R.J. O'Brien Establishes Institutional Soft Commodity Team

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Aug 21, 2012, 08:00 ET

CHICAGO, Aug. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- R.J. O'Brien & Associates (RJO), the nation's oldest and largest independent futures brokerage and clearing firm, today announced that the firm has established an experienced team of soft commodity brokers to serve institutional clients globally from the firm's New York office. The team includes Ron Epstein, Anthony Croce and Anthony Rizzo, who have all just joined RJO as Senior Vice President, Institutional Softs Desk.

Joseph Murphy, Executive Vice President and President of the Americas, said: "This team of seasoned veterans will provide RJO's institutional clients with our most comprehensive soft commodity offering to date. We're thrilled to build on the experience, proven track record and client base of all three of these professionals, who have played key trading and brokerage roles in some of the industry's most active firms serving this market. Their in-depth knowledge of not only futures and options on futures but the underlying physical market will be invaluable to clients managing their risk in this challenging global environment."

The group will provide trade execution and clearing services for soft commodity futures and options on futures to institutional clients, including Latin American producers, banks, industrial firms and commercial hedgers.

Epstein brings more than 25 years of experience across a broad spectrum of soft commodities. Most recently he served as a Senior Trader at Marex Spectron, specializing in coffee options, following senior roles in soft commodities and global agricultural over-the-counter derivatives at National Australia Bank Capital, S&P Trading Corporation and Noble Group.

Croce and Rizzo each have more than 20 years of experience as independent floor traders and brokers of soft commodity futures and options. For the past 16 years prior to joining RJO, they were both principals of JSG Futures LLC, which was one of the most active floor brokerage groups operating at ICE Futures U.S. Upon their departure as the last remaining principals, JSG has dissolved, with the business moving to RJO's new Institutional Softs Desk.

Over the past several years, RJO has established a number of specialized institutional brokerage desks in areas including metals, energy and oil, and foreign exchange, along with over-the-counter and structured products.

About R.J. O'Brien
Founded in 1914, RJO is the largest independent futures brokerage firm in the United States. The firm offers state-of-the-art electronic trading technology and 24-hour trade execution on every futures exchange worldwide. Clearing more than 100,000 client accounts, RJO services a global network of more than 400 introducing brokers and many of the world's largest financial, industrial and agricultural institutions. For more information, please visit www.rjobrien.com.

SOURCE R.J. O'Brien & Associates