THETRADETECH DAILY agenda
THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF TRADETECH 2026
TradeTech Europe Day One, Wednesday 22nd April
Times may not be 100 % accurate – please check the event app for the most accurate schedule.
Conference Tracks Workshops & Think Tanks
TRACK A: Data Analytics and Automating Workflows
TRACK CHAIR: Julia Streets, MBE, Founder & Chair, Streets Consulting
14.30 ALGOWHEEL CASE STUDY: Smarter execution: What does it take to design and implement an algo wheel that improves broker selection and execution outcomes? When every basis point counts, optimising broker and algo selection is critical. This case study walks through one buy-side firm’ s journey from concept to live deployment, covering everything from system integration to setting the rules that determine which broker or algo gets each order. We’ ll explore how performance data, order characteristics, and strategy fit shape allocation decisions- and how desks monitor and adjust these rules over time to keep improving results. Expect candid insight into the operational, technical, and governance challenges of building an algo wheel that delivers measurable execution quality gains. Petros Kyliakoudis, Senior Trading Data Analyst, Baille Gifford
14.50 EVALUATING BROKER PERFORMANCE PANEL: Measuring and controlling execution quality: How can desks measure algo and broker performance while strengthening trading controls? With automation rising, desks face mounting pressure to prove the value of their broker relationships- while meeting increasingly stringent risk and control requirements. This panel will explore how firms are defining performance metrics, managing customisation, and ensuring fairness in broker selection. Panellists will discuss the integration of algorithmic trading control frameworks, monitoring for limit breaches or unintended behaviour, and the role of analytics in ensuring accuracy. How can firms best measure performance, and what does good governance look like in an automated execution environment? Nicolas Weber, Director, Head of Execution, Rothchild & Co Mathias Eriksson, Head of Global Equity Execution, Andra AP-fonden( AP2) Edgar Castel, Equity Trader, Nordea Asset Management Kavel Patel, Head of Electronic Trading, EMEA, BMO Capital Markets Mark Montgomery, Chief Commercial Officer, xyt Moderator: Claudia Preece, News Editor, The TRADE
TRACK B: Trading Architecture
Track Chair: Rebecca Healey, Redlap Consulting- Founder of MindfulMarkets. AI
14.30 TECHTALK: AI vs. humans- who makes the better trades? As automation accelerates, the question is no longer whether machines can trade- but where they outperform humans, and where human intuition still wins. Drawing on real insights from Allianz GI’ s trading desk, this session examines how AI and traders interpret market signals differently, the conditions under which each delivers superior outcomes, and why the future lies in combining both rather than choosing between them. A candid look at the evolving balance of human judgement and machine-driven decisioning- and what it means for the next generation of trading workflows. Yven Scholz, Head of Electronic Trading & Services, Allianz Global Investors
14.50 NEXT-GEN ARCHITECTURE PANEL: Next Gen Trading Architecture: AI is your new system vendor. Is Anyone ready for it? Fragmentation, new liquidity protocols, and shifting venue structures are reshaping execution workflows- and forcing desks to rethink how platforms and processes are built. With OMS and EMS systems at the heart of trading architecture, firms are seeking ways to streamline connectivity, reduce silos, and embed greater consistency across asset classes. This panel brings together buy-side and platform perspectives to explore how architecture can adapt to deliver efficiency and resilience, while balancing the drive for modernisation with the realities of legacy systems. Expect candid discussion on the push for simplification, the role of automation and direct connectivity, and how business requirements on the desk are defining the next generation of multi-asset trading. Antonia Oddin, Head of Trading, Banque Eric Sturdza Ben Lawson, Partner & Head of Dealing, Skerryvore Asset Management Munish Gautam, Global Head of Trading Platforms Product Management, Broadridge Medan Gabbay, Co- CEO, Quod Financial Moderator: Rebecca Healey, Redlap Consulting- Founder of MindfulMarkets. AI
TRACK C: Equity Derivative
Track Chair: Henry Wallis, Head of Strategy, Financial Markets, WBR
