RBC Capital Markets Expands Global Futures Team

RBC Capital Markets today announced the continued expansion of its 24-hour global futures business with the addition of Alex Wilkinson, Managing Director, who will co-lead the business with Richard Hall-Reppen, Managing Director. Both men report to Harry Samuel, head of Global Treasury Services. Mr. Wilkinson is based in London; Mr. Hall-Reppen in Chicago.

Mr. Wilkinson, 44, most recently with London-based ODL Securities as chief operating officer, has more than twenty years’ experience in building and managing international brokerage and trading businesses across all asset classes at firms including Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, Fimat Banque and Bank of America. His appointment follows closely on the January hiring of Janet Mirasola to head RBC Capital Markets’ New York-based metals desk within the global futures business.

“One of our goals is to expand our futures trading activities in Europe, and Alex’s experience will certainly help us achieve this goal,” said Mr. Samuel.

The global futures group currently has more than twenty sales and trading professionals working in futures execution, clearing and base metals in Chicago, Toronto, Montreal, New York and London, with further additions planned. “We’re seeing strong global demand for futures execution and clearing,” said Mr. Hall-Reppen. “The demand is coming from a broad range of capital markets clients, and also from RBC businesses serving hedge funds and professional traders, so there’s all kinds of opportunities for the global futures business.”

RBC Capital Markets offers 24-hour execution and clearing on global futures and options products including interest rate, stock index, energy, metals, agricultural and other exchange traded futures and options.

“Strength in futures trading is critically important to a broad range of companies and industries globally,” said Mr. Samuel. “It’s a high potential business for us because of the opportunities to establish new client relationships through a strong futures trading capability and then build on those relationships.”