Appointment of Independent Non-executive Director

12 October 2020

Aquis Exchange PLC

("Aquis" or the "Company")

Appointment of independent non-executive director

Aquis Exchange PLC (AQX.L), the exchange services group, is pleased to announce that it has appointed Deirdre Somers to its Board as an independent non-executive director.

Deirdre has 23 years of stock exchange experience across both primary and secondary markets. She was Chief Executive Officer of the Irish Stock Exchange from 2007 to 2018, leading its transformation from a relatively small domestic equity exchange to a highly profitable plc with global specialisms, culminating in its sale in March 2018 to Euronext NV. Deirdre stepped down as CEO of Euronext Dublin in September 2018 and has held a position as an independent non-executive director & audit committee member for BlackRock iShares since April 2019.

Deirdre has a deep knowledge of EU market structure and market regulation. She was President of the Federation of European Securities Exchanges (FESE) between 2015 and 2018 and she is also a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland.

Commenting on the appointment, Niki Beattie, Chair of Aquis, said:

"Deirdre is a true expert in public market structure, regulation and products, with a particular strength in European markets. Her experience will be extremely valuable to Aquis as we continue on our journey to become the leading exchange services group in Europe. It is a testament to the growing profile of Aquis that we have been able to attract a candidate of such quality to our Board."

Deirdre Somers added:

"It is clear to me that Aquis Exchange has great potential, not only for further growth and development, but also to bring further competition, transparency and venue choice to European Markets.

"I hope that my background in steering an exchange group through a period of intense change and volatility whilst increasing its earnings and instilling a strong culture will serve Aquis well. I look forward to supporting the Company on its exciting growth trajectory."

 Regulatory disclosures

In accordance with Schedule 2(g) of the AIM Rules, Deirdre Mary Somers, aged 54, holds or has held the following directorships and partnerships during the five years preceding the date of this announcement: 

Current Directorships

Previous Directorships held in the last five years

Enquiries:

Notes to editors:

Aquis Exchange PLC is an exchange services group, which operates a pan-European cash equities trading business (Aquis Exchange) and develops and licenses exchange software to third parties (Aquis Technologies).

Aquis Exchange PLC (AQX.L) is quoted on the London Stock Exchange's Alternative Investment Market (AIM).

Aquis Exchange is authorised and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority and France's Autorité des Marchés Financiers to operate Multilateral Trading Facility businesses in the UK and in EU27 respectively.

Aquis operates a lit order book and does not permit aggressive non-client proprietary trading, which has resulted in lower toxicity and signalling risk on Aquis than other trading venues in Europe. According to independent studies, trades on Aquis are less likely to lead to price movement than on other lit markets. Aquis applies a subscription pricing model which works by charging users according to the message traffic they generate, rather than a percentage of the value of each security that they execute. This model can significantly reduce the cost of trading.

Aquis Technologies is the software and technology division of Aquis Exchange PLC. It creates and licenses cutting-edge, cost-effective matching engine and trade surveillance technology for banks, brokers, investment firms and exchanges.

Aquis Stock Exchange (AQSE) is a UK-based stock market providing primary and secondary markets for equity and debt products. It is permissioned as a Recognised Investment Exchange, which allows it to operate a regulated listings venue.

For more information, please go to www.aquis.eu and www.aquis.technology