Jefferies
Vivian Li has joined Jefferies as head of Asia distressed trading and credit analytics, in a push to bolster the firm’s fixed income offering, The TRADE can reveal.
Li will be based out of Hong Kong and brings over a decade of industry experience to her new position, with expertise covering sovereign, investment grade and high yield corporate credit and financials.
She joins from Morgan Stanley, where she served as head of Asia credit analytics and head of China financing from November 2018 to May 2025.
Prior to this, she has also worked at China Merchants Securities, covering roles including fixed income portfolio manager, and credit analyst.
Jefferies confirmed the appointment in an announcement on social media.
Cboe
Dave Howson is set to step down from his role as executive vice president and global president of Cboe Global Markets, effective 1 August 2025.
The move sees Howson returning to the UK after serving three years in the role, based in Chicago. Howson joined Cboe in 2017 following its acquisition of Bats, where he served as European chief operating officer since 2013.
He became Cboe’s European president in January 2020, and took on additional responsibility for Asia Pacific in June 2021. In 2022, he relocated to Chicago to take on his current role as global president, overseeing Cboe’s global business lines including equities, derivatives and data.
The departure will see Cathy Clay, executive vice president and global head of derivatives widen her role to provide oversight of the Cboe data vantage business, alongside her current responsibilities covering the global derivatives business of equity and index options and futures.
Similarly, Chris Isaacson, who currently oversees technology, operations and risk in his position as executive vice president and chief operating officer, will expand his role to include coverage of cash equities, global FX and clearing.
The new expansions build on Clay’s extensive industry experience and time at Cboe, which she joined in August 2015, and played a foundational role in the early development of the Cboe data vantage business.
Isaacson joined Cboe as chief information officer in March 2017 before stepping up to the role of chief operating officer in January 2019. He has also held the role of global chief information officer at BATS Global Markets.
Howson’s departure will also see recently appointed Cboe chief executive, Craig Donohue assuming the title of president.
Speaking on his departure and the new expansions, Howson said: “As I step away, I do so with immense pride in what we have achieved together. Cathy and Chris are strong leaders and I have the utmost confidence that Cboe is well-positioned for continued success.”
Societe Generale
Jonathan Connor has joined Societe Generale as director, euro investment grade (EUR IG) corporates trader.
London-based Connor joins the firm from HSBC, where he had been working for nearly 14 years. He brings extensive industry experience to the role, with expertise in the EUR IG trading space. Most recently, he held the position of EUR IG corporates trader at HSBC.
Previously, Connor has also worked in CHF bond trading as well as having served in roles as a EUR IG financials trader and global macro strategies trader.
Connor confirmed his new position in a social media announcement.