Candriam hires former market maker to navigate illiquid asset classes

Asset manager says hiring sell-side experts can help it to solve problem of illiquid markets.

Candriam Investors Group has hired former market maker Cyril Batkin as a senior trader on its Brussels-based trading desk.

The asset manager said his expertise in trading hybrid securities and derivatives will be a valuable addition to its trading team.

Batkin will be responsible for trading across fixed income, FX and dericatives. He has nine years of experience including five years in London as a market maker on EMEA convertible bonds for Mitsubishi UFJ Securities, and previously spent four years at Netixis CIB in Paris in a similar role.

Fabien Oreve, global head of trading at Candriam, said: “Not only will Cyril be an important resource within our Fixed Income unit, he will also help develop new trading capabilities within the whole team in Brussels on less-liquid debt, emerging market currencies and certain categories of derivative like options and credit-default swaps.”

He added that hiring someone with Batkin’s expertise would help the firm in developing its ability to navigate less liquid markets.

“There is a solution to trade in less liquid markets and that is to strengthen buy-side trading desks with skilled experts. People on the sell-side are available to join buy-side desks and we are happy to hire them,” Oreve told The Trade.

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