First Derivatives appoints chairman to take over CEO job

Newry-headquartered technology company First Derivatives has appointed its chairman Seamus Keating as chief executive with immediate effect.

Mr Keating succeeds the group's founder, Brian Conlon, who died in July 2019.

A qualified accountant, Mr Keating was appointed a non-executive director of the company, which provides trading and risk management software systems and consulting services to the capital markets industry, in December 2012 and chairman in July 2013. He previously held several senior roles in the technology sector including as chief financial officer and chief operating officer of IT management consultancy Logica Plc, before its acquisition in 2012.

Following his appointment as chief executive, Mr Keating has stepped down from the board committees of which he was a member.

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Chairwoman

Meanwhile, non-executive director Donna Troy has been appointed as the company's chairwoman. Ms Troy has held senior roles in companies such IBM, McAfee, SAP and Dell. She was appointed as a non-executive director of First Derivatives in January 2018.

“We are delighted that Seamus has agreed to lead First Derivatives on the next stage of its journey. He was appointed executive chairman under the most difficult of circumstances and has demonstrated his ability to lead the team effectively while we undertook a search for a new chief executive,” Ms Troy said, adding that there was “considerable interest in the role”.

First Derivatives services the top 20 global investment bank and numerous regulators and exchanges with its fintech software. Its primary platform – Kx Technology – analyses vast quantities of data enabling rapid development of new applications.