Our Team

Erik joined Simplex right out of college as a member of the trading team and advanced from Trader to Head Trader before becoming CEO in 2014. In his role, Erik’s key focus is to make Simplex bigger and better every day by identifying opportunities to expand Simplex into new business lines and empowering his team to pursue their interests, seize new opportunities and maximize their impact on the firm.

As the Chief Technology Officer, Dave manages all aspects of Simplex’s technology program as well as day-to-day management of the broader business. Prior to becoming the CTO, Dave worked as a developer for Simplex and, even in his current role, enjoys working alongside the team to identify problems, determine solutions and develop, test, and deploy trading software with maximum speed and minimal bureaucracy.

Nancy Stern oversees Simplex’s legal and compliance functions and supports the firm’s business and growth strategies. Nancy joins Simplex from ABN AMRO Clearing USA where she oversaw all U.S. legal matters for the registered broker-dealer and futures commission merchant. Nancy previously served as CEO, COO and General Counsel at Allston Holdings. Prior to leadership roles within financial services firms, Nancy spent a combined 17 years at Chicago-based Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP and Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP where she focused on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and securities law.

As Managing Director of Strategic Business Development, Ben is responsible for growing Simplex’s Joint Back Office (JBO) structure and core business model by expanding trading into new products and geographies. Ben’s extensive experience in building, developing and implementing market strategies allows him to identify areas for growth and scale within Simplex to achieve profitable outcomes. Ben’s previous experience includes CEO roles in market making and options brokerage firms, as well as multiple senior management roles in start-up organizations.

As Director of Human Resources, Christa is responsible for providing strategic guidance and leadership within the HR department, including talent acquisition strategy and total rewards. Christa has extensive experience building out people programs to enhance the employee experience and retain talent by creating a motivated and engaged employee population. Her positive energy and passion have greatly contributed to her success as a leader within both private and public high-growth organizations.

In her role, Kate partners with Simplex Trading’s CEO Erik Swanson and co-founder Matt Gray to support the firm’s venture capital arm by sourcing, evaluating and managing investments in early-stage financial technology companies. For more than seven years, Kate has been heavily involved with the startup ecosystem, working extensively in operational and consulting roles with startups and accelerators. Prior to joining Simplex, Kate worked as an early-stage technology Investor focused on artificial intelligence startups.