Berenberg has made two strategic hires to its algorithmic and program trading teams, as part of the firm’s push to bolster its product portfolio and drive institutional growth.
Nishad Vallonthaiel and Jason Rand
As part of the expansion, the firm has appointed Nishad Vallonthaiel as head of liquidity solutions.
In his new position, Vallonthaiel will play a key role in connecting retail and institutional liquidity, and is set to support the firm in enhancing its algorithmic trading capabilities.
He joins Berenberg from Peel Hunt, where he had served as head of electronic and program trading since 2023. He left the firm in June 2025, as reported by The TRADE at the time.
Previously in his career, he worked at Numis, where he led multiple trading initiatives. He has also held roles at companies including Bloomberg Tradebook, Execution, Canaccord, C.I.M Banque, Banca Commerciale, and Lugano Espirito Santo Investment Bank.
Read more – Peel Hunt’s head of electronic trading departs
Speaking to his new appointment, Vallonthaiel said: “Our mission is clear: to deliver innovative solutions that provide our clients with unique and meaningful liquidity. With the team’s expertise and our shared commitment, I’m confident we will continue to set new standards in the industry.”
Additionally, the firm has also appointed former Bernstein director, Reid Farah as head of index and quant research, where he is set to lead the firm’s Polygon service.
Farah joins the firm following 14 years at Bernstein in London, where he most recently served as managing director and head of portfolio trading strategy and risk.
Prior to this, he also worked at Citi as a quant analyst in global portfolio trading strategy.
Both Vallonthaiel and Farah will report to Jason Rand, global head of electronic trading and distribution, who said: “With Nishad and Reid on board, we’re unlocking immense potential—melding their deep expertise with our ambition to supercharge our algorithmic and program-trading capabilities.
“Their appointments mark a major step as we drive forward to aggressively scale our institutional market share over the next 12 to 18 months.”