FlexTrade Systems, a provider of multi-asset execution and order management systems, has appointed Vishal Pandya as chief operating officer (COO). In this newly created position, Pandya (pictured) will serve as a member of FlexTrade’s executive leadership team and have overall responsibility for the performance and development of the company.   In this capacity Pandya will report to the CEO and be responsible for driving all functions/ products/geographies to achieve and surpass financial and business objectives. He will also be responsible for putting in place the necessary operating structure and management systems to enable FlexTrade to scale and accelerate growth. Pandya

Nexthera Capital, a hedge fund manager focused on global therapeutics, has appointed Rael Mazansky as director of research. Working with Nexthera’s co-founder and CIO Ori Hershkovitz (pictured), Mazansky will help drive Nexthera’s investment strategy of seeking high risk-adjusted returns from the healthcare and therapeutics sectors.   “We are excited to hire an individual with a long and impressive history in healthcare investing. Rael will strengthen our team as we continue to develop the best human capital to produce innovative research and guidance for the portfolio,” says Daniel Malek, co-founder and CEO. “Rael’s experience and perspective will help Nexthera attempt to capitalise

Hamilton Lane has appointed Lydia A Gavalis as general counsel and Frederick W Shaw as chief compliance officer, effective as 1 April. Robert Cleveland, who served as general counsel at the firm for more than 16 years, will retire at the end of March.   Gavalis (pictured), who had previously served as deputy general counsel, will assume responsibility for all legal affairs globally.   “Bob has been an invaluable part of Hamilton Lane’s success and evolution, and it is with deep appreciation and gratitude that we thank him for his service and wish him well in his retirement,” says Mario

BCS Global Markets, the Russian investment bank and largest securities broker on the Moscow exchange, has appointed Bradley Duke and Tim Bevan as co-chief executives of its UK entity, BCS Prime Brokerage (BCS UK). BCS Global Markets recently adopted a matrix management structure to promote greater oversight and synergies across geographies and business lines.    The decision to appoint two chief executives for BCS UK comes as headcount at BCS UK has grown to over 170 since the beginning of 2017 – with the establishment of a branch in Moscow of the FCA regulated UK entity, that now encompasses the

Axioma, a provider of enterprise market risk and portfolio management solutions, has appointed Jacqueline Gaillard as managing director, people and talent. Gaillard (pictured) was previously senior vice president, human resources and talent management at International Securities Exchange (ISE), the first all-electronic US options exchange.   “Jackie’s proven ability to help rapidly evolving and growing organisations to manage and attract the talent needed to succeed is a perfect fit for Axioma,” says Amaury Dauge, senior managing director and chief financial officer. “As Axioma’s growth continues to accelerate, a first-class support structure is critical to the achievement of our goals. We are

UCITS and AIF investment management company FundRock has appointed Irish funds lawyer Louise Harris to head up the legal and compliance function at its Irish branch.  Harris, a qualified barrister, moved from private practice into the financial services sector 10 years ago.   Since then Harris has held senior legal and compliance positions in regulated investment firms, including eight years as the head of legal and compliance and then general counsel of Abbey Capital Limited, an Irish multi-billion dollar alternative investment management company, with operations in the EU, the US, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands.   Harris’ expertise spans across

Quantopian, the free online platform for education and creation of institutional-quality investment algorithms, has hired Leslie Baccini as director of investor relations. Baccini (pictured) comes to Quantopian with a background in hedge fund strategy communication and equity research sales.   “Leslie has a proven track record of success with investors,” says John Fawcett, founder and CEO of Quantopian. “As we prepare to manage external capital later this year, her skills will be critical in communicating with those investors who choose Quantopian to manage their money with the best of our crowd-sourced investment algorithms.”   Baccini joins Quantopian from The Boston

Global investment manager Nuveen is expanding its alternative investments business development capabilities with the hire of James Wing and Michael Welch. Joining in newly created roles, the pair will partner with the broader Nuveen distribution team to place new private funds onto the investment platforms of wealth managers serving retail and high-net-worth investors.   Based in Chicago and San Francisco, respectively, Wing and Welch will bolster the firm’s growing alternative investment distribution capabilities and report to Bill Stout (pictured), head of business development for Nuveen’s alternative investments platform.   Wing and Welch will both serve as managing directors working with