BTIG, a financial services firm specialising in institutional trading and related brokerage services, is strengthening its Chicago presence with the hire of three veteran traders – Matt Biety, Matt Krebs and Peter Murphy.

“We’re excited to expand our presence in Chicago,” says Steven Starker, co-founder of BTIG. “These experienced professionals will give the office further momentum by increasing our client base in the region and adding to our product offerings.”

Murphy joins BTIG as a managing director. He is a 13-year veteran of Knight Capital, where he began as a market maker and moved into sales two years later. Before he joined BTIG, he had been the manager of Knight’s Chicago office.

Biety joins BTIG as a director. An 18-year financial industry veteran, Biety most recently was a sales trader and director at Knight Capital. He has also traded cash equities at Jefferies & Co. and he was an equities block trader at First Union Securities (now Wells Fargo). Biety started his career as a futures and options trader at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the Chicago Board Options Exchange.

Krebs joins BTIG as a director. He was most recently vice president of institutional sales at Knight Capital, where he has worked since 2005.

Murphy, Biety and Krebs will report to Walter Mis, the head of BTIG’s Chicago office. BTIG’s build out of its Chicago office is part of a strategy to expand its presence on the ground in several key local markets throughout the US. BTIG plans further hires and additional local office expansions throughout the year.

BTIG has nine domestic offices in New York, San Francisco, Dallas, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Greenwich, Red Bank and Orinda.