NYSE Euronext has announced Hugh Freedberg is to succeed Andre Villeneuve as chairman of NYSE Liffe, the company’s global derivatives business. Garry Jones, the exchange’s executive director of business development and strategy, will replace Freedberg’s role as group executive vice-president and head of global derivatives. The changes are effective May 1, when Villeneuve will retire.
Freedberg played a fundamental role in reviving Liffe, as it was then known, when he joined the exchange in 1998. In tandem with Sir Brian Williamson, Freedberg pushed through a series of changes that served as a blueprint for many other exchanges around the world. “Ten years ago, we sought to transform our business in light of growing international competition and a rapidly changing industry. We reinvented our business model by converting to a for-profit company from a member-based mutual club, refocusing on the customer, and deploying state-of-the-art technology throughout our operating infrastructure. I have been very fortunate to work with an outstanding group of professionals and I would like to thank them. Together, we achieved a great deal and established a solid foundation to build upon. I am honoured to succeed Andre Villeneuve and thank him for his much valued partnership.”