How FIX is Embracing the Next Gen

Investing in the Future of Financial Services Careers

In a rapidly evolving capital markets landscape, the demand for new perspectives, fresh energy, and digitally fluent professionals is at an all-time high. This episode of Fintech Focus TV, hosted by Toby Babb, offers a deep dive into the FIX NextGen initiative, a community-led movement championing the education, inclusion, and advancement of early-career professionals in electronic trading.

Guests Rugiyya Gahramanli (LSEG), Alex Ings (UBS), and Christian Schmid (Cboe Clear) share their experiences, the origins of the initiative, and how it’s already reshaping engagement between generations in the financial services sector.

Understanding Electronic Trading: A Beginner’s Guide for Financial Services Professionals

One of FIX NextGen’s primary objectives is to demystify electronic trading. As Gahramanli and Schmid point out, the industry is often perceived as too complex for those not already inside it. FIX NextGen addresses this by breaking down topics like FIX Protocol messaging, trading infrastructure and post-trade workflows into digestible formats.

Through educational initiatives like the FIX NextGen Podcast, the group explains intricate market structure topics in a format tailored to students, graduates, and career-switchers. The goal is to create an environment where no question is too basic, and where terms like "consolidated tape" or "order routing" are made accessible to everyone.

This commitment to education is vital in attracting new talent across disciplines, including areas like application support, cloud engineering and product management, where a working knowledge of trading infrastructure can give candidates an edge.

How FIX NextGen Is Shaping the Future of Electronic Trading Careers

Launched with just six people, FIX NextGen has blossomed into a diverse committee of 18 professionals representing the buy side, sell side, and financial technology firms. The initiative has evolved from grassroots beginnings to become a recognised presence at major FinTech industry events.

A recent milestone was the FIX EMEA Trading Conference, where the NextGen Pub & Café offered attendees a relaxed yet purposeful space to network, ask questions and register interest in upcoming initiatives. By being included in the official conference agenda, FIX NextGen earned formal recognition as a driving force within the FIX Trading Community.

Through events like these, NextGen ensures that the next wave of professionals, from software engineers in London to data analysts in New York, feel welcomed and supported.

Mentorship in Finance: Supporting the Next Generation of Trading Talent

The FIX NextGen mentorship programme was another key highlight of the discussion. Ings shares how the initiative pairs young professionals with mentors from different parts of the financial ecosystem, including banks, asset managers, and technology providers. This cross-pollination allows mentees to gain broad industry exposure beyond their immediate work environments.

Whether you're in cybersecurity or quantitative finance, a good mentor can help you understand both technical specifics and the cultural context of a firm or asset class. As Ings notes, the ability to learn from someone with years of experience is a powerful accelerant for career development.

The programme also allows senior professionals to give back in meaningful ways, shaping the leadership pipeline of the future.

Shining a Light on New FinTech Talent

Public speaking and panel participation are common stumbling blocks for early-career professionals. That’s why FIX NextGen proactively encourages members to get involved in live discussions, whether moderating, presenting, or just sharing a personal story.

Gahramanli reflects on her experience speaking on an AI panel at the FIX conference, emphasising how platforms like these give less experienced voices a chance to be heard. The confidence that comes from such opportunities is a critical soft skill across the board, whether you're working in testing and QA or sales and marketing roles.

By promoting inclusivity and empowerment, FIX NextGen helps shape a more representative, future-proof trading industry.

FinTech Events That Deliver More Than Just Networking

Schmid highlights the practical value of combining social connection with tangible skill-building. Recent FIX NextGen events have included workshops on professional networking, CV writing, and communication tools often overlooked but essential to success in financial services.

Attendees benefit not only from peer support but also from exposure to seasoned speakers across roles in infrastructure support, DevOps and network engineering. This blend of tactical advice and industry insight creates a unique learning environment that traditional training programs often miss.

Employer Strategies for Supporting Early-Career Talent in Financial Technology

FIX NextGen thrives on collaboration. UBS, LSEG and Cboe Clear are already active supporters, and the group welcomes further involvement from other financial institutions and fintech employers.

Firms can contribute through:

• Sponsoring educational meetups or panels
• Offering guest speakers or mentors
• Supporting hybrid and in-person events in cities like London, Belfast, and New York

For employers focused on sourcing skilled professionals in financial technology, initiatives like FIX NextGen provide a valuable link to emerging talent pools while supporting broader industry development goals.

