UPDATE:Ex-Ameritrade Chief Named CEO Of CME's Green Exchange
15 Septiembre 2009 - 1:09PM
Noticias Dow Jones
Former Ameritrade chief Thomas Lewis was named Tuesday to head
Green Exchange Holdings LLC, an emissions-focused market backed by
CME Group Inc (CME).
The appointment comes as the nascent New York market seeks
regulatory approval from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading
Commission and the U.K. Financial Services Authority ahead of a
broader rollout.
It also marked another step for CME into a developing asset
class that could become one of the largest derivatives markets, as
governments move to mandate trading of greenhouse gas emissions to
curb pollution.
"We see this as a global platform for liquidity for all
environmental commodities, across all jurisdictions," Lewis said in
an interview with Dow Jones Newswires.
The Green Exchange came onto the scene in December 2007, backed
by a consortium of Wall Street banks, the New York Mercantile
Exchange and the emissions brokerage Evolution Markets Inc., where
Lewis served as a director.
Chicago-based CME, the world's biggest futures exchange
operator, acquired its stake in the Green Exchange in 2008 via the
purchase of Nymex.
Lewis said Tuesday that his top priority was to begin building
an executive team, adding positions focused on product development,
compliance and Washington affairs.
The Green Exchange chief is also in the hunt for additional
equity partners in the Green Exchange, which he said has roused
interest among brokers, banks and hedge funds.
The Green Exchange's slate of products, currently listed for
trading and clearing by Nymex, cover futures and options on
European Union Allowances, carbon allowances tied to the Regional
Greenhouse Gas Initiative, and other greenhouse gas markets.
Despite support from banks like Credit Suisse (CS), JP Morgan
Chase & Co. (JPM) and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS), trading
activity on the Green Exchange platform has yet to take off,
partially due to the uncertainty created by the CME-Nymex
merger.
However, CME Group senior management has expressed support for
the venture in recent months and introduced new emissions- and
carbon-focused products at Nymex, which are eventually slated to
transfer to the Green Exchange.
Last week brought an announcement of new serial options
contracts on E.U. allowances and Certified Emission Reductions.
In both U.S. and European carbon markets, the Green Exchange
will play catch-up to Climate Exchange PLC (CLE.LN), which operates
the dominant carbon markets on both sides of the Atlantic.
CME rival IntercontinentalExchange Inc. (ICE) in June took a
minority stake in Climate Exchange, which already used ICE's
trading platform.
Lewis said the Green Exchange's backers give it an edge,
however.
Existing Nymex energy markets in crude oil, natural gas and coal
will provide cross-margining opportunities that will draw in
participants, Lewis said, while banks and brokers have committed to
provide liquidity to the market and devise new products.
"As part of this deal, they have a strong interest in creating
contracts that will give [participants] the ability to hedge and
manage their portfolios across these products," he said.
Besides Ameritrade, Lewis also served as chief executive of
Automated Power Exchange Inc. and was an executive in residence at
John Hopkins University, where he focused on environmental
finance.
-By Jacob Bunge, Dow Jones Newswires; 312-750 4117;
jacob.bunge@dowjones.com