Virtu Financial Announces Retirement of Douglas Cifu and Names Aaron Simons as New CEO
Virtu Financial (NYSE:VIRT) announced a significant leadership transition as CEO Douglas Cifu will retire, with Chief Technology Officer Aaron Simons appointed as the new CEO and Board member. Cifu, who co-founded Virtu, led the company through several milestone achievements including its 2015 IPO and strategic acquisitions of Madison Tyler, KCG, and ITG.
Simons, who joined Virtu in 2008, brings extensive experience in trading and technology, having overseen all technology infrastructure and post-merger integrations as CTO. The transition represents an internal succession plan, with both Chairman Emeritus Vincent Viola and Chairman Michael Viola expressing confidence in Simons' leadership capabilities to drive Virtu's future growth.
Virtu Financial (NYSE:VIRT) ha annunciato un importante cambio ai vertici: l'amministratore delegato Douglas Cifu andrà in pensione, e il Chief Technology Officer Aaron Simons è stato nominato nuovo CEO e membro del Consiglio di Amministrazione. Cifu, cofondatore di Virtu, ha guidato l'azienda attraverso importanti traguardi, tra cui l'IPO del 2015 e le acquisizioni strategiche di Madison Tyler, KCG e ITG.
Simons, entrato in Virtu nel 2008, vanta una vasta esperienza nel trading e nella tecnologia, avendo supervisionato tutta l'infrastruttura tecnologica e le integrazioni post-fusione come CTO. Questa transizione rappresenta un piano di successione interna, con il Presidente Emerito Vincent Viola e il Presidente Michael Viola che esprimono fiducia nelle capacità di leadership di Simons per guidare la crescita futura di Virtu.
Virtu Financial (NYSE:VIRT) anunció una importante transición en su liderazgo: el CEO Douglas Cifu se retirará, y el Director de Tecnología Aaron Simons ha sido designado como el nuevo CEO y miembro de la Junta Directiva. Cifu, cofundador de Virtu, lideró la compañía a través de varios hitos, incluyendo la salida a bolsa en 2015 y las adquisiciones estratégicas de Madison Tyler, KCG e ITG.
Simons, que se unió a Virtu en 2008, aporta amplia experiencia en trading y tecnología, habiendo supervisado toda la infraestructura tecnológica y las integraciones post-fusión como CTO. Esta transición representa un plan de sucesión interna, con el Presidente Emérito Vincent Viola y el Presidente Michael Viola expresando confianza en las capacidades de liderazgo de Simons para impulsar el crecimiento futuro de Virtu.
Virtu Financial (NYSE:VIRT)는 중요한 경영진 변화를 발표했습니다. CEO 더글라스 시푸가 은퇴하며, 최고기술책임자(CTO) 아론 사이먼스가 새로운 CEO 및 이사회 멤버로 임명되었습니다. Virtu의 공동 창립자인 시푸는 2015년 기업 공개(IPO)와 Madison Tyler, KCG, ITG의 전략적 인수를 포함한 여러 주요 성과를 이끌었습니다.
2008년 Virtu에 합류한 사이먼스는 거래 및 기술 분야에서 풍부한 경험을 보유하고 있으며, CTO로서 모든 기술 인프라와 인수합병 후 통합을 총괄해왔습니다. 이번 전환은 내부 승계 계획의 일환으로, 명예회장 빈센트 비올라와 회장 마이클 비올라 모두 사이먼스의 리더십 역량에 대한 신뢰를 표명하며 Virtu의 미래 성장을 이끌 것으로 기대하고 있습니다.
Virtu Financial (NYSE:VIRT) a annoncé une transition importante au sein de sa direction : le PDG Douglas Cifu prendra sa retraite, et le directeur technologique Aaron Simons a été nommé nouveau PDG et membre du conseil d'administration. Cifu, cofondateur de Virtu, a conduit l'entreprise à travers plusieurs étapes majeures, notamment son introduction en bourse en 2015 et les acquisitions stratégiques de Madison Tyler, KCG et ITG.
Simons, qui a rejoint Virtu en 2008, possède une vaste expérience dans le trading et la technologie, ayant supervisé toute l'infrastructure technologique et les intégrations post-fusion en tant que CTO. Cette transition représente un plan de succession interne, avec le président émérite Vincent Viola et le président Michael Viola exprimant leur confiance dans les capacités de leadership de Simons pour stimuler la croissance future de Virtu.
Virtu Financial (NYSE:VIRT) gab einen bedeutenden Führungswechsel bekannt: CEO Douglas Cifu wird in den Ruhestand treten, und Chief Technology Officer Aaron Simons wurde zum neuen CEO und Vorstandsmitglied ernannt. Cifu, Mitbegründer von Virtu, führte das Unternehmen durch mehrere Meilensteine, darunter den Börsengang 2015 sowie strategische Übernahmen von Madison Tyler, KCG und ITG.
