A smell of disinfected newness lingers in the London office of Bank Austria Creditanstalt Futures. Launched on June 1, it's the first venture in the western hemisphere to use the recently merged bank's name and corporate red is much in evidence; from the trendily designed logos emblazoning the walls to the leather sofa in reception.
Looking over his new offices, managing director Graham Newall exudes satisfaction. He points out the electronic trading terminals which will eventually be able to access any exchange in the world. "By this time next year we'll be recognized as one of the market leaders in providing electronic access to markets," he predicts.
Given that Newall built up Capel Court's Australian futures operation to be number one in that market, and then created a top five European futures business at BZW, one can take his prediction as more than corporate bravado.
A typically relaxed, straight-talking Australian, Newall left the small outback town of Goodooga in 1969 with a scholarship to a Sydney boarding school. He never really looked back.
Although he won a place at university, he didn't last the distance. "I got involved in the markets and discovered that I didn't have time to stay in and study," he says.