James Newsome, a founding partner of Delta Strategy Group, was previously a commissioner at the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission. He served as chairman of the CFTC from 2001-2004, guiding the regulation of the nation’s futures markets and leading the CFTC’s regulatory implementation of the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000.
In 2004, Newsome left federal service to assume the role of president and CEO of Nymex, becoming the first CFTC chairman to leave and head an exchange regulated by the agency. As head of Nymex, he managed daily operations of the largest physical derivatives exchange in the world and oversaw several major changes, including the transition from open outcry to electronic trading. He also negotiated the initial public offering of the exchange, which led to the merger with CME Group to create the world’s largest futures marketplace.
In early 2010, Newsome and Scott Parsons, former chief of staff and COO at the CFTC, founded Delta Strategy Group, a government relations firm that provides a range of services for clients including strategic consulting, political analysis, lobbying, and business development. Clients include exchanges, trade groups, hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, and energy companies.
