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Index Derivatives Expert Sean Smith Joins FTSE Russell

  • Industry leader to serve as Managing Director of Derivatives Licenses
  • Role aims to accelerate growth in index options and futures space 
  • Based in Chicago to work closely with key clients

FTSE Russell, the global index and data provider, announces that Sean Smith has joined the firm as Managing Director of Derivatives Licenses, to lead the company’s efforts to further expand its options and futures business.  

Dozens of FTSE Russell indexes are used as the underlying benchmarks for options, futures and OTC cleared derivative products. Indexes include FTSE GEIS (Global Equities Index Series), which covers 98% of the world’s investable market capitalization, FTSE China 50 and the Russell 2000 and 1000, which measure the performance of the small- and large-cap segments of the US equity market respectively.     

Smith will be based at the Chicago office of FTSE Russell and joins from CME Group, where he served in multiple roles spanning the last 17 years. Most recently, he managed the Strategic Account Management Group servicing CME's top clients.  Earlier, he held senior roles in the clearing, client development and sales divisions, ranging from clearing solutions to heading the global sales team covering bank clients. From 2001-2005, he managed FCM relations globally in the products and service division.

Ron Bundy, CEO North America Benchmarks at FTSE Russell, said: 

“We are thrilled to have an industry expert like Sean Smith join our team, especially considering his extensive relationship with one of our top clients in the index options and futures space. The Chicago location is strategic given the proximity to many of our key clients.”

Smith earned a B.S. in Industrial Relations from St. Joseph's University and began his financial services career as a runner on the Philadelphia Stock Exchange. Later, he became a derivatives trader in New York for several firms and then ran execution and clearing sales desks at two Chicago commodity brokerages.  

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