How Harrington Starr Connects Top Financial Technology Talent Across Global Markets

At Harrington Starr, we believe great businesses are built on great people, and nowhere is that more true than in the fast-moving world of financial technology. As specialists in capital markets recruitment, we’ve long championed the idea that talent development isn’t just about hiring, but about building ecosystems.

That’s why we support community initiatives like FIX NextGen, platforms that foster peer learning, mentorship and multi-firm collaboration across disciplines like DevOps, data science, cybersecurity and product management.

With offices in London, New York and Belfast, we partner with organisations across the UK, Europe and America to source forward-thinking professionals and future leaders in electronic trading, market infrastructure, and fintech innovation.

Supporting events, contributing speakers, and connecting professionals is part of our DNA, and perfectly aligned with what FIX NextGen is doing for the future of financial services.

How FinTech Recruitment Partners Help Fintech Firms Hire the Right Talent

As a recruitment partner specialising in financial services and capital markets technology, at Harrington Starr, we understand the importance of aligning promising talent with the right opportunities. Our work spans geographies and functions from placing a cloud engineer in New York to sourcing product managers in London and data engineers in Belfast.

Engaging with grassroots movements like FIX NextGen gives hiring managers a clearer picture of the skills, ambitions, and potential emerging from today's junior talent. It's also an opportunity to promote a firm’s commitment to inclusion and education in a competitive talent market.

Whether your hiring needs are in change & transformation, cyber security, or software engineering, connecting with networks like FIX NextGen provides a strategic advantage.

Supporting the Talent Behind Capital Markets Innovation

At Harrington Starr, we partner with the world’s leading financial services and fintech organisations to deliver specialist recruitment across the capital markets. With over a decade of experience, our teams in London, New York, and Belfast work closely with clients and candidates in key areas of financial technology, including:

• Software Engineering & Application Support
• Cloud Engineering & DevOps
• Data & Quantitative Analytics
• Infrastructure & Network Engineering
• Product Management & Change Transformation
• Cyber Security & IT Risk
• Testing, QA, and Automation
• Sales, Marketing, and Commercial Strategy

We’re proud to support initiatives like FIX NextGen, which align closely with our mission: helping talent thrive in an ever-evolving digital trading environment.

How to Join and Support FIX NextGen

FIX NextGen encourages all professionals, whether just starting out or decades into their career, to get involved. The initiative provides multiple pathways to participation:

• Join the mailing list via the FIX Trading Community website
• Attend or sponsor a local event
• Apply to become a mentor or mentee
• Recommend participation to junior staff within your organisation

As interest continues to grow, so too does the opportunity to shape the future of the trading industry.

Future-Proofing Fintech Hiring: What FinTech Business Leaders Should Be Thinking About Now

As the financial markets become more digital and distributed, hiring strategies must evolve alongside them. Whether you’re scaling a trading platform or modernising post-trade infrastructure, finding the right talent is more than a tactical need; it’s a competitive advantage.

From our experience at Harrington Starr, firms that thrive in today’s capital markets are thinking about:

• Cross-functional agility: Hiring professionals who can navigate both business strategy and technology, especially in roles like product management, DevOps, and data engineering.
• Cultural adaptability: In global hubs like London, New York, and Belfast, the best teams are those that combine technical excellence with diverse perspectives and collaborative mindsets.
• Community engagement: Supporting industry groups like FIX NextGen isn’t just good ethics, it’s good strategy. It signals commitment to education, innovation, and long-term talent development.
• By aligning recruitment plans with these forward-looking trends, firms can build not just a team, but a lasting advantage in the market.

Future Trends in Electronic Trading and Fintech Talent Development

The FIX NextGen initiative is not just a passion project; it’s a blueprint for sustainable talent development in an increasingly digital financial world. By focusing on education, mentorship, and visibility, the group is equipping a new generation to confidently navigate and lead the world of electronic trading.

For companies recruiting in areas like capital markets, technology or looking to build future-ready teams across Europe, the UK, and America, supporting initiatives like FIX NextGen makes both strategic and social sense. For individuals, it’s a gateway to learning, growing, and being part of a connected, thriving professional community.

Core Themes Recap:

• FIX NextGen provides an accessible introduction to electronic trading and the FIX Protocol.
• It supports mentorship, diversity, and practical skill-building.
• Companies can engage through sponsorship, mentoring, and talent outreach.
• Participants span disciplines including data, software, cloud, infrastructure, and product.

By investing in new talent today, we build a stronger, smarter, and more inclusive capital markets industry for tomorrow.