Jean-François Theodore is one of the founding architects of the exchange landscape in Europe and a pioneer in the wave of consolidation among exchanges.
He began his career in the French Treasury, holding a number of increasingly senior positions. In 1990, he took over as chief executive of Paris Bourse and embarked on a strategy for modernization and international expansion. In 2000, he spearheaded the creation of Euronext, the first pan-European exchange, through the merger of the Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris stock markets and related derivatives markets. After taking the company public with the listing of shares in 2001, he reached across the Channel and negotiated the acquisition of Liffe, transforming the company into one of the leading derivatives market operators in the world and greatly extending the number of markets available on Liffe’s electronic trading platform. In 2007 he completed the landmark trans-Atlantic merger of NYSE with Euronext, a deal that united seven exchanges in six countries.
