Paul Squires has joined OptimX as a strategic advisor four months after his departure from Invesco.
In his new role, London-based Squires is set to support the expansion of OptimX’s platform, with a particular focus on the EMEA region.
He is also set to focus on product development, go-to-market strategy, and solutions for OptimX.
Speaking on the appointment, David Barnett, founder and chief executive of OptimX Markets, said: “[Squires] brings a wealth of real-world trading experience and a deep understanding of how institutional investors interact with liquidity. His perspective will be invaluable as we continue to build solutions that improve outcomes for both the buy side and the sell side.”
He joins the firm after six and a half years at Invesco, where he most recently served as head of trading for EMEA and APAC equities.
Prior to this, he spent more than two decades at AXA Investment Management, serving in various roles, most notably as head of trading.
As head of trading, Squires was responsible for 31 traders in London, Paris and Greenwich in the US covering equities, fixed income FX and derivatives.
He initially joined as an equity trader in the UK in 1996, before moving to trade European equities, and subsequently fixed income. Squires was promoted to head of trading after AXA IM’s trading group in 2005 as it merged with the securities financing team.
Squires added: “OptimX is addressing some of the most important challenges in today’s market structure by enabling more direct and efficient interaction between participants. I’m excited to join as an advisor and support the team as they expand their offering and bring this capability to a broader set of clients.”
Additionally, in 2015, Squires collected The TRADE’s Lifetime Achievement award at the Leaders In Trading Awards, a recognition celebrating his significant and enduring impact on the industry.