Helen Lofthouse has been chosen as the next CEO of the ASX, becoming the first woman to hold the position since the exchange was founded in 1987.
Lofthouse is due to replace outgoing CEO Dominic Stevens and will also become the second woman to lead an Australian exchange in the 150-year history of stock market trading in the country. She follows Anna Bowering, who was CEO of the National Stock Exchange from 2016 to 2019.
Lofthouse secured the promotion after working as Group Executive of Markets at the ASX since July 2021. She has previously been the Executive General Manager of Derivatives and OTC Markets at ASX.
Before joining the ASX back in 2015, Lofthouse was Managing Director at UBS, and before that worked as Head of Clearing and Execution Sales in Europe. She has also worked at JP Morgan in London.
In 2021, she was included in the World Federation of Exchanges’ list of Women Leaders.
Lofthouse is the Chair of the ASX’s Wellbeing networking group, promoting well-being for employees and the community.
The ASX, or Australian Securities Exchange, is one of the world’s top 10 listed exchange groups measured by market capitalisation. It operates markets for a wide range of assets including equities, fixed income, commodities and energy.
Lofthouse is due to take on the top job in August following the departure of Dominic Stevens from the role in July. Stevens will remain present to assist with the transition until the end of September.
“Ms Lofthouse was selected following a comprehensive and competitive search, which considered experienced and highly credentialed local and international candidates,” ASX told investors.
“It is testament to Helen’s qualities and highlights the strength within ASX’s executive ranks. It also reflects the board’s confidence in the strategy and performance of the company in recent years,” Chairman Damian Roche said.