Raj Fernando

Raj Fernando
Born July 1971 (age 44)
Residence Chicago
Alma mater Beloit College
Occupation CEO of The Chopper Group

Raj Fernando is an American business leader and philanthropist. He is the current CEO of The Chopper Group and the former CEO of Chopper Trading, a Chicago-based trading firm.

Early life and education

Raj Fernando was born on July 8, 1971 in Denmark. He moved to the United States before the age of one.[1]

Fernando attended Beloit College, where he earned bachelor's degrees in economics and history.[1][2] He also attended University College London.[3]

Career

From 1996 to 2001, Raj Fernando worked in trading positions at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the Chicago Board of Trade.[2][4]

In 2002, Raj Fernando founded Chopper Trading, a Chicago-based proprietary trading firm that concentrated in the areas of energy, equities, fixed income, and FX.[5] The company was named after his eldest dog Chopper, a shelter rescue.[1] The company has been regarded for their investments in technology, hiring highly qualified programmers, and low employee turnover.[5][6] As CEO, Fernando grew the company to over 200 employees.[7]

In January 2015, Chopper Trading was purchased by DRW Trading Group, also a Chicago-based proprietary trading firm.[8][9]

After the sale of Chopper Trading, Raj Fernando became the CEO of The Chopper Group,[10] and Scoutahead, an internet venture.[11][12]

Foreign Policy

Raj Fernando has served on the board of directors for the American Security Project.[2] He has also served on the Foreign Policy Leadership Committee at the Brookings Institution and has been a member of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.[1][2]

Philanthropy

Fernando has served on the board of directors for PAWS Chicago,[13] and the board of trustees for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.[2] He has supported the Clinton Global Initiative,[14] the Steppenwolf Theatre, Cedars Sinai Medical Center and the Illinois Holocaust Museum, among other organizations.[1] He also donated to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund after an earthquake in Haiti 2010.[15]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Bates, Brooke. "Why Raj Fernando recruits only "A" players for Chopper Trading". Smart Business Magazine. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Clinton Raises $450,000 at Fundraiser by Raj Fernando". India West. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  3. ↑ "Raj Fernando". choppertrading.com. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  4. ↑ "Company Overview of Chopper Trading LLC". Bloomberg. Bloomberg Business. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  5. 1 2 Review, HFT. "An Interview with Raj Fernando and Leslie Sutphen". The Trading Mesh. The Trading Mesh. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  6. ↑ Peterson, Kristina. "Battle for Tech Geeks: Street vs. Silicon Valley". Wall Street Journal. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  7. ↑ Leising, Matthew. "DRW Acquires HFT Firm Chopper, Joining Chicago-Based Traders". Bloomberg. Bloomberg Business. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  8. ↑ Meyer, Gregory. "Casualties Mount in High-Speed Trading Arms Race". Financial Times. Financial Times. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  9. ↑ Caruthers, Renee. "HFT Prop Trading Firm DRW Acquires Smaller Rival Chopper". Fierce Financial IT. Fierce Finance IT. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  10. ↑ Bertagnoli, Lisa. "Here's an idea: Appoint a non-couple to chair your fundraiser". Chicagobusiness.com. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  11. ↑ "Raj Fernando". Americansecurityproject.org. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  12. ↑ Sweet, Lynn. "Hillary Clinton in Chicago today for rally, fundraisers". Chicago Sun Times. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  13. ↑ "Board of Directors". Pawschicago.org. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  14. ↑ "Contributor and Grantor Information". Clintonfoundation.org. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  15. ↑ Kapos, Shia. "Guess who's hosting the next Chicago fundraiser for Hillary Clinton". chicagobusiness.com. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
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