LONDON, Sept. 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- R.J. O'Brien & Associates (RJO), the oldest and largest independent futures brokerage and clearing firm in the United States, announced the appointment of industry veteran Paul Goodhew, 45, as Senior Vice President and Head of Global Markets at its London-based R.J. O'Brien (UK) Limited affiliate. In that role, he will focus on expanding the operation's institutional commodity brokerage business, including energy, as well as fixed income, rates and equity derivatives.

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Goodhew has spent his entire career in futures, most recently as Executive Director and Head of Exchange-Traded Commodities for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) at UBS Ltd.

David Mudie, CEO of RJO (UK) Limited, said: "We are thrilled to bring Paul on board. He has commanded great respect in the industry, not only for his wealth of experience, breadth of knowledge and expertise across products, but for the way he manages people and conducts client business. We believe he will be a terrific asset as we continue to grow throughout the EMEA region while staying true to the culture that has made RJO so successful in the last 100 years."

Goodhew said:  "I chose RJO because of the firm's deep understanding of the futures industry and its unparalleled respect for clients and staff. I have found the firm's go-forward mentality and determination to grow in the region refreshing – particularly at a time when other firms, faced with regulatory and business challenges, have demonstrated a declining commitment to futures."

Goodhew began his career in 1987 as a clerk and then broker and trader on the floor of the London International Financial Futures Exchange (LIFFE), working for Union Discount Company of London PLC, where he was soon named the firm's youngest-ever assistant manager. He subsequently spent nine years as an independent futures broker and trader at both LIFFE and the International Petroleum Exchange (IPE), specializing in all of the financial, equity and energy products trading on those exchanges.

In 2000, Goodhew assumed a management role at GNI Ltd. / Man Financial, serving as Senior Energy Broker for contracts trading on IPE and the New York Mercantile Exchange.  In 2004, he joined ABN Amro Futures Ltd. as European Head of Energy Futures and continued in that position when UBS acquired the firm's global futures business in 2006. He took on the role of Head of Exchange-Traded Commodities for EMEA in 2011.

Goodhew served from 2009 until 2014 as a member of the Exchange Council for the European Energy Exchange (EEX).

About R.J. O'Brien

Celebrating its centennial year in 1914, R.J. O'Brien & Associates is the largest independent futures brokerage firm in the United States, serving institutional, commercial and individual clients globally, in addition to a network of 400 introducing brokers (IB). Clearing more than 100,000 client accounts, RJO services the industry's most expansive global network of IBs, a vast array of middle market firms and many of the world's largest financial, industrial and agricultural institutions. The firm offers state-of-the-art electronic trading and 24-hour trade execution on every futures exchange worldwide.

SOURCE R.J. O'Brien & Associates