Ari | Technology | Joined CME Group in 2002 | Based in Chicago

Tell us about your role here.
I serve multiple purposes as a technologist, traditional manager, and project manager, seeing that CME Group’s latest innovations are running smoothly. I am currently working on a joint venture in London, exchange connectivity in Brazil, clearing and credit controls.   

Tell us about a typical day for you.
One of the things I love about my job is that there is no typical day.  On any given day, I might have meetings on how to improve our production performance or on a new idea for electronic trading. I might work with the Development team to create a design pattern, review our project plan or scenario plan for the future. I also could be brainstorming ideas with colleagues across the exchange. Sometimes I start the day with an early conference call with our office in London to review a new project proposal or end the day with a customer in Sydney with questions on how to best trade on CME Globex. My conversations can jump from classical theory on design patterns or object models or Black-Scholes for asset pricing, macroeconomic policy and the impact on market data messaging, or even how we can better measure and improve order entry characteristics.

How would you describe CME Group culture?
We are encouraged and expected to take risks, experiment with new trading models, and propose new ways to improve the markets. There is a strong work ethic that flows across CME Group and anyone at the exchange can work on a new idea or strategy.  And, like the market, the best innovations float to the top.

What do you like to do in your spare time?
Besides spending time with friends and family, I have been spending a lot of time recently starting a new charity. It’s called Project Channie and its purpose is to help support those whose lives have been impacted by loss. I am also trying to create new models for charitable distribution using social networking to extend the previous boundaries of fundraising and marketing.