Countdown begins for world’s leading clearing & derivatives conference

London, Thursday 15 March 2018 - The World Federation of Exchanges ("The WFE"), the global industry group for exchanges and CCPs, is pleased to confirm details of its 35^th IOMA Clearing & Derivatives Conference, taking place from 11-13 April 2018 in Chicago, USA.

IOMA is an invitation-only annual conference which brings together 150 senior delegates from clearing houses, exchanges, regulators and the buy side from around the world to discuss key market structure and post-trade issues. Market integrity, the global implications of Brexit and MiFID II, cryptocurrencies and FinTech investment are the key focus areas of this year's conference, which will be hosted by Options Clearing Corporation (OCC), the world's largest equity derivatives clearing organisation.

There are two fireside chat sessions during the conference: the first between Eric Chern, CEO of Chicago Trading Company and Edward Tilly, Chairman & CEO, Cboe Global Markets; and the second with Craig S. Phillips, Counselor to the Secretary at the US Department of the Treasury and Craig Donohue, Chairman and CEO of OCC, in conversation with WFE CEO, Nandini Sukumar.

Keynote speakers this year include Klaus Martin Löber, Head of Oversight Division at the European Central Bank. Sandy Frucher, Vice Chairman of Nasdaq, Stephen Fisher, Managing Director, BlackRock, Sunil Cutinho, President of CME Clearing, and Erik Müller, CEO, Eurex Clearing AG are among the panellists this year.

The WFE's Post-Trade Working Group will meet in Chicago ahead of the conference.

In addition, the WFE and Oliver Wyman, the global management consultancy firm, are publishing their joint report concerning market integrity on the first day of conference. The report investigates the importance of market infrastructures in supporting well-functioning and efficient markets, a role more important than ever since the financial crisis.

Nandini Sukumar, CEO, the WFE said: "The WFE is the global advocate for CCPs and exchanges, and IOMA 2018 will be an important opportunity to discuss the latest issues impacting the post-trade industry. Topics such as Brexit, cryptocurrencies, investment in FinTech and market integrity are at the forefront of the two-day agenda for key industry stakeholders, members and affiliates attending in Chicago.

"We are also looking forward to launching our market integrity report at IOMA, with co-authors Oliver Wyman. At a time of global volatility, when the importance of orderly markets is more critical than ever, the report will affirm the WFE's position of supporting and promoting the development of transparent, stable and efficient markets."

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