Welcome Our New Team Members!

This month, we welcomed two new team members: Courtney McGuinn and Kirsten Ballard. Courtney is our new Program and Project Director and will be developing our North America events and working group activities. She has an impressive background coming to us from the FIX organization where she managed the global team there for close to 18 years and we are so excited to have her join the team. Kirsten is our new Communications Director and will oversee our website, social, emails and more. Please say hello and help us welcome them to the team!

Buff Up Your Technology Expertise With the FISD FIT

*NEW* The FISD Financial Information Technologist (FISD FIT) certification is here to help you get up to speed on crucial technology concepts such as cloud computing, data science, permissioning, colocation, desktop APIs and trading automation. You can even get FIT from your couch (if that’s your thing) as exams are 100% virtual. Members have access to an exam + eTraining bundle with four mastery quizzes, dozens of pages of notes, and 7.5 hours of video content for $940. Contact Hope Wilkes with questions about getting started.

WFIC Registration Is Open

At long last, registration is open for the World Financial Information Conference taking place October 16-19 in Prague!  Financial institutions, vendors and exchanges from around the globe will come together for three days of panels, presentations, activities and the best networking in the business.   The discounted hotel room block is also open, and Bronze Sponsorships are available. Please contact Tracey Shumpert if you have any questions.

FISD Issue Brief in Chicago on May 5

Join us in the Windy City for a discussion on “Retail Rising – Grabbing the OPTIONS Market Data Bull By the Horns” and afternoon of thought leadership and networking.  Thank you to our hosts at Cboe and all of our Global Sponsors. Click here to review the program and register.  Please contact David Anderson if you have any questions or have any difficulty registering. 

Share Your News in the Next FISD Newsletter

Members can have their press releases, events, white papers, blogs, news articles and job postings featured in the FISD Newsletter. Delivered monthly to thousands of financial information professionals, the newsletter is a great place to spread your news. Email relevant material to Kirsten Ballard with the subject line “FISD Newsletter Submission”.

JOB BOARD

Click here to view all open positions on the FISD Job Board. If you have a job you’d like posted, please email Kirsten Ballard.

Welcome Tristan Dehaan to the FISD Team!

Many FISD members will know Tristan Dehaan as a Netherlands-based market data industry veteran often seen in the crowd at FISD events. We’re thrilled to announce that he has come aboard as a consultant at FISD to help us step up member offerings in EMEA, including by supporting David Anderson in programming regional events and WFIC. Please join us in welcoming him to the team!

Get your Free 2021 FISD Year in Review

2021 was a doozy of a year, but FISD members successfully collaborated, debated, and networked during scores of hours of online events, working group meetings and even a few in-person activities. Take a trip down memory lane through the FISD 2021 Year in Review.

Ukraine Crisis—Call for Discussion Participants

The Ukraine crisis is having an impact on the financial information industry – the treatment of companies listed on Russian exchanges and other Russian securities, the impact on commodities and foreign exchange markets globally, and the assessment of vendor risks.  If you would be interested in joining an open-ended discussion among FISD members on this topic, please contact Tom Davin.  Please be as specific as you can about the topics that you want to discuss.

WFIC Registration Opening on March 28^th 

Plans for the World Financial Information Conference, taking place October 16-19 in Prague, are well underway. FISD is pleased to announce that registration will be opening at the end of March. The discounted hotel room block is already open. Please contact Tracey Shumpert if you have any questions.

WFIC Bronze Sponsorships Announced

Contact Tracey Shumpert to claim an exhibit space or extra branding at the event. Upper level sponsorships are already sold out, so this is the last WFIC sponsor inventory available.

Introducing the FISD FIT + eTraining Bundle

Now is a great time to upgrade your team’s technology expertise. FISD is here to help you make that easy with the brand new FISD Financial Information Technologist (FISD FIT) certification. Starting February 25, the self-paced eTraining that will get you up to speed will be available in a bundle that includes the exam registration for $940 for FISD members. This certification covers key topics in five areas:

-Market Data Systems: data sources, distributing real time data, permissioning

-Market Data Products: workstations, enterprise platforms, desktop APIs

-System Location: cloud computing, colocation, proximity hosting

-Technology Concepts: software development, data science, big data

-Industry Context: order management, trading automation, benchmarks

Make 2022 the year you get FISD FIT! Contact Hope Wilkes with questions.

