume and to which they can add further value. We are witnessing the maturation of the information economy and content from Thomson Reuters will be its currency."

Click here for the new Thomson Reuters website.

Nyfix buys FIXCITY

A report yesterday announces NYFIX's acquisition of FIXCITY.

FIXCITY's flagship product ioinet is reportedly highly regarded for its sophisticated IOI (indications of interest) analysis, filtering and alerting capabilities.

NYFIX said that it would combine its IOI workflow expertise with FIXCITY's front end technology to deliver a liquidity discovery solution that will enable clients to swiftly capitalise on trading opportunities.

Here's the Nyfix press release.

New Business Sales EMEA - Risk Solutions - based London

Our client, a privately backed firm, develops innovative risk analysis, portfolio re-balancing and performance attribution systems. They have offices in the US, Asia and Europe

We seek a Sales Executive who has had past verifiable success in selling risk solutions in Europe. You will have strong market knowledge including quantitative investment theory, and a good contact base amongst buy-side firms. You will be expected to work with existing clients and network within these firms to increase revenues. You will also prospect for new business.

This is an opportunity to have equity participation in a business that has ambitious plans for growth in Europe. Languages will be advantageous but are not mandatory.

Please contact Aine Hall on +44 (0)20 7392 2644 for a confidential discussion about this role.

Senior Fund Analyst - based London, pan-European remit

Our client, a leading global provider of investment research, is building their fund research business in Europe.

We are looking for an individual who is passionate about investing and helping individuals and their advisers make better investment decisions. Our client expects analysts to develop clear opinions on funds based on research that goes beyond mere performance and risk evaluation.  To research funds thoroughly, our client's analysts interview portfolio managers, undertake quantitative analyses using databases and monitor regulatory and media information. Analysts build expertise on specific fund houses, the fund industry and various economic sectors. The Senior Fund Analyst will be expected to write investment opinions, help shape methodologies, conduct research studies, make media appearances and represent our client at speaking engagements.

Excellent written and oral communication skills are necessary for this role. The ideal candidate will have at least five years of fund analysis or related experience in the UK market. Quantitative skills and additional professional certifications such as the CFA designation are a plus.

For more information, please call Aine Hall on +44(0)20 7392 2644

Pan-European Sales Director - Transaction Services - based London

Our client is a global organisation that enables transactions across many business areas. We are retained by their financial services business services division in London which sells buy-side and sell-side networking solutions in the transactions space.

We seek a Sales Director to manage a small London-based team that is targeted to grow revenues to a pan-European client across existing and new named clients. You will set the sales strategy across Europe.

You will have significant experience in the financial services and extranet market place and will have a good technical awareness of network telecommunications technology and infrastructure.

To discuss this role in confidence please call Aine Hall on +44 (0)20 7392 2644.

Nyfix Launches Euro Millennium Dark Pool

A press release on the Nyfix website states that Nyfix Euro Millennium have today launched their neutral dark pool of liquidity for pan-European listed cash equities. They state this "strategically significant event extends NYFIX's track record of delivering innovative services that meet the demands of its global client community."

Last week FinancialNews gave coverage to NYSE Euronext's announcement  that they had launched a trading link that accesses rival dark pools in a bid to offer streamlined access to conventional and unconventional pools of liquidity in the US markets. Here is the NYSE Arca press release.

Last week Banking Technology reported that partner testing has begun of Project Turquoise. Member testing is expected to begin over the summer.

Sales Executives - Sell-Side - based London

We are working with two firms - one a broker, one a data vendor. Each one seeks a Sales Executive selling different solutions but to the same user communities.

We are looking for Sales Executives with experience of selling data and analytical products to the sell-side community. You will have experience of growing revenues from existing users and finding new named clients. End-users are Sales, Traders, Research desks so a good network of contacts (users/decision makers) will be important. We are interested in candidates with experience of displacing competitor products in order to increase revenues. This a role where you'll be negotiating site licenses or individual user contracts. You will be expected to network directly within the dealing room environment so good Market Data contacts who will facilitate this also be important.

We are keen to meet candidates with a sales track record of over-performance against target.

To discuss these roles in confidence, please contact Aine Hall on +44 (0)20 7392 2644.

Who Dominates the Financial News Markets?

We have just read an AFP article that gives a good summary of market share in the financial news markets. The US and Europe are dominated by US firm Bloomberg and Canadian-British Thomson-Reuters (in the process of merging), who each have a third share of the global market. They are trailed at a distance by three US companies and one Swiss firm, according to Inside Market Data.

Here are some numbers from the article:

US-based Interactive Data, owned by British group Pearson, is the closest runner-up, with a five percent market share. Dow Jones, bought last year by News Corporation, holds a three percent slice, as does US rival FactSet. Switzerland-based Telekurs has a two percent share.

All these agencies provide financial information and services to finance professionals worldwide with the support of real-time data and electronic trading.

The global financial data market, excluding ratings, reached 12.5 billion dollars in 2006, according to Inside Market Data.

Here is the link to AFP's news article.

