The 2017 Trading Tech 40: Dan Keegan

Peter Vasiliev

March 07, 2017

< Wall Street's Nerds: The World's Most Powerful Trading Executives

5. Dan Keegan

Co-head of Global Equities

Citi

Last year: 7

Dan Keegan's career is distinguished by mastery of modern trading systems: He built JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s electronic execution services business and was head of institutional equities at Automated Trading Desk, a high-tech platform that Citigroup acquired in 2007. Keegan went to Citi in that $680 million deal and has since climbed a few management rungs, but there is no "technology" in his job title — not in literal terms, anyway. Promoted in May 2016 to co-head of global equities after three years as head of equities, Americas, Keegan says the business and the technology on which it runs are not really separable. "I spend more time focusing on technology now as a global head," says the 48-year-old, whose co-leader, Murray Roos, joined Citi from Deutsche Bank in 2015. "In governance and prioritization of tech spending, all decisions by definition have to be taken at a global level," Keegan adds.

He regards the bank's global reach and steady commitment to trading as advantages that could pay off handsomely as some capital-constrained rivals pull back or place bets elsewhere. One fundamental decision that Citi has made is to no longer participate in the algorithmic-strategy arms race. Rather, Citi is relying on machine learning and big data to provide the optimal path for clients to achieve their objectives. "More real-time intelligence is being built into all of our intellectual property," Keegan says, while underscoring an enduring fundamental: "There is much to be done under the banner of automation, but what can never be automated is the relationship and how we as service providers stay close to our clients and build upon the trust created over many years."

The 2017 Trading Tech 40