Bluecrest has just hired BlackRock's head of European electronic trading

Bluecrest Capital Management has made a major hire from Blackrock – bringing its head of market structure and electronic trading, Scott Cowling.

Cowling joined Bluecrest in late September, according to the Financial Conduct Authority register. He departed BlackRock in April, where he has held various senior positions over the course of at least 16 years with the firm. He describes himself on LinkedIn as simply ‘central execution’ at Bluecrest. The firm did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Cowling has been head of electronic trading and market structure for EMEA at BlackRock since October 2014, when he was promoted from head of equity trading for the region.

Cowling is a significant hire for Bluecrest, which has been losing senior equities staff over the course of the past few months. As we reported last week, Derek Flynn, the hedge fund’s head of equity execution trading is believed to have left, following the departure of Christian Dalban earlier this year. Dalban, the former head of equities trading at Nomura, was hired by Bluecrest in 2013, and brought across a number of his former colleagues including Flynn. Several have since departed and this follows a recruitment spree at Bluecrest when six equities portfolio managers joined in the final quarter of 2016.

Cowling’s move is the latest senior market structure and electronic trading move in recent months. Robert Crane, the former co-head of European electronic trading at Goldman Sachs who departed for KCG Holdings in 2015, joined HSBC last month as global head of cash execution.

Contact for news, tips and comments: pclarke@efinancialcareers.com

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