Institutional Sales Executive - European Start-Up - based London

This is an opportunity to play a key role in building the European presence of a highly successful provider of information services to the investment community. Our US client, established in the mid-80s, provides a high-value primary research product to hedge funds, asset managers and money managers.

Building a sales team in London, you will be responsible for new business, setting the European sales strategy and positioning the product offerings in a highly competitive market. Candidates must have previous experience in building sales revenues in a start-up situation and be able to demonstrate a record of sales success. It is important that you have in-depth understanding of equity markets and a network of contacts across CIOs, Heads of Research and Portfolio Managers.

Please contact Aine Hall for more information on +44 (0)20 7392 2644

Program Manager Operations - Asset Manager - London

Our client, a well-known global asset manager, seeks a Program Manager to lead the global change agenda for their operational support team.

You'll be an experienced financial data professional with responsibilities for managing the development of requirements for the operational team. You'll ensure appropriate communication during the development cycle. You'll work with information architecture to ensure there is a defined data ownership model within the firm. You'll develop a data quality program.

You will manage the relationships with development and operational staff and you'll also work with market data vendors to assess the market data competitive landscape to provide expert advice on operational use of market data. (Knowledge of equity, fixed income and derivative data knowledge is required.)

For a confidential discussion about this role, please call Aine Hall on +44 (0)20 7392 2644.

FT Reports Thomson Cleared for Reuters Tie

An FT report this morning states Thomson Corporation's £7.9bn bid for Reuters has been approved with minimal conditions by regulators on both sides of the Atlantic, paving the way for the creation of a bigger competitor to Bloomberg in financial information. Hemscott reports the merger is expected to complete in the week of April 13.

The article cites David Anderson of Inside Market Data Reference who points out "regulators have focused on the most obvious areas of overlap and it has to be said that overlap was always minimal...The bigger questions relate to whether the new merged Thomson Reuters entity can present a more effective competitive challenge to the seeming might of Bloomberg - not forgetting the recent rise of smaller competitors like Factset and Markit."

The FT goes on to say the regulators focused on activities away from the trading floors where Reuters and Thomson Financial make most of their revenues, looking instead at research and asset management.

Their concerns centred on aftermarket broker research reports, earnings estimates, fundamental financial data and economic data.

Thomson agreed to sell a copy of its Thomson Fundamentals (Worldscope) database and Reuters has agreed to sell copies of the Reuters Estimates, Reuters Aftermarket Research and Reuters Economics (EcoWin) databases.

Report Shows Financial Information and Analysis Spend Topped USD23 Billion in 2007

A report earlier this month by Burton Taylor International Consulting LLC shows the global spend for financial information and analysis topped USD23 billion in 2007. It states that roughly half this spend came from the Americas and almost 30% occurred in the Fixed Income/Foreign Exchange (FX) Sales & Trading segment.

The report claims that worldwide information and analysis spend by the corporate and financial services sectors grew 4.9% in 2007. They predict a growth rate of just over 6% for 2008, to USD24.4 billion.

They also comment on the pending merger of Thomson and Reuters. They cite the new combination will have a 32% share of this USD23 billion market.

Burton Taylor asks if the new combination seek to maintain a dominant position in the low margin Wealth Management segment. They wonder how the Investext, FirstCall and Multex franchises will be impacted? They ask which company will step-up alongside Thomson-Reuters and Bloomberg to form the new “Big 3?”

This news item is from Bobsguide.

Product Specialist - Equity Analytics - based London, European Travel

Our client is a subsidiary of a large multi-national firm. They produce equity research solutions for buy-side and sell-side firms across the globe.

This is an opportunity to be a product expert in helping buy-side firms manage their equity research workflow solutions. You will also be the person who will provide product knowledge and support to our client's sales, account management and product development teams. You will work with Heads of Research and Chief Investment Officers.

As well as having an in depth knowledge of equity research processes, you will be a self-starter. Whilst this role is not quota bearing, you will be working towards increasing revenues.

For a confidential discussion, please contact Aine Hall on +44 (0)20 7392 2644.

Head of Data Services - based London - Reference Data

Our client is a global firm with wholesale and retail financial products. We are working with their data business division which has a suite of reference data products used by buy-side and sell-side firms.

We seek a Head of Data Services to oversee several data departments including procurement, automation, analysis and production services.

You will have an in depth knowledge of exchange data, excellent negotiation skills as well as management experience.

For a confidential discussion, please contact Aine Hall on +44 (0)20 7392 2644.

Banks to Launch Derivatives Exchange

An FT report today announces that a group of Europe's biggest banks are preparing to launch a new trading platform for financial derivatives, going under the codename Project Rainbow, to compete with the region's exchanges. They cite the institutions involved include Barclays, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, MF Global, NewEdge and UBS.

The new platform is seeking to initially offer trading in two key contracts, the short-term interest rates futures denominated in sterling and in Euribor, competing with those among the most actively traded on Liffe, owned by NYSE Euronext.

Another report says Liffe has cited its technology and years of experience to defend itself against the impending threat of the new rival.