XTX Markets retains Chris Knight to lead Apac push

Electronic market-maker XTX Markets has retained the services of Chris Knight, previously head of e-trading (east) FX, rates and credit at Standard Chartered, by hiring his company, Market Partners, to lead the firm's push into the Asia-Pacific region.

Knight left Standard Chartered in October, after spending nine years at the bank in various roles, and has since set up Market Partners, of which he is a director. The engagement between Market Partners and XTX Markets is set to start in late January.

"Chris is an industry stalwart. He brings a deep understanding of the market and a wealth of regional experience to his role with XTX Markets. We look forward to him working with the XTX team and helping us partner with market participants in what is a key region for us," says Zar Amrolia, XTX Markets' co-chief executive.

Knight joined Standard Chartered in July 2004, as chief dealer of the G10 desk, based in Hong Kong. For more than two years he managed the 10-man, 24-hour trading desk, becoming head of e-trading in November 2006, with responsibility for the trading side of e-FX, rates and credit business in the eastern hemisphere.

In that role, he contributed to the bank's overall e-commerce strategy and worked on e-FX trading applications, including a non-deliverable forwards-pricing engine, FX aggregation strategies, and algorithmic and model trading.

Chris is an industry stalwart. He brings a deep understanding of the market and a wealth of regional experience to his role with XTX Markets – Zar Amrolia, XTX Markets

Knight began his career in 1986 as a trader with CCF Sydney, where he held various functions in the dealing room for four years, gaining experience in interest rates futures, forwards and spot FX trading. With this expertise under his wing, he moved to a senior dealer role at Asahi Bank in 1990, focusing on spot FX trading while taking on other responsibilities such as forwards and client-facing sales.

From 1993, Knight spent three years as an FX trader with Indosuez Australia before a more senior opportunity came knocking – senior dealer in FX at the Sydney office of Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank. It was one of three Japanese banks that merged in 2000 to form holding company Mizuho Financial Group, where Knight became a senior spot trader in USD/JPY.

A year later, Knight accepted senior FX trader and dealer roles at WestLB, the then downsized European bank, at its Sydney and Singapore offices. From there, he travelled throughout the Asia-Pacific region for seven years, trading various G10 currency pairs.

When Knight took the e-trading helm at Standard Chartered, it was running its e-trading through the products of various vendors. The bank later developed and maintained its own platforms, and it is now one of the 11 founding members of ParFX, the spot FX trading platform launched in April 2013.