R.J. O’Brien & Associates (RJO) announced two major executive changes on Monday, with both Matt Heidkamp and Gemma Lloyd receiving internal promotions to Chief Operating Officer (COO) in their respective regions. Heidkamp will oversee U.S. operations, while Lloyd will cover the EMEA region.
R.J. O’Brien announces COO promotions for Matt Heidkamp and Gemma Lloyd
Heidkamp, who also steps up as Executive Director, has been a key fixture at RJO with nearly three decades of experience at the Chicago-based firm. He will use his expertise in trading and operations to lead the regional US team and support the company’s quest to expand into new asset classes and locations. Lloyd is similarly experienced, with 25 years in sales management, most notably, though she only joined RJO in early 2023.
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RJO’s Managing Director, Mark Phelps, said Lloyd has already showcased her credentials and been a “tremendous asset” in recent months. He added:
As we further build out our Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region and add products, asset classes and capabilities beyond our robust listed derivatives offering, Gemma will play a vital role in support of our traditional markets while helping to fuel that expansion in EMEA from an operations perspective.
Lloyd was working as a Chief Commerical officer prior to this week’s promotion, while Heidkamp was serving as the Senior Director of Operations. The latest move for Heidkamp caps a remarkable rise from the CBOT trading floor, where he started his career in the 1990s. RJO is effectively futures brokerage royalty, the oldest of its kind in the US. It currently serves 80,000+ clients around the world.
