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The Securities Information Processors’ (SIPs’) Operating Committees today announced the addition of three new members to the Advisory Committee. They are:
- Chris Nielsen, Managing Director, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
- W. Todd Watkins, Director, E*TRADE Financial Corporation
- Matt Billings, Managing Director, TD Ameritrade
The SIP Advisory Committee meets quarterly with the CTA and UTP Operating Committees and the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) to review SIP performance and discuss policy matters. The 11-member Advisory Committee represents the diverse viewpoints of the marketplace, with representatives from the retail investment community, the vendor community, the institutional brokerage community and the ATS community.
“On behalf of the Operating Committees, I’d like to welcome our new Advisory Committee members and thank them in advance for the great assistance they will no doubt provide,” said Emily Kasparov, Chair of the SIP Operating Committees. “The Advisory Committee plays a vital role in the operation of the SIPs. Chris, Todd and Matt are extremely well respected across the industry, and we look forward to the additional insights they will bring about the unique needs of the retail investment community.”
Messrs. Nielsen, Watkins and Billings join the following members of the Advisory Committee:
| Kerry Baker Relf, Thomson Reuters | Patricia Sachs, Citigroup Global Markets |
| Ed Flynn, Morgan Stanley | Thomas J. Jordan, Jordan & Jordan |
| Bill Conti, Goldman Sachs | Paul O’Donnell, Morgan Stanley |
| Hubert DeJesus, Blackrock | Melissa Hinmon, Glenmede Investment Management |
Chris Nielsen Bio: Mr. Nielsen has served as Managing Director, Market Data Management at Charles Schwab since 2015. Prior to that he spent six years at SmartStream Technologies, working in a senior capacity in the firm’s Data Management Services group. Mr. Nielsen began his career at Iverson Financial Systems, eventually becoming a senior manager in Capco’s reference data services business following
its acquisition of Iverson. He is a graduate of Brigham Young University with a degree in Economics.
W. Todd Watkins Bio: Since 2016, Mr. Watkins has served as Director, Product Management for E*TRADE Financial, where currently he is responsible for market data products at the firm. Prior to that, he served as Head of Risk Data Services, Americas for Thomson Reuters. Mr. Watkins also spent five years working in increasingly senior market data leadership roles at NYSE, which he joined as part of its 2009 acquisition of NYFIX, where he served as SVP of Market Data Systems. Mr. Watkins began his career at Bear Stearns Co., where he spent nearly 10 years. He is a graduate of Providence College with a degree in Computer Science.
Matt Billings Bio: Mr. Billings serves as Managing Director, Market Data Strategy at TD Ameritrade and has over 25 years of experience in the industry. He oversees all aspects of market data for TD Ameritrade. He joined the firm in 2017 following its acquisition of Scottrade, where he served as Senior Vice President, Trading Services. At Scottrade Mr. Billings managed the company’s trading support and was accountable for the routing and execution of equity and option order flow. He also served as Chairman of Scottrade’s Best Execution Committee and managed the Fixed Income Department. Mr.
Billings began his career working on the floor of the Chicago Stock Exchange ultimately becoming CEO of floor broker/specialists firm, Billings and Company. Mr. Billings is a member of multiple financial services industry trade organizations, most recently serving on the Cboe Exchange Board, FIF Advisory
Committee and Board of Governors of the Security Traders Association. He is a graduate of Saint Norbert College, and holds a Masters of Business Administration degree from DePaul University.
