Instinet's John Fildes joins high-frequency market-maker Getco

John Fildes, an outspoken sell-side proponent of electronic trading and agency-only business models, has joined market-maker Getco in Singapore as director of strategic development.

Reporting to Robert Smith in Singapore, Fildes will be responsible for relationships with exchanges, regulators and brokers. He will also work with internal teams to expand the firm's activities around Asia.

Getco, based in Chicago, has built up its capabilities in Singapore, Hong Kong and other markets, particularly to facilitate high-frequency trading.

Fildes declined to comment further on his new role.

He joins from agency-only (ie, non-prop trading) broker Instinet in Hong Kong, where he had been managing director and chief operating officer for Asia.

Instinet will transfer Stuart Knowling from Australia to Hong Kong to serve as COO, although other aspects of Fildes' role will be handled by multiple people.

Instinet has also hired two salespeople from rival agency broker ITG. Jason Ledell will join this month as head of product sales for Japan in Tokyo, while Stephanie Tam arrived in late May as Hong Kong-based sales director for Asia ex-Japan.

These are both newly created posts, with a view to adding "further electronic trading intellect to Instinet", says a spokeswoman for the firm.

Glenn Lesko, Instinet's Asia-Pacific chief executive, says the hires are meant to bolster Instinet's commitment to electronic trading and to supporting Asian equities trading -- not just for global clients, but for Asian ones.

Ledell and Tam report to Kym Graham, head of Asia-Pacific sales in Hong Kong, who transferred from Australia at the start of this year.