Baton Systems (“Baton”), a provider of post-trade solutions for capital markets, has named as Senior Advisor the Honorable J. Christopher (“Chris”) Giancarlo former Chairman of the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
Giancarlo’s distinguished background will play a key role in supporting Baton’s mission to transform the post-trade payments and settlements ecosystem.
Giancarlo served as 13th Chairman of the CFTC. He was first nominated as a CFTC Commissioner by President Barack Obama and unanimously confirmed in June 2014. He was subsequently nominated as CFTC Chairman by President Donald Trump and again unanimously confirmed in August 2017. He departed the CFTC in July 2019 following the expiration of his five-year term.
“We are honored to welcome Chairman Giancarlo to Baton’s Advisory Board,” said Arjun Jayaram, CEO and Founder of Baton Systems. “His tremendous contributions to the industry and advocacy for emerging technology will be critical as Baton continues to innovate and advance the capital markets experience for all market participants.”
“Baton is solving some of the most pressing pain points in the capital markets post-trade process that have plagued the industry for decades and demonstrating the true value of leveraging modern technology to address these challenges,” said Giancarlo. “Baton is enabling a solution that is working today to improve the speed and precision of collateral management. I look forward to elevating this process further and joining Baton on a continued path to success.”
Giancarlo is Senior Counsel to the international law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher. He is also a co-founder of the Digital Dollar Project to advance consideration of a U.S. central bank digital currency. In addition, Giancarlo serves as Chairman of the Board of Common Securitization Solutions LLC, a joint venture between Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and on the Advisory Board of the Chamber of Digital Commerce. Giancarlo also serves as an independent director of the American Financial Exchange, the sponsor of Ameribor and Ameribor Futures.
Before entering public service, Giancarlo served as Executive Vice President of financial services firm GFI Group Inc., leading its initial public offering, and as Executive Vice President and U.S. Counsel of Fenics Software. He also served as Chairman of the French American Academy. Previously, he practiced law in New York and London as a partner in the law firms of Brown Raysman Millstein Felder & Steiner and Giancarlo & Gleiberman, and as an associate with Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle.