Niki Beattie is CEO of Market Structure Partners, which she founded in 2008. It provides strategic advice on financial market structure issues to global exchanges, clearing houses, technology firms and market participants. As well as being an expert on financial market structure, Niki has been instrumental in creating competition and change in the European trading environment throughout her career.

In addition to her consulting work, Niki has considerable experience of the Boards of both listed and private companies, as well as serving on regulatory committees. She is currently:

• a Non-Executive Director of FMSB (FICC Market Standards Board), a standards setting body for fixed income markets
• a Non-Executive Director of IRESS, a listed Australian financial technology company
• Chair of ClearToken, a clearing house for digital assets.

She was also previously:

• the Non-Executive Chairman of XTX Markets Limited, a leading, quantitative-driven electronic market-maker (2017-2022)
• the Non-Executive Chairman for Aquis Exchange, a pan-European MTF, listed on the UK AIM market (2013-2021)
• a Non Executive Director of The Moscow Exchange whilst it went from IPO to the largest free float stock in Russia (2012 -2016)
• a Non Executive Director of Borsa Istanbul, Turkey’s main Exchange (2016-2019)
• a Non-Executive Director of Kepler Cheuvreux International Ltd, a French brokerage (2011-2023)
• a member of the Secondary Markets Advisory Committee of the European Securities Markets Authority (2008-2020)
• a member of the Regulatory Decisions Committee of the UK Financial Conduct Authority (2012 – 2018).

Niki began her career in financial markets in securities technology at Security Pacific/Bank of America and went on to work at Merrill Lynch for 14 years where she became Managing Director and Head of Europe, Middle East and Africa Market Structure. At Merrill Lynch, Niki became a member of the European Equity Management team up and Head of Market Structure. Prior to that her experience included European, Middle East and Africa business development, implementing trading floor systems and running Merrill Lynch’s first electronic trading desk in Europe.

In her role as Head of Market Structure, Niki was responsible for the firm’s relationships and developments with the stock exchanges, multi-lateral trading facilities (MTFs) and clearing houses, all related cost management as well as advising the firm and their clients on the changes in equity and derivatives market structure. She was also responsible for identifying and implementing Merrill’s strategic investments in market structure and technology-related companies.

Niki’s work at the forefront of industry transformation came from spearheading the development of the trade reporting system BOAT and the Trade Ideas Monitor, acting as a key founder of Virt-x and Turquoise, as well as working closely with the UK and European regulators and regulated firms on the evolution of both MiFID 1 and 2. With experience across US, European and emerging markets, she has built a strong buy and sell side following for her knowledge and opinions on the subject of exchanges, clearing and electronic trading.

Since founding Market Structure Partners, clients have included some of the world’s leading trading venues and clearing houses, global and regional investment banks, high frequency trading firms, hedge funds, asset managers, private equity firms and government bodies.

Niki has a first class honours degree in Information Systems and Management.