The Path To Electronic Trading

The Path to Electronic Trading was inspired by the success of the Open Outcry Traders History Project. Gerry Corcoran, the CEO of RJ O’Brien, came to JLN to tell the story of how his one day of working on the trading floor helped create the path to electronic trading as RJO and other firms applied technology to improve the efficiency of a futures pit busting at the seams with paper orders. 

His story inspired us to develop this new video series that will capture the individual stories of the people and firms that embraced technology and created the evolutionary path from the shouting of orders on the trading floor to trading all forms of derivatives, securities and other products via purely electronic means. 

The Path to Electronic Trading series will capture stories from the beginning of order routing to trading floors, to after hour trading, then side-by-side trading and eventually just electronic trading. It will take us from TOPS, CUBS, Electronic Clerks and COMET to CME’s Globex and Globex II, the CBOT’s Project A to a/c/e and LIFFE Connect. It will take us from the NYSE to the ECNs and beyond. The series will address electronic options trading inspired by the ISE’s entry to the response by CBOE and other exchanges. And it will even go as far as trading in tokens and the Defi trading space and DEX exchanges.

We welcome suggestions for individuals to interview. Suggestions can be emailed to johnlothian@johnlothian.com.

Trader Videos

BRIAN HYNDMAN’S PATH TO ELECTRONIC TRADING BEGAN EARLY

BRIAN HYNDMAN’S PATH TO ELECTRONIC TRADING BEGAN EARLY

Brian Hyndman wanted to be a stockbroker growing up and that is what he became, starting out by working for Waterhouse Securities. But his career would be driven by the innovations and new technologies adopted by the markets and he would play a central part. Hyndman...

RYAN MCNALLY’S PATH TO ELECTRONIC TRADING WAS ROUTED THROUGH TOPS

RYAN MCNALLY’S PATH TO ELECTRONIC TRADING WAS ROUTED THROUGH TOPS

ORDER ROUTING STARTED MCNALLY’S ELECTRONIC TRADING TECHNOLOGY CAREER Ryan McNally started his career as a runner on the CME trading floor, but he quickly moved off the floor to use the tools that helped make the markets more efficient and able to handle greater...

BRENDAN BRADLEY’S FRONT ROW SEAT TO THE PATH TO ELECTRONIC TRADING

BRENDAN BRADLEY’S FRONT ROW SEAT TO THE PATH TO ELECTRONIC TRADING

VETERAN EXCHANGE EXECUTIVE MOVED FROM LIFFE TO EUREX AMID HISTORIC BATTLE FOR THE BUND Brendan Bradley had a front row seat for the major exchange battles between open outcry trading and electronic trading after starting at the London International Financial Futures...

Alan van Griethuysen’s Dutch Path to Electronic Trading

Alan van Griethuysen’s Dutch Path to Electronic Trading

Veteran Exchange Leader’s Career Developed as the Markets Grew, Merged and Electronified Alan van Griethuysen wanted to be an officer in the Netherlands Royal Army, following in the footsteps of his father, who was a full colonel in the military police. However, when...

MEAGHAN DUGAN COOKS UP A STELLAR PATH TO ELECTRONIC TRADING

MEAGHAN DUGAN COOKS UP A STELLAR PATH TO ELECTRONIC TRADING

JLN INTERVIEWS NYSE OPTIONS EXECUTIVE FOR THE PATH TO ELECTRONIC TRADING VIDEO SERIES NYSE executive Meaghan Dugan always worked in kitchens as a youth and had dreams of becoming a famous chef. She even earned a degree in culinary science. However, instead of donning...

TIM BRENNAN TOOK THE LEAP TO A NEW FRONTIER OF TRADING

TIM BRENNAN TOOK THE LEAP TO A NEW FRONTIER OF TRADING

THE TRIP FROM A SMALL LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE TO THE HEIGHTS OF WALL STREET Tim Brennan did not know what he wanted to do after graduating from a small liberal arts college with a degree in psychology. As with many other traders from this era, his mom had a friend who...

JOHN WALLS – THE PATH TO ELECTRONIC TRADING

JOHN WALLS – THE PATH TO ELECTRONIC TRADING

ADMIS Executive, Engineer and Problem Solver Talks About Building OAK Trading System John Walls is an executive with ADM Investor Services, but he started in the industry like many others of his generation as a trading floor messenger or runner. As a runner on the...

ROBIN TROTT – THE PATH TO ELECTRONIC TRADING PART TWO

ROBIN TROTT – THE PATH TO ELECTRONIC TRADING PART TWO

In Part Two of Robin Trott – The Path to Electronic Trading, Trott talked about how block trade and call-around markets developed in Europe. Platforms were rushing to write to all of the individual European markets. There were a large number of them back then.  “From...