14.30 MACRO SCENE SETTER PRESENTATION: Setting the stage for equity derivatives in 2026: Volatility, dislocations, and macro catalysts to watch From shifting volatility regimes in index and singlestock options to sectorspecific rotations, macro policy catalysts, and cross-asset correlations, 2025 has tested the equity derivatives market. This talk will dissect recent behaviour in listed and OTC products, highlight the structural dislocations that have shaped liquidity and pricing, and flag the macro, geopolitical, and earnings-driven catalysts most likely to define the year ahead. Expect insights on how volatility surfaces are evolving across regions, where market participants are finding- or losingliquidity, and how global macro forces are driving flow dynamics in equity derivatives. Florian Lelpo, Head of Macro & Multi Asset Portfolio Manager, Lombard Odier Investment Managers
14.45 IMPLEMENTATION FIRE-SIDE CHAT: From idea to execution: How are traders and PM’ s implementing equity derivatives to navigate macro and market catalysts? This session will explore how practitioners are putting derivatives strategies into practice in today’ s market. Speakers will discuss the decision-making process between listed and OTC products, how execution choices are shaped by margin requirements, UMR implications, and product availability, and the use of tactical vs strategic overlays around macro events, earnings, and geopolitical shifts. Expect practitioner-led insights on real-world use cases, the execution tools desks are relying on, and how trading and investment teams are working together to deploy derivatives effectively. Didier Anthamatten, Global Macro Portfolio Manager, Lombard Odier Investment Managers Simon Aninat, Head of Volatility & Overlay, Ostrum Asset Management
Lars Bode, Trading & Implementation, Lupus alpha Asset Management AG
Moderator: Elena Raimondi, Director, Business Development, S & P Global
15.15 INNOVATION AND LIQUIDITY CREATION PANEL: Unlocking the next wave of innovation: How can exchanges, market makers, and investors build new liquidity and participation in European equity derivatives? Europe’ s equity derivatives market is mature and highly regulated- but it is also evolving. From ESG-linked products to growing retail participation, new sources of demand and innovation are beginning to reshape the landscape. This session explores how Europe can accelerate that momentum: where genuine opportunities for product innovation exist, how liquidity can be grown sustainably, and what different investor groups- retail and institutionalactually want. Panellists will discuss how exchanges and market makers can design products that generate tradable liquidity, how fiscal and tax differences shape participation across Europe, and what market structure and policy shifts could support the next phase of growth. Bringing together exchanges, market makers, and buy-side voices, the conversation will focus on practical levers for unlocking new liquidity while maintaining transparency and stability. Eric Boess, Global Head of Trading, Allianz Global Investors Charlotte Alliot, Head of Financial Derivatives- EQD & FI, Euronext Emma Lokko, Head of Market Structure, Europe, Susquehanna Moderator: Will Mitting, founder and CEO, Acuiti
TRACK D: Closed Door Think Tanks
14.40- 15.40 HEAD TRADER THINK TANK ** Buy-side, closed door, and by invitation only ** Host: Daniel Nicholls, Group Head of Trading, Federated Hermes
15.45- 16.30 MENTAL HEALTH THINK TANK From awareness to action: A personal journey on mental wellbeing Chatham House Rule In this candid closed-door session, Dave Cliff will share his personal journey and reflections on the importance of mental wellbeing in demanding professional environments. The talk will touch on resilience, the evolving conversation around workplace wellbeing, and the cultural shifts needed to sustain healthier teams. This session aims to spark honest reflection and open dialogue on how individuals and organisations can move beyond awareness to meaningful action- creating healthier, more sustainable cultures that support performance, collaboration, and longterm success. Dave Cliff, Professor of Computer Science, University of Bristol Interviewer: Julia Streets, MBE, Founder & Chair, Streets Consulting
16.30- 17.15 QUANT & TRADING RESEARCH THINK TANK: ** Buy-side, closed door, and by invitation only ** A 15-person, buy-side-only roundtable for quants and trading research practitioners to exchange practical approaches on the toughest desk challenges- from defining and measuring addressable liquidity to modelling execution outcomes, evaluating bilateral streams versus algos, and turning fragmented data into actionable trading intelligence. Held under Chatham House rules with no vendors, the session aims to help build a new buy-side quant and trading research community at TradeTech, enabling participants to connect and collaborate directly post-event. Host: Will Psomadelis, Global Head of Trading Research, Schroders Host: Motaz Nofal, Head of Trading Research & Analytics, Ontario Teachers Pension Plan
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