Liquidnet has appointed a new COO and head of sales and trading operations in the US as the block trading platform seeks to boost its revenues.

Effective immediately, John Kelly, formerly of Goldman Sachs, takes the position of COO, based in New York and reporting to Liquidnet founder and CEO Seth Merrin. Kelly will be responsible for driving revenue across all of Liquidnet’s businesses globally.

Kelly most recently worked with John L. Thornton, former president of Goldman Sachs, providing global advisory services to private investors and management. He has also held positions at Société Générale in the US, including as head of capital markets, COO of its US investment banking business and head of portfolio management for SG Americas, Rockefeller Family & Associates, Bear Stearns and The First Boston Corporation.

“John possesses the skills and diverse experience that we have been looking for in a COO,” said Merrin. “With more than three decades of leadership roles in equity capital markets, investment banking, and trading, I look forward to John playing a significant role in helping us enter new business segments, expand our capital markets business and accelerate the growth of our institutional trading network globally.”

“I am excited to join the Liquidnet team at this particularly dynamic time in the market. One of the hallmarks of the Liquidnet culture is the conviction that innovation can change the way business is done, even in the face of significant obstacles,” added Kelly.

Meanwhile, Lugene Forte has been hired to lead Liquidnet’s sales and trading businesses in the US. Forte will report to Kelly and have oversight of the US equities business. Forte’s most recent role was at agency broker ITG as senior vice president of transition services and algorithmic trading services. She was also one of the founders of fixed income broker dealer First Principle and has served as chief financial officer and head of institutional sales at independent reseach firm Autranet.

“Lugene and her team will deliver enhanced and solution-focused offerings that continue to give our members a competitive advantage over their peers,” said Kelly.