Aquis Exchange today announced the appointment of Thomas Downes as Head of Markets, responsible for leading the strategy, operations, and growth of the exchange group’s pan-European multilateral trading facility (MTF).

Downes brings extensive experience in electronic trading. He previously served as Head of Electronic Trading Sales & Strategy and Executive Committee member at ITG and later Virtu, following its acquisition of ITG.

He began his career at Merrill Lynch, focusing on technology and product development across fixed income and foreign exchange.

Most recently, he was a Managing Partner at fintech advisory firm IOX Partners.

Downes takes over responsibility for Aquis’ Markets division from David Stevens, who assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer at Aquis Exchange in February 2025. Based in Aquis’ London office, Downes joins the company’s Executive Committee and will oversee the continued growth of the Markets division, following a strong performance in the first half of 2025.

“I’m thrilled to be joining Aquis at such an exciting time for the company”, said Downes. “Following its recent acquisition by SIX, the Aquis team are highly motivated for growth across all of its business divisions. There are great opportunities ahead, and I am excited to join the strong team behind Aquis’ MTF as we continue to challenge and drive innovation, grow our presence in European trading, and deliver meaningful value to clients and investors.”