James Kearney has joined the National Stock Exchange (NSX) as SVP of business development and client relations. He will be charged with evaluating new business initiatives and opportunities and building on existing relationships.

Kearney says tops on his agenda is helping the exchange become Reg NMS-compliant and roll out its new trading platform, NSX Blade. "As the industry becomes more and more technology-centric and we've launched our new blade system, we have a real opportunity to become a meaningful alternative trading venue," he asserts. "We're working to align ourselves to meet the needs of our clients, and as a for-profit utility we are taking advantage of our great technology and lower operating costs to service those clients in a cost-effective way."

The new NSX Blade platform was built specifically to meet the speed, price and service needs of clients, according to Kearney, and can accommodate a range of users, from market makers and ECNs to algorithmic traders and agency brokers.

Previously, Kearney was a principal at The Vanguard Group's Fund Financial Services unit.