Photo credit: EmmaFreeman Portraits
Mark Freeman, head of electronic sales & sales trading at Kepler Cheuvreux, has retired after more than four decades in the industry. Speaking to The TRADE, he said he was looking forward to growing vegetables, keeping bees, and “not having to dig too deep into algo trading strategies anymore”.
Freeman started his career at Sheppards & Chase in 1980 and, following a brief three-year stint in Bahrain, joined Instinet in October 1990 – back when the electronic trading pioneer had just 12 London employees.
From there he moved to ITG, and then (via a couple of FinTechs including Portware and NYFIX) to Credit Agricole Cheuvreux, which became Kepler Cheuvreux following its acquisition by Kepler Capital in 2013.
“Forty two years is a long career,” said Freeman. “During my time in the industry, the biggest change I have seen is in speed and complexity. In the old days, when you just had one exchange, it was very simple. These days, the trading methodology has become exceptionally complicated.
“It’s an interesting dichotomy, because on the one hand technology has made half of your job very easy – all you have to do is press a button. But then the scale and complexity at the other end is endless. In some ways, it’s a shame how technology has replaced the human element.”
Going forward, Freeman would like to see a lighter regulatory touch. “You can bring in as much regulation as you want but to be honest, usually clients will just figure it out for themselves,” he offered.
What advice would he give to those starting out in the industry?
“The one thing that has remained constant throughout my entire city career is that relationships with clients are absolutely paramount.”
“The one thing that has remained constant throughout my entire city career is that relationships with clients are absolutely paramount,” he told The TRADE.
“When I was younger, a mentor with a 40+ year career in the city gave me this advice, and I have always passed it on to others. ‘Be interested, be relevant, be kind.’ And any salesman who can do all three will have a very successful career, I think.”
Freeman will spend his retirement in Devon, where he lists his current occupation as “chief apiarist & head of legumes”.