R.J. O’Brien & Associates (RJO), the largest independent futures brokerage firm in the United States, today announced that the firm has named futures industry veteran Hilton T. Sheng, 47, to the new post of Senior Vice President, Structured Products. Working out of the firm’s New York office, Sheng is establishing a Structured Products Desk to meet the growing demand for exchange-cleared products.
Joseph Murphy, RJO Executive Vice President and President of the Americas, said: “As banking and other clients increasingly look to put more positions on exchange or move from bilateral to cleared over-the-counter products, we will have a strong team in place to offer a full range of services. Hilton’s outstanding experience, leadership skills and superior client service make him the ideal person to lead this important new effort.”
Sheng said he and the Structured Products Desk will help clients utilizing both traditional futures and options as well as exchange-cleared OTC instruments.
Said Sheng: “I’m excited to join RJO at this critical time in the industry. RJO’s executive team, disciplined approach and responsiveness to client needs are a great formula for success. I believe the firm is well positioned to benefit from significant growth over the next few years due to the ongoing global derivatives reform.”
With over 25 years of futures industry experience, Sheng most recently served as Director and Senior Energy Derivatives Marketer for Hudson Capital Energy. He has been an independent COMEX floor trader, partner of an energy hedge fund, and a Vice President with ABN AMRO Inc.
Working with domestic and foreign institutional investors on risk management and arbitrage strategies, Sheng also served as Vice President of Refco LLC, where he managed the New York institutional energy desk. He was Director, Exchange Traded Derivatives for UBS Investment Bank; Director of the Energy Derivatives Group for PVM Oil Associates, Inc.; and Senior Energy Analyst and Broker for Cargill Investor Services, where he previously managed the floor operations in soft commodities. He began his career working in Operations for Dean Witter Reynolds Inc. and E.D. & F. Man International.
Sheng earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J.