I believe individual investors and the small to midsize brokers & firms that service them are an important part of this industry, and that we need someone from such a firm to help look out for this integral segment of a futures industry increasingly dominated by the exchanges and big banks.
I also believe there is more to be done following the PFG and MF Global scandals, no matter how difficult or long it takes to bring about that change.
The issues I will continue to support on the NFA Board include:
- Better Staffing Standards for Audit Teams
- Better Customer Protections from FCM failures
- A more ‘Pro-Business’ NFA
- Better Promotional Material Review
- Easier Online systems for Filings
- Relaxed Net Cap Requirements
- More Transparency at the NFA Board & Greater Staff Accountability
- Opposition to CME data fees and CFTC Phone Taping Requirements
- No CTA/CPO Net Cap Requirement
- See more at: http://bit.ly/1wdyW2t
Mr. Malec currently sits on the NFA Board of Directors, having been elected in the Independent Introducing Broker position in 2013, and placed on this ballot after receiving more than 60 signed petitions from fellow IBs.
He is CEO and Founding Partner of Independent Introducing Broker Attain Capital Management, and sits on the boards of tech startup Visible Spectrum and the Commodity Customer Coalition, which helped customers of PFG and MF Global following those scandals.
A 17 year veteran of the futures industry, he holds the Chartered Alternative Investment Association (CAIA) designation, and has authored hundreds of white papers covering the futures markets and managed futures in particular.
His career started in the famed bond pits of Chicago in the 90’s, after which he pursued multiple careers in the futures industry including trading clerk, prop trader, and retail broker, before founding IB Attain in ’02.
Attain was voted the ‘Best Introducing Broker’ by CTA Intelligence magazine in 2013, and currently has 100s of clients across 7 FCMs allocating to more than 40 different registered CTAs and CPOs. Attain has also recently expanded into hedge and ‘retail’ business, and white labels technology products to fellow IBs; giving Mr. Malec unique insight into operations and issues across CTA, CPO, FCM, and (most importantly )IB businesses.
Items of note during Mr. Malec’s 2yr Board tenure:
- Banks now reporting Segregated Account balances daily
- In depth Study on SIPC-like insurance for futures customers
- Berkley Group recommendations for improved NFA processes following PFG implemented
- Drop in NFA fee to $0.01
- Added one new CTA/CPO rep to board