Xavier Rolet
Xavier R. Rolet | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 12, 1959 Aix-les-Bains, France |
| Occupation | Executive |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Known for | CEO of London Stock Exchange Group, CEO of CQS |
Xavier R. Rolet (born 12 November 1959) is a Franco-American executive, currently serving as chairman of the tech company Prytek. He holds a Senior Fellowship at Harvard University and sits on the board of Yale's Center for Business and the Environment. Rolet is also managing partner at Grayling Centennial LLC, a board member of Old Salt Co-Op, a cooperative ranching enterprise in Montana, and acts as chairman and CEO of World Quantum Growth Acquisition Corporation, which is listed on the NYSE (WQGA.U). Until January 2020, he was CEO of CQS and prior to that, he led the London Stock Exchange Group. Recognized among the 2017 Harvard Business Review Best 100 CEOs worldwide, Rolet frequently presents at business conferences. He champions the growth of start-ups and the financing of SMEs as vital for fostering innovation and employment.
Early life
Born in Aix-les-Bains, France, Rolet is the eldest child in a family with military backgrounds and spent his formative years between Algeria and France. He earned an MSc in management science and finance from KEDGE Business School in 1981. Following this, he served as a second lieutenant and instructor at the French Air Force Academy. He completed an MBA at Columbia Business School in 1984 and later obtained a postgraduate qualification from Paris’s IHEDN (Institute of Advanced Studies in National Defence) in 2008.
Career
Rolet began his professional journey at Goldman Sachs from 1984 to 1994, working across New York and London with initial responsibilities on the international arbitrage desk. He then moved to Credit Suisse First Boston, where he was Global Head of European Equities between 1994 and 1996. Subsequently, he held the position of Global Head of Risk and Trading at Dresdner Kleinwort Benson from 1997 until 2000. His tenure at Lehman Brothers spanned from 2000 to 2008, during which he served as co-head of global equity trading in New York, led European and Asian equities out of London, and was CEO of Banque Lehman Brothers in Paris.
In March 2009, Rolet joined the Board of the London Stock Exchange and was appointed CEO two months later. He is credited with revolutionizing the Exchange by introducing the ‘Open Access’ framework—now incorporated into EU MiFIR regulations—enabling clients to choose specific exchange services. Under his leadership, the London Stock Exchange Group executed acquisitions exceeding £3.5 billion, including MillenniumIT (2009), Turquoise Holdings Ltd (2010), FTSE Group (2011), TRS (2011), GATElab Srl (2012), EuroTLX Srl (2013), LCH.Clearnet (2013), Bonds.com (2014), Exactpro (2015), XTF (2015), and the Frank Russell Company (2014). The asset management segment of Russell was divested in 2015 to TA Associates and Reverence Capital Partners. In 2016, acquisitions expanded further with Mergent, Inc., alongside Citigroup’s Yield-Book & Global Fixed Income Index Business, positioning FTSE Russell as the world’s largest index provider managing roughly $15 trillion in benchmarked assets.
By 2017, regulated entities within LSE traded, cleared, and settled notional contracts and securities exceeding $1 quadrillion, establishing it as one of the globe’s most significant financial system institutions. October 2015 saw the launch of Curve Global—a futures exchange co-owned by leading banks such as Barclays, Bank of America, Citi, Goldman Sachs, Société Générale, BNP Paribas, alongside the Chicago Board Options Exchange.
In March 2016, LSE announced plans to merge with Deutsche Boerse AG; however, this deal was blocked by EU regulators due to concerns over monopolistic dominance in fixed income clearing markets.
Throughout Rolet’s leadership tenure, LSE’s market capitalization surged from around £800 million to £14 billion. His performance earned him a spot among Harvard Business Review’s top 100 global CEOs in 2017. Later that year in November, Rolet declared his intention to step down as CEO shortly after reaching this valuation landmark.
Following his departure from LSE, Rolet joined Russian fertiliser company PhosAgro’s board as a non-executive director in April 2018 and subsequently became a board member at Verseon in November 2018. He has delivered keynote addresses at prominent industry gatherings including the inaugural European Securities and Markets Authority conference and the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. Additionally, Rolet contributed to the Labour in the City Anthology commemorating a decade since Lehman Brothers’ collapse.
On 21 December 2018, Rolet was appointed CEO of CQS (Asset Manager), an alternative asset management firm managing $18 billion founded by Michael Hintze in 1999.
Awards and appointments
He has held board positions at LCH.Clearnet and MTS Group and currently serves on the board of Columbia Business School. Additionally, he was vice-chairman of the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE), an honorary fellow (FCSI/Hon) of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment (CISI), and participated as a member of Her Majesty's Treasury's Financial Services Trade and Investment Board.
Since October 2017, he has contributed as a member of the Committee of Expert Advisers within the Department for International Trade. He was involved in Prime Minister David Cameron's Business Advisory Group and is a participant in both the Governor of the Bank of England's Financial Services Forum and Open Forum. In October 2015, Queen Elizabeth II bestowed upon him the title of Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE).
In December 2015, he received the Echansonnier 'A Camera Paramenti' honor from the Echansonnerie de Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The following January, he was appointed a Knight of France’s National Order of the Legion of Honour. That same year, Richtopia, a UK-based publication, ranked him among the world's top 500 most influential CEOs.
In July 2016, he was designated an Officer of Morocco’s Royal Sharifian Order of Al-Alaoui (Order of Ouissam Alaouite). The year 2017 saw Debrett's list him among the leading figures in finance, while he appeared repeatedly in the Evening Standard’s compilation of London’s 1,000 most powerful individuals. He was also featured in the 2017 Harvard Business Review list recognizing the Best 100 CEOs globally. Furthermore, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Risk magazine in 2018 and another from Futures and Options World in 2017.
In December 2017, he was honored with the Order of Friendship (Орден Дружбы) by the Russian Federation.
Personal
He took part in multiple editions of the Dakar Rally, achieving 82nd place out of 575 teams during the 2009 event, alongside co-pilot Jean-Louis Juchault.
As co-founder of Chêne Bleu wine, produced at La Verrière in France, he revitalized the estate and replanted vineyards during the mid-1990s. The winery is currently overseen by his wife, Nicole. Production commenced in 2006 with the initial release of red wines in 2010. Chêne Bleu has earned recognition from critics as a pioneering Super Rhône and is cultivated adhering to organic and biodynamic standards. La Verrière also hosts an annual Extreme Wine course that combines lectures with tastings over a week-long period.