The Hong Kong Mercantile Exchange ("HKMEx"), established to bridge the international commodities markets to China, today announces the appointment of Jimmy T.M. Ho as Chief Operating Officer, Markets, of HKMEx.
"Jimmy’s understanding of finance in general and the securities and futures industry in particular will provide the Exchange with a level of expertise that is a fundamental requirement in the ever-changing marketplace of today. He brings with him a strong drive and energy that will complement an already great team as we work to build Asia’s Exchange," said HKMEx Chairman Barry Cheung.
Ho will oversee the Marketing, Membership and Product Development divisions of HKMEx.
Prior to joining HKMEx, Ho served Hang Seng Bank as Head of Structured Products and Business Development for the Bank’s Treasury Division. He was responsible for managing the bank’s treasury product structuring, pricing and trading activities and corporate treasury marketing activities in Hong Kong with the additional responsibility of overseeing the bank’s Mainland treasury activities.
Ho possesses over a decade of experience in the futures and securities markets, starting with Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited, managing the business and product development aspects of the exchange’s derivatives market. He headed up the Corporate Strategy Unit of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited, and later co-founded a specialist consultancy firm serving industry institutions in the China and Asian markets. His main accomplishments include advising a U.S.-Chinese joint venture and project advisory on the start-up of the first two derivatives exchanges in Thailand.
Ho began his career with HSBC and gained valuable treasury banking experiences both in Hong Kong and Canada. During his tenure, he managed currency options risk for the bank’s Asia-Pacific region during the Asian currency crisis and also served corporate and institutional clients in all aspects of treasury products dealing.
"This is an exciting time to join HKMEx. There are many opportunities which the Exchange is uniquely qualified to capture given its vision to be the hub of commodity trading for Asia. I look forward to partnering with market participants and talented professionals here to help drive the HKMEx brand and contribute to the success of Hong Kong as an international financial center," Ho said.
Ho graduated with a Master of Arts and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Western Ontario, Canada.