BGC Partners Appoints Mark Benfield to Lead BGC Market Data

LONDON, July 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

BGC Partners, Inc. (NASDAQ: BGCP), ("BGC Partners" or "BGC" or "the Company"), a leading global brokerage company primarily servicing the wholesale financial markets, today announced the appointment of Mark Benfield as Executive Managing Director and Director of BGC Market Data, one of the world's leading market data providers and a subsidiary of BGC Partners.

Mr. Benfield, who will be based in the Company's Asia Pacific region, will have global responsibility for BGC Market Data and will report to Shaun Lynn, President of BGC Partners. Mr. Benfield is taking over from Bernie Weinstein, who will continue to oversee Kleos, BGC's technology infrastructure and system operations hosting service, and will also be responsible for the Company's Intellectual Property business.

Shaun Lynn, President of BGC Partners commented: "Mark brings a wealth of experience and leadership as a leading professional in the financial information arena. His appointment underscores BGC Market Data's commitment to meeting the specific needs of each customer for world-class, real-time trading data and analytics as the marketplace continues to evolve with new financial products and expanding trading volumes."

Mr. Lynn added: "I would like to thank Bernie for his contributions and look forward to his ongoing success in his new role."

Mr. Benfield said: "As the global market expands, the need for the provision of accurate pricing and data inventories increases. I am looking forward to working with the professionals in our global offices and BGC's e-Commerce team to ensure that we are maximising our overall data inventories so that BGC can best serve our valued clients and the wider financial marketplace."

Mr. Benfield joins BGC from ICAP plc where he was Regional Managing Director for ICAP Information Services in the Asia Pacific region. He was responsible for building ICAP's information franchise in Asia Pacific and managing global strategic marketing for the ICAP Information Services Group. 

About BGC Market Data, L.P.

BGC Market Data, a subsidiary of BGC Partners, is one of the world's premier suppliers of real-time, tradeable, indicative, end-of-day, and historical fixed income and derivatives data. As the exclusive source for market data derived from BGC Partners' eSpeed platform, BGC Market Data's products and services are used by finance professionals for price discovery, analysis, risk management, portfolio monitoring and valuation, and research. Our product suite spans fixed income, foreign exchange and foreign exchange options, credit derivatives, and structured products. It is available via direct data feed and the Internet, and through vendors such as Bloomberg, Reuters, CQG, DTN, eSignal, and Infotec.

About BGC Partners, Inc.

BGC Partners (Nasdaq: BGCP) is a leading global brokerage company primarily servicing the wholesale financial markets, specializing in the brokering of a broad range of financial products, including fixed income securities, interest rate swaps, foreign exchange, equities, equity derivatives, credit derivatives, commodities, futures, structured products and other instruments. BGC also provides a full range of services, including trade execution, broker-dealer services, clearing, processing, information, and other back office services to a broad range of financial and non-financial institutions.  BGC's integrated platform is designed to provide flexibility to customers with regard to price discovery, execution and processing of transactions, and enables them to use voice, hybrid, or where available, fully electronic brokerage services in connection with transactions executed either OTC or through an exchange. Through its eSpeed, BGC Trader, and BGC Market Data brands, the Company offers financial technology solutions, market data, and analytics related to select financial instruments and markets.  BGC's customers include many of the world's largest banks, broker-dealers, investment banks, trading firms, hedge funds, governments and investment firms. Named after fixed income trading innovator B. Gerald Cantor, BGC has offices in 25 cities, located in New York and London, as well as in Aspen, Beijing, Chicago, Copenhagen, Dubai, Garden City, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Johannesburg, Mexico City, Moscow, Nyon, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Sarasota, Seoul, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto, West Palm Beach and Zurich.  

For more information, please visit: http://www.bgcpartners.com

Discussion of Forward-Looking Statements by BGC Partners

Statements in this press release regarding BGC Partners' business that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of additional risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see BGC Partners' Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, including, but not limited to, the risk factors set forth in our public filings which we incorporate by reference, including our most recent 10-K and any updates to such risk factors contained in subsequent 10-Q or 8-K filings.