Imperative Execution, which operates the IntelligentCross AI-powered US equities trading venue, has hired Greg Ludvik to the newly created role of Global Head of Product & Strategy.
Ludvik had been at Goldman Sachs since 2020, where he headed smart order routing and liquidity strategy. Previously, he held senior roles in liquidity strategy, product management, and business development at RBC Capital Markets, FlexTrade, and Citi.
Ludvik started at Imperative Execution last week and he reports to Roman Ginis, the company’s founder and CEO.
Traders Magazine caught up with Ludvik to learn more.
Briefly discuss your career background?
My career has been focused on the intersection of market microstructure and electronic trading products for a number of years. I try to be as deep in the details on market structure as I can — focused not only on how markets behave now, but also where they are likely to evolve. The role of product is to facilitate designs that allow firms to capitalize on market evolution and improve their results, measured through both implicit and explicit costs of trade. I try to operate wherever possible from a data-driven perspective and am heavily involved in analytics and measurement of flows. I’m also very hands on, working primarily in kdb+ and Python as part of my process.
What is your experience/history working with Imperative Execution the company, and/or its people?
I still remember the first time hearing a new ATS was launching back in 2018 — honestly my first reaction was, they must be crazy to launch another venue into what I saw as a saturated market! But once I had a chance to hear the story from Roman Ginis and team, I knew they were on to something, and the data proved them right from the first day of trading all the way through to today. I had a collaborative relationship with the Imperative Execution team — when you are working with smart counterparties, you learn a lot and can evolve your thought process, and I highly valued their insights. I similarly hope to have an impact with our clients today to evolve products and analytics that help make our client experience even better.
The proof of their model is evident in the data, and the industry has been recognizing that and leaning into it, driving the firm’s dramatic growth over the last six years.
In my prior roles, I utilized the platform extensively and found the team to be great collaborators with me as I sought specific solutions. Our relationship grew out of that strategic alignment and their ability to deliver very quickly.
What intrigued you about the Imperative Execution opportunity?
Imperative Execution is at an extremely interesting stage of growth, and what I appreciate most is the company’s forward-thinking attitude towards developing new products and expanding across geographies. This creates a lot of growth opportunities, which is exciting to me.
I hope my experience and expertise, particularly in certain markets and asset classes, can add value to the firm’s already successful model. My years as a subscriber to IntelligentCross should give me unique insights as I build out this new role of Global Head of Product & Strategy at Imperative Execution.