FISD Issue Brief in NYC: “Back to (In-person) Work” on April 7th

Come to this in-person FISD event to discuss the return to in-person work. What will be different from the pre-COVID Era? What will be the same? We’ll discuss, debate, and then adjourn for some in-person networking. Thanks to our hosts at OTC Markets and all of our Global Sponsors. Click here to review the program and register. Please contact Tom Davin if you have any questions or have any difficulty registering.

Farewell to Michael Zingali

After five great years, FISD Communications & Virtual Events Manager will be leaving to take a job at Citi in New York. We appreciate all of Michael’s contributions to our web and social media presence, and the key role that he played in FISD’s pivot to virtual events in 2020. Thanks to Michael, and here’s hoping that he can join us for our next in-person event in NYC!

Two New Job Openings Available at FISD: Project & Program Director and Communications Coordinator

Program & Project Director

FISD is seeking a highly qualified person for a new position that will be based in NYC or DC. The primary focus of the Program & Project Director is to develop event content and working group activities for FISD members, and manage projects associated with these activities and other FISD initiatives. We are looking for someone established in the financial information industry who can leverage (and build on) their knowledge and project management skills to produce superior event content and member engagement opportunities. If you have thoughts or questions on this opening, contact Tom Davin.

Communications Coordinator

This role will be based in FISD/SIIA’s DC offices and will be appropriate for a recent college graduate, or person with a few years work experience. The person in the role will be responsible for ensuring the quality, completeness, and reliable delivery of communications to FISD’s global membership.  The coordinator manages communications across a variety of media and is responsible for the timeliness and completeness of the FISD contact database. There will be domestic and international travel from time to time. If you have thoughts or questions on this opening, contact Tom Davin.

2022 FISD Executive Committee Election Completed

FISD members voted to elect 15 of the 27 existing FISD Executive Committee seats for a two-year term ending on December 31, 2023.   FISD is very pleased to welcome new Executive Committee members the Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing and Davidson Kempner, as well as all returning members. The Executive Committee Leadership, Marcy Pike as Chair, Trip Wadleigh as Vice Chair, and Steve Dickey as Secretary, will continue to serve in their roles through 2022. The full list of FISD members is available on the FISD website.

WFIC Registration Opening in March 

Plans for the World Financial Information Conference, October 16-19 in Prague, are well underway. FISD is pleased to announce that registration will be opening in March, and we will be communicating about social events, the Consumer Travel Stipend Program, the WFIC Program Working Group, and new sponsorship opportunities shortly. The discounted hotel room block is already open. Please contact Tracey Shumpert if you have any questions.

Introducing the FISD FIT + eTraining Bundle

Now is a great time to upgrade your team’s technology expertise. FISD is here to help you make that easy with the brand new FISD Financial Information Technologist (FISD FIT) certification. Starting February 25, the self-paced eTraining that will get you up to speed will be available in a bundle that includes the exam registration for $940 for FISD members. This certification covers key topics in five areas:

-Market Data Systems: data sources, distributing real time data, permissioning

-Market Data Products: workstations, enterprise platforms, desktop APIs

-System Location: cloud computing, colocation, proximity hosting

-Technology Concepts: software development, data science, big data

-Industry Context: order management, trading automation, benchmarks

Make 2022 the year you get FISD FIT! Contact Hope Wilkes with questions.

FISD Rising Stars Webinar on March 15
**Invite your junior staff, too!**

The ability to work from home has expanded the talent pool available companies willing to be flexible and likewise has created opportunities for employees to take new jobs without moving, or to move somewhere new without changing jobs.

Attend this webinar to hear firsthand from market data professionals who have gone fully remote and moved to a new place and keeping the same job or started a job at a distant site without moving, and those who have uprooted their lives to change cities (or even countries) as part of assuming a new role. Led by a moderator with experience in hiring strategy, this session will pair personal experiences with insights on how the employment landscape is transforming.

