2016: A Year in Profiles

Each month, Waters profiles a C-level executive whose work has made an impact on the financial industry. We discuss everything: from their professional and personal aspirations to today's trends and issues in their area of expertise.

This year, Waters interviewed two chief executives, six chief technology officers, three chief information officers and one founder/managing director. All of them come from different backgrounds representing buy- and sell-side firms, exchanges and regulatory bodies mainly from the US and the UK.

It's worth noting that one of them has moved to another firm since then. Paula Walter, former CIO at Newton Asset Management, was appointed chief operating officer at London-based Ruffle Asset Management.

Also, Elliot Noma keeps running his own small hedge fund, Garrett Asset Management. However, he was also appointed Chief Technology Officer at tech firm Insight Solutions CG. 

January: Mike Madigan, Chief Technology Officer, WH Trading

The CTO talks with Dan DeFrancesco about developing the firm's technology for trading in the futures and options markets, and the importance of keeping a majority of the technology in-house.

February: Pamela Dyson, Chief Information Officer, SEC

A can-do attitude has led Pamela Dyson to her role as CIO at the Securities and Exchange Commission. The head of technology of one of the biggest financial regulators in the world talks with Dan DeFrancesco about the challenges she faces in her job and her plans around leveraging big data.

March: Georgette Kiser, Chief Information Officer, The Carlyle Group

Georgette Kiser learned early in her career the importance of understanding the people she builds solutions and platforms for. She talks with Dan DeFrancesco about how that mindset has been a major part of her philosophy since taking over as CIO of The Carlyle Group in January 2015.

April: Iain Plunkett, CTO/COO, Aberdeen Asset Management

After 15 years on the sell side with UBS and Barclays, Iain Plunkett now heads up the technology and operations for UK-based Aberdeen Asset Management. The man charged with bringing transformation to the business talks with John Brazier about the potential technology holds for Aberdeen and the buy side.

May: Bob Greifeld, Chief Executive Officer, Nasdaq

Bob Greifeld works in an industry where fractions of a second matter. Still, that hasn't stopped the longtime CEO of Nasdaq from taking a workman-like approach to his job. Dan DeFrancesco talks to Greifeld about his journey to Nasdaq, and what he's learned along the way. 

June: Elliot Noma, Managing Director, Garret Asset Management

Elliot Noma has spent 30 years working in finance and nearly 50 years studying the mind while satiating his curiosities. At 65, he doesn't appear ready to wind down. He chats with Anthony Malakian about how he went from writing books about psychophysics to running a hedge fund.

July: Paula Walter, Chief Technology Officer, Newton Asset Management

Paula Walter didn't take the shortest, most direct route to her current role as CTO of Newton Investment Management. For starters, she grew up literally on the other side of the world from the UK, while her tertiary education prepared her more for life as an academic rather than a capital markets technologist. Walters talks with Victor Anderson about her exciting professional journey.

August: Bruce Ross, Head of Technology and Operations, RBC

Bruce Ross was tasked with leading the Royal Bank of Canada's transformation of its technology department when he was named head of technology and operations at the Toronto-based bank in January 2014.Ross talks with Dan DeFrancesco about the progress made over the past two-and-a-half years and what still needs to be done.

September: Chris Donnan, Chief Technology Officer, Tyler Capital

Two years after leaving Barclays for London proprietary-trading firm Tyler Capital, CTO Chris Donnan talks to John Brazier about the firm's attitudes toward, and advances in, machine learning, the importance of getting the right culture in place to achieve its objectives in a changing marketplace, and why he is "more here" than ever.

October: Alasdair Haynes, Chief Executive Officer, Aquis Exchange

Alasdair Haynes, CEO and founder of pan-European equities exchange Aquis Exchange, talks with John Brazier about his plans to break the existing market duopolies through the introduction of a new model, and how he has always wanted to challenge the status quo of the capital markets.

November: Chris Isaacson, Chief Information Officer, Bats Global Markets

CBOE Holdings' acquisition of Bats in September is the newest and largest hurdle for Isaacson, who will be in charge of technology for the soon-to-be combined entity. Dan DeFrancesco talks to Isaacson about his early days at Bats, lessons learned, and what's next for the man who can't seem to turn down a challenge.

December: Stewart Carmichael, Chief Technology Officer, Schroders

Heading up the global and technology expansion of an asset management firm with a 200-year history is no mean feat. Schroders CTO Stewart Carmichael is doing just that, having spent a career with high-profile sell-side institutions developing technology infrastructures across the world. Carmichael talks with John Brazier about his career and the new things that the old firm is working on.