Michał Kobza - CV
SUMMARY
I am a capital market infrastructure professional with over 15 years of experience in sales and business development, financial product management and development and strategic project management. During my career, I have worked with international investment banks, brokers, proprietary traders, custodians, software and telecom providers for capital market operators. I have a proven track record in implementing revenue-generating capital market projects from concept to commercialisation. I have gained extensive knowledge and experience in the operation and strategy of stock exchanges and the impact of technology and regulation on their competitive position. My professional goal is to provide solutions that enhance the efficiency, transparency and accessibility of capital markets for all stakeholders.
EXPERIENCE
WAMID (Saudi Tadawul Advanced Solutions Company) — Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Venture Development Expert September 2022 — present
- I am responsible for identifying and developing new business opportunities for the Tadawul exchange in the MENA region. My responsibilities include identifying organic and inorganic growth areas, developing business plans for new products and services, identifying potential partners and suppliers for new technologies (AI, tokenisation, ESG), and liaising with capital market stakeholders.
- I am the venture development leader for Wamid. I have established a partnership with Venture Development Studio and I am developing an in-house startup building practice.
- I am leading a project to create a fintech startup in Saudi Arabia. The project aims to increase the level of household investment and liquidity in the Tadawul-operated markets.
- Interim data commercialisation project manager for the Tadawul Group. The aim of the project is to build a repository and commercialise structured and unstructured data owned by the exchange, CCP and CSD. I coordinated the selection of a technology and business consultant and the formation of the project team until a permanent project manager was hired.
- Project manager launching two products targeting individual investors in Saudi Arabia in a white label and joint venture partnership format. The aim is to leverage the benefits of NLP and AI in the investment process. The project covers all asset classes. I am responsible for market analysis, identification of potential technology partners and validation of solutions with clients (brokers, wealth managers and family office). A proof of concept agreement has been signed with a leading financial institution in Saudi Arabia.
WARSAW STOCK EXCHANGE – Warsaw, Poland
Director/Deputy Director, Market Development Department, July 2015 — August 2022
- I managed a team of 7 account managers and product managers. The team was responsible, among others, for attracting new exchange members and liquidity providers, increasing liquidity on GPW-operated markets, developing price incentive programmes for active investors, cooperating with market makers, developing new markets and introducing new asset classes to trading (e.g. new derivatives, ETFs, ETPs, ETNs), and developing technology services to diversify GPW Group revenues (e.g. colocation, Risk Management Access).
- I managed strategic relationships with key GPW clients and stakeholders, including brokers, investment banks, clearing members, investment funds and proprietary traders.
- I initiated the launch of the Analytical Coverage Support Programme covering over 60 companies listed on GPW. The aim of the Programme is to improve the availability of research for all investor groups in the segment of medium-sized and small companies listed on the Main Market and NewConnect.
- I managed and participated in a number of projects aimed at implementing new systems, regulatory changes and new services (e.g. new market segments, order types, risk management tools).
- I participated on behalf of GPW in the group responsible for the development and implementation of the Capital Market Development Strategy and the National Strategy for Financial Education, both coordinated by the Ministry of Finance.
- Member of the Management Committee, Federation of European Securities Exchanges (2017-2018).
WARSAW STOCK EXCHANGE – Warsaw, Poland
Chief Specialist, Strategy and Projects Department April 2013 — June 2015
- I managed two strategic projects to improve access to GPW markets for international investment firms (colocation and introduction of new order types). As a result, the portfolio of technology services provided by GPW was developed. In the first year, 2 liquidity providers were acquired, increasing GPW's trading revenue by approximately 5%.
- I was responsible for launching GPW's Project Management Office.
- My responsibilities included monitoring new trends in the financial markets in the areas of technology, regulation and products, with a focus on market structure, highfrequency trading and the impact of regulation on financial markets (MIFID2, EMIR, ESMA guidelines).
- Preparing qualitative and quantitative analyses on strategic areas of stock exchange operations, making recommendations to the GPW Management Board.
WARSAW STOCK EXCHANGE – Warsaw, Poland
Specialist, Senior Specialist - Market Development Department June 2008 — March 2013
• I coordinated the development and implementation of the High Volume Provider and High Volume Fund programmes. As a result, new clients using these programmes
generated 12% of the spot market turnover and 10% of the derivatives market turnover in 2020, which translated into multi-million dollar revenues for GPW.
- I participated in a project to implement a new trading system as a business analyst and external relations manager; the aim of the project was to implement the UTP trading system. Stakeholders involved: NYSE Technologies, 60+ exchange members, 20+ independent software vendors, telecom providers, consultants.
- I coordinated the development and implementation of a new service for exchange members: sub-licensing of client software. As a result, 50+ licences were sold, providing additional annual revenue of approx. PLN 500,000/year
- Acquisition of new exchange members, coordination of the start of operations on GPW.
- Monitoring new trends in the financial markets in the areas of technology, regulation and products.
PFPC International (PNC Financial Services Group) - Dublin, Ireland
Hedge Fund Accountant August 2007 — April 2008
- Calculating and reporting the net asset value (NAV) of mutual fund units.
- Booking and monitoring fund expenses and account reconciliations.
- Monitoring cash balances, processing booking transactions, cash transfers, booking interest and other transactions,
- Working in direct contact with internal and external clients (managers, brokers, custodians, investors).
EDUCATION
| MBA Digital Transformation, Warsaw University of Technology Business School |
2019 - 2020 |
| International Institute for Securities Market Growth (SEC), Washington DC, USA |
2017 |
| IT Management (postgraduate programme) - Warsaw University of Technology |
2016 - 2017 |
| Poznań University of Economics – MA programme |
2001 - 2007 |
| Faculty of Management, Major: Equity Investments and Corporate Finance |
|
OTHER
Infoengine S.A. — Warsaw, Poland Supervisory Board Member November 2020 – July 2022
GPW Benchmark — Warsaw, Poland Supervisory Board Member December 2017 — April 2018
Languages: Polish – native, English – fluent, Russian – intermediate
Certificates and training: Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA), PRINCE2 Foundation, Agile PM Foundation, Blockchain: Foundations and Use Cases by ConsenSys Academy, Foundations of Everyday Leadership by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and many other training courses on financial markets, management and personal development.
Hobbies:
Volleyball, travel, world cuisines, new technologies
I consent to the processing of my personal data for the purposes necessary for the recruitment process (in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Act of 10 May 2018 (Journal of Laws 2018, item 1000) and in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (GDPR).