Contact Hope Wilkes with questions or if you’d like to nominate a speaker.

FISD Announces Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Event Series in Coordination with SIIA

On March 8^th, FISD will hold the first in a cross-SIIA divisional series of workshops providing Diversity, Equity & Inclusion education to members. The first event will be facilitated by Orange Grove Consulting, a leading DEI and gender equity consulting firm, on the topic of Strategic Shifts Essential for Leadership. This workshop aims to help women and people of color ascend from middle management to executive roles. Later in the year, FISD/SIIA will hold additional topics on unconscious bias and successfully attracting and leading diverse teams. Please contact Tracey Shumpert with questions.

New Job Opening at FISD: Program & Project Director

FISD is seeking a highly qualified person for a new position that will be based in NYC or DC. The primary focus of the Program & Project Director is to develop event content and working group activities for FISD members, and manage projects associated with these activities and other FISD initiatives. We are looking for someone established in the financial information industry who can leverage (and build on) their knowledge and project management skills to produce superior event content and member engagement opportunities. The qualified candidate will immediately take on responsibility for existing working groups and event content development, and will be expected to identify new opportunities for member programming and activities. The job posting can be accessed here and submissions can be sent here. If you have thoughts or questions on this opening, contact Tom Davin.

Service Level & Communications Working Group Re-forming in 2022

The Service Level & Communications working group is ending a brief hiatus and meeting next month to take on new topics and challenges. As a reminder, this working group focuses on enhancing communication and service provision between content providers, and the distributors and end-users of their data. The group has created and updates best practice recommendations and brings members together to discuss current communication and product management issues related to the introduction and modification of content providers’ products. In the first meeting, scheduled for February 15, we will revisit the mission of the group and its various activities, including the various programs that it has run to assess and recognize data providers’ adherence to best practices. If you are interested in joining this group, please contact Tom Davin.

Register Now for ESG 2.0 – Next Steps!

This is your last chance to register for the FISD Webinar: ESG 2.0 – The Next Steps. This 60 minute session will be accompanied by an extra 30 minutes afterwards for Q&A from the viewers. Thus, enough time to listen to our panel of experts and participate in getting all your questions answered. 

The subject matter will take us to what has the market learned so far to help us know what customers really need today in respect of ESG data (including delivery formats) and for the next few years ahead. How do consumers pick and cope with the over abundance of ESG data, especially as its not all the same or difficult to benchmark? Where are the true USP’s from vendors and what is truly valued by the market, clients, regulators in this strong growing segment? Are the E-S-G components valued equally by consumers and what would consumers design in this category if they had the chance to be the data creators?

Please contact David Anderson or Tristan Dehaan if you have any questions. We look forward to you joining us and participating too.

Let’s Talk About the FISD FIA!

Think back on your personal career trajectory. It probably wasn’t a straight line from university to the market data industry. Experiential learning got you where you needed to be, but it took time. If you’re hiring a group of bright-eyed graduates and career changers you may need to wait months or years for them to become truly proficient. Or you can help them compress that timeline with the FISD Financial Information Associate (FISD FIA) certification. 

The FISD FIA is the only credential designed specifically for market data professionals. Candidates are tested on their knowledge of a broad range of industry information they’ll need to do their job as well as communicate effectively with colleagues and clients. Exam material is divided into four major categories:

• Markets: This includes the trade life cycle, major asset classes, market participants, key job functions, and the role of the markets.
• Data: This includes sources, providers, types of data, uses of data, and commercial arrangements.
• Technology: This includes connectivity, hardware, messaging, algorithmic trading, data management, and cloud computing.
• Issues & Trends: This includes commercial trends, economic issues, regulations, and typical contract terms.

Want to give your new team members an edge? Download the FISD FIA syllabus PDF now to see everything they’ll learn.

Share Your News in the Next FISD Newsletter

Members can have their press releases, events, white papers, blogs, news articles and job postings featured in the FISD Newsletter. Delivered monthly to thousands of financial information professionals, the newsletter is a great place to spread your news. Email relevant material to Michael Zingali with the subject line “FISD Newsletter Submission”.

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