n THE TRADE HO T 100 n www.thetradenews.com 43
n THE TRADE HOT 100
SUMMARY
In the three years since Mark Pumfrey took the helm at Liquidnet’s European business, the firm has been transformed, branching into new
market places and rolling out new technologies, while continuing to beat a
few records along the way.
Pumfrey is very much a veteran of the industry, having worked as a
stockbroker back in the eighties. He eventually joined Merrill Lynch –
which would later merge with Bank of America – and spent 20 years at the
bulge bracket firm.
He was responsible for research sales, including the group’s content
effort and responding to the beginning of a new trend among some asset
managers to unbundle their research and execution.
However, in 2011 and after two decades, Pumfrey decided to look at
new opportunities. A year later, he was confirmed to be heading up the
European business of rapidly growing block trade specialist, Liquidnet.
Pumfrey said that when the opportunity to join Liquidnet arose, he was
“struck by how much the trading landscape has changed.” A change he
feels bodes well for Liquidnet’s business model.
Since joining, Pumfrey has been keen to further expand Liquidnet’s
European footprint. While it has successfully connected to asset manag-
ers in London, there is more to do on the continent and Pumfrey said the
firm has already seen success here, acquiring new European members
for a business that he said was highly focused on the US and UK when
he joined.
He is also branching out by asset class, something Liquidnet is also
doing globally, with the recent launch of a fixed income dark pool and fur-
ther growth in other asset classes and the firm’s developing algo business.
In the future he wants Liquidnet to continue to innovate and create a
genuinely multi-asset execution partner for institutions globally. n
MARK
PUMFREY
KEY FACTS
JOB TITLE
Chief executive officer, EMEA
COMPANY
Liquidnet
EDUCATION
The University of Kent
BA (Hons), Accounting
1977 – 1980
