Stock exchange boss steps down

Antoinette Hunziker, the head of the SWX Swiss Exchange trading platform and the London-based virt-x exchange, has announced she will be stepping down at the end of September.

Virt-x said Hunziker was leaving to take up new professional challenges.

Hunziker has been chairman of the SWX group since December 2000 and CEO of the pan-European blue chip market, virt-x, since February 2001.

In a statement, virt-x thanked Hunziker for her contribution and named her replacement as Peter Keller, who has been director of operations since the exchange was set up last year as a joint collaboration between SWX and the TP Group.

“Antoinette was instrumental in the creation of virt-x and her intellect, drive and vision have been key to the development of our market and success to date,” said virt-x chairman Peter Stevens.

Hunziker’s involvement with SWX – and its predecessor, the electronic securities exchange system (EBS) – has spanned nine years.

Before rising to the rank of chairman, she was chief executive officer and headed the markets division for three years.

“During the period of time in which Antoinette Hunziker-Ebneter headed the company, the domestically-focused SWX Swiss Exchange grew to become an internationally positioned enterprise,” SWX said.

The company said it had appointed the group’s current deputy head, Jürg Spillmann, to the top position vacated by Hunziker.

swissinfo

Hunziker summary

Hunziker has been at SWX since 1993.
Jürg Spillmann has been appointed new head of SWX.
Peter Keller will take over as chief executive at virt-x.
SWX owns a 38.9 per cent stake in virt-x.