LedgerEdge, the next-generation ecosystem for trading, has appointed Kate Karimson and Mark Leahy to its leadership team.
Leahy joins as chief business officer and will oversee client facing operations and partnerships while Karimson joins as chief commercial officer and will run product, sales and lead new strategic opportunities.
Karimson joins LedgerEdge from CME Group, where she most recently ran and built up BrokerTec’s Global Dealer to Client, BrokerTec Quote.
She was instrumental in major strategic initiatives across CME Group. Prior to that, Karimson was responsible for delivering and running new and innovative corporate bond electronic solutions at ICAP, in addition to being a corporate bond trader with Barclays Capital.
Leahy has a proven track-record of transforming technology businesses and most recently was COO at Trumid XT. He’s also held senior fixed income roles at SGX, Nomura, Deutsche Bank, UBS and HSBC.
LedgerEdge was launched in 2020 and chairman and founder David E. Rutter said: “The industry recognises that LedgerEdge’s innovative trading model delivers new efficiencies that emphasise control and ease of execution to a historically illiquid market.
“Kate and Mark bring a tremendous amount of energy and experience to our senior leadership team and will be pivotal in helping the company grow to a market-leading position, as we fully embed and integrate the product.”
Karimson added: “I am thrilled to join the exceptional leadership team at LedgerEdge and help to shape the next significant chapter for the company.
“We are entering an exciting new era for LedgerEdge, as fixed income markets are changing more rapidly than ever. We will be working with market participants to transform the way they find liquidity and execute, redefining the future landscape of electronic markets. I look forward to leading the firm’s commercial strategy to its next level of success.”
Leahy said: “It’s rare to get the opportunity to join such an innovative start-up with so much potential, within the fixed income electronic trading space.
“LedgerEdge is addressing legacy inefficiencies in this space, as well as making trading easier and faster for participants on both sides of the market.
“Having spent nearly 10 years in FinTech working with cutting-edge technology platforms, I look forward to applying my experience to LedgerEdge and working closely with the team to accelerate client reach as the business scales.”
LedgerEdge’s e-trading platform is now live in the UK as the first DLT-based trading platform that is fully regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority as a Multilateral Trading Facility. LedgerEdge has been built in collaboration with the world’s leading global banks, asset managers, and market makers.