TradAir, the Israel-based provider of Cloud trading technology solutions, has lured Russell Sears, who previously served as head of Currenex sales and senior managing director at State Street Global Exchange. He steps into the new role as Chief Revenue Officer with immediate effect and will be based out of London.
Sears’ hire represents one of TradAir’s most senior appointments to date, following his career that spans nearly two decades working in international finance with institutional investors. Interestingly, TradAir’s Chairman, Cliff Lewis, was Sears’s manager during his long stint at Currenex.
In his new role, he will help strengthen the company’s market penetration, while also looking to bolster its sales capabilities. In addition, Sears will support TradAir’s sales, marketing, and business development efforts.
Sears spent the bulk of his career at Currenex and moved to State Street when the banking group bought the company in 2007. He originally joined Currenex back in September 2002.
A lengthy career with Currenex
During a 13-year tenure across the e-exchange group – which includes Currenex and FX Connect – he served as the head of its European operations. His last role was the global head of Currenex sales and senior managing director, which Sears relinquished in 2015 to join interdealer broker ICAP EBS in a senior banking role.
Prior to joining Currenex, Sears held senior FX roles at several institutions, including Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Tokai Bank, TD Securities and BNP Paribas.
Commenting on his appointment, TradAir CEO Ayal Jedeikin said: "We are excited to add Russell to our management team. Russell combines 20 years of hands on experience in our space with a unique visionary way of thinking. His deep understanding of the client’s business needs and keen insights will be instrumental in our focus on providing clients an exceptional product."
TradAir offers its customers access to FX Liquidity sourced from major bank and non-bank liquidity providers, delivered via TradAir’s HTML5 eFX platform. The technology developer positioned itself as an ideal partner for many brokerages as the company deploys its servers in several locations, including London, New York, Singapore, and Tel Aviv.