Simons, der 2008 zu Virtu kam, bringt umfangreiche Erfahrung im Handel und in der Technologie mit und war als CTO für die gesamte Technologieinfrastruktur sowie die Integration nach Fusionen verantwortlich. Der Übergang stellt einen internen Nachfolgeplan dar, wobei sowohl Ehrenvorsitzender Vincent Viola als auch Vorsitzender Michael Viola großes Vertrauen in Simons’ Führungsqualitäten zeigen, um das zukünftige Wachstum von Virtu voranzutreiben.
- Internal succession demonstrates strong leadership pipeline and organizational stability
- New CEO brings strong technical background as former CTO, crucial for a technology-driven trading firm
- Retiring CEO remains as advisor, ensuring smooth transition and continuity
- Loss of experienced CEO who led company through major acquisitions and IPO
- Potential strategic direction changes under new leadership could create uncertainty
NEW YORK, July 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Virtu Financial, Inc. (NYSE: VIRT) a leading provider of global, multi-asset financial services that delivers liquidity and innovative, transparent products across the entire investment cycle to the global markets, today announced that its Board of Directors has appointed its longtime Chief Technology Officer Aaron Simons as the company's new Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board. Mr. Simons succeeds Douglas Cifu who will retire as CEO and remain an advisor to Virtu.
As a co-founder of Virtu, Mr. Cifu helped Virtu grow from its founding, through the acquisition of Madison Tyler, its IPO in 2015, and its subsequent acquisitions of KCG and ITG that significantly expanded Virtu’s footprint in global market making and execution services.
Aaron Simons previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Virtu Financial. Mr. Simons joined Virtu in 2008 after completing his postdoctoral research in theoretical physics and has worked across trading and technology within the firm. As CTO of Virtu, Mr. Simons’s role included oversight of all technology and infrastructure, including the post-merger technology integrations of both KCG and ITG.
“For nearly 20 years, Doug has been an indispensable partner, trusted advisor, and steadfast leader,” said Virtu Financial Co-Founder and Chairman Emeritus, Vincent Viola. “His contributions helped shape the foundation and future of our firm. I’m deeply grateful for his loyalty, friendship, and unwavering belief in our shared vision. Doug’s legacy will endure in the values he championed and the many people he mentored along the way. It has been a true privilege to share this journey with him, and I wish him nothing but fulfillment and joy in this next chapter.”
“On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Doug for his extraordinary leadership and countless contributions to the firm. It has been a privilege to work with Doug, whose leadership, integrity, and passion for Virtu have left an indelible mark. Thanks to Doug, the firm is stronger than ever and well-positioned for continued growth with a clear strategy forward,” said Michael Viola, Chairman of Virtu Financial.
Mr. Viola continued, “Having worked closely with Aaron for over a decade in his role as Chief Technology Officer, the Board is confident that he possesses the leadership, judgement, and vision to build on our momentum. This transition reflects the strength of our internal talent and long-term planning. We are excited for Aaron and look forward to supporting him as he leads Virtu into the future.”
“It has been the privilege of my career to lead and to serve among and alongside my great colleagues at Virtu and to be a part of its spectacular growth. I can’t thank my partner, Vincent Viola, enough for allowing me this opportunity. Over the past 18 years, together we have built a special firm and grown it into one of the leading global market making and execution services providers,” said Doug Cifu, Virtu CEO. “The talent, integrity, and passion of our team give me confidence that Virtu’s best days are still ahead as it continues to grow.”
“It’s an honor to follow Doug, whose leadership has positioned Virtu for long-term success. I am grateful for the trust placed in me by the Board and for the strong foundation Doug helped us create,” said incoming CEO, Aaron Simons. “Our strategic direction is clear, and I am excited about what we can accomplish together in the years ahead.”
About Virtu Financial, Inc.
Virtu is a leading provider of financial services and products that leverages cutting-edge technology to deliver liquidity to the global markets and innovative, transparent trading solutions to its clients. Leveraging its global market making expertise and infrastructure, Virtu provides a robust product suite including offerings in execution, liquidity sourcing, analytics and broker-neutral, multi-dealer platforms in workflow technology. Virtu’s product offerings allow clients to trade on hundreds of venues across 50+ countries and in multiple asset classes, including global equities, ETFs, foreign exchange, futures, fixed income and myriad other commodities. In addition, Virtu’s integrated, multi-asset analytics platform provides a range of pre- intra- and post-trade services, data products and compliance tools that clients rely upon to invest, trade and manage risk across global markets.
Contact:
Investor Relations and Media Relations
Andrew Smith
media@virtu.com
investor_relations@virtu.com
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