Press Release – FESE appoints Rosa Armesto as new Director General
Rosa Armesto will succeed Rainer Riess, who will step down after 10 years of service • Bratislava Stock Exchange becomes a full FESE member • New Board appointments
Brussels, 10th June 2024 ― The General Assembly of the Federation of European Securities Exchanges (FESE) appointed Rosa Armesto as the new Director General of FESE during its meeting last Friday. As of 1st July 2024, she will be leading the federation. Armesto has been the Deputy Director General of FESE since 2018 and has extensive experience in EU affairs for financial services, covering the exchange and insurance industries. She holds a master’s degree in economics from the University of Zaragoza (ES) and the University of Groningen (NL). Armesto is also a lecturer in financial market infrastructures at Solvay Brussels School of Economics & Management (BE).
Rosa Armesto will replace Rainer Riess, who has been the Director General of FESE since 2014 and has decided to pursue other interests at the end of his term. Riess will continue to serve as Senior Advisor to FESE until the end of 2024 to ensure a smooth transition.
The General Assembly also approved the application of the Bratislava Stock Exchange to become a full FESE member. With this, FESE represents the exchange sector in all 27 Member States of the EU and beyond.
The General Assembly elected the following FESE Board members for a 3-year term: Niels Brab, Chief Regulatory Officer at Deutsche Börse; Ian Cornwall, Head of Market Structure at SIX Group; and Tomasz Bardziulowski, Chief Executive Officer of the Warsaw Stock Exchange. The FESE Board is composed of 10 members, representing the diversity of FESE’s membership across Europe. The General Assembly also ratified the nomination of Ludovic Aigrot, Vice President, Head of Government Relations Europe, Nasdaq as the new FESE Management Committee Chair.
FESE President Petr Koblic said:
We are delighted to welcome Rosa Armesto as the new Director General of FESE. She has proven to be a great asset to our organisation and has a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing our industry. We are confident that she will lead FESE with vision and dedication and will continue to promote the vital role of exchanges in financing the European economy. We also want to express our sincere gratitude to Rainer Riess for his outstanding contribution to FESE over the past decade. Under his leadership, FESE has strengthened its position as the voice of European exchanges, and he has contributed to the development of a sound and competitive capital markets union in Europe. We wish him all the best in his future endeavours. Moreover, we welcome the Bratislava Stock Exchange as a full member, broadening our membership to cover all 27 member states of the European Union and beyond.
Armesto said:
I am honoured and committed to take on this new role as Director General of FESE. I look forward to working with the FESE Board, the FESE team and our members to advance the interests of European exchanges and to support the development of a fair, transparent and efficient capital markets union in Europe. I also want to thank Rainer for his trust and guidance during the time we worked together.
Riess said:
It has been a pleasure and a privilege to serve as Director General of FESE for the past 10 years. I am proud of what we have accomplished together with our members and partners in shaping the regulatory framework and the market structure of European exchanges. I am also very happy that Rosa will succeed me. She is a highly qualified and experienced professional who has a clear vision and a strong commitment to our industry. I am sure that she will lead FESE to new heights.
The CEO of the Bratislava Stock Exchange Lukáš Bonko said:
Bratislava Stock Exchange is proud to join FESE and the European exchange family, we are highly committed to building a strong Capital Market Union that delivers for citizens and growth.
Notes to editors:
For further information, please contact:
Marián Caro for FESE (caro@fese.eu),
About FESE
The Federation of European Securities Exchanges (FESE) represents 36 exchanges in equities, bonds, derivatives and commodities through 17 Full Members and 1 Affiliate Member from 31 countries.
At the end of April 2024, FESE members had companies listed on their markets, of which are foreign companies contributing towards European integration and providing broad and liquid access to Europe’s capital markets. Many of our members also organise specialised markets that allow small and medium-sized companies across Europe to access capital markets; companies were listed in these specialised markets/segments in equity, increasing choice for investors and issuers. Through their RM and MTF operations, FESE members are keen to support the European Commission’s objective of creating a competitive and efficient Capital Markets Union. For more information, visit www.fese.eu. Follow FESE on LinkedIn.