When Dave Howson took on the role of EVP and president, Europe and Asia Pacific at Cboe Global Markets in January 2020, two major external events — the U.K.’s transition away from the EU and the global pandemic — threw him some immediate curve balls.
Contending with the complications of Brexit, COVID-19, and the remote work-at-home environment required more one-to-one customer interaction calls and more educational webinars for market participants so they would be well-prepared for the changes, he said.
In a video interview, his first for John Lothian News since taking over his current role, Howson talks about the challenges he faced and the ones he has overcome. Among the immediate goals was the plan to shepherd the launch of Cboe Europe Derivatives, the EU-based derivatives exchange that debuted September 6, 2021.
In addition, he helped finalize Cboe’s July 1, 2020 acquisition of EuroCCP, a pan-European clearing house based in Amsterdam. EuroCCP was formed in 2013 and clears equities from 18 European markets and from the United States. It also clears the new Cboe Europe Derivatives marketplace.
As for the European derivatives market, Howson is excited about its prospects, saying the marketplace is “ripe for growth.”
In the upcoming second part of the interview, Howson explains the timing of the launch, speaks more about future plans for the emergent derivatives exchange, and outlines his next big goal — Cboe’s move into the Asian-Pacific as the exchange operator further expands its global presence.
