NinjaTrader Hires Former CME Retail Chief To Lead Global Growth

NinjaTrader Group has appointed Mark Omens, a 25-year veteran of CME Group, as Senior Vice President of Commercial Strategy. The newly created role positions Omens to oversee the company’s commercial growth strategy, lead exchange partnerships globally, and identify new opportunities in the derivatives industry.

Omens most recently served as CME Group’s Head of Retail Business and Americas Sales, where he built the exchange’s global retail strategy and developed relationships with brokers and technology providers. His deep network across the futures ecosystem is expected to help NinjaTrader expand beyond its traditional retail brokerage into enterprise services.

The appointment comes as competition intensifies in retail futures trading. NinjaTrader, one of the largest U.S. retail futures platforms, has been expanding its technology offerings through NinjaTrader Connect, which provides infrastructure for fintech companies, introducing brokers, and institutional clients. CEO Martin Franchi said Omens’ experience aligns with the company’s next phase of growth, noting that Omens brings “unparalleled expertise, strategic vision and a keen understanding of what makes futures traders tick.”

Omens’ hiring follows a transformational period for NinjaTrader. Earlier this year, cryptocurrency exchange Kraken completed its acquisition of the futures broker, combining Kraken’s crypto trading capabilities with NinjaTrader’s established U.S. futures commission merchant and retail client base. The combination is expected to support multi-asset trading across cryptocurrencies, futures, and other instruments.

NinjaTrader said the global retail futures market continues to grow, driven by easier access through modern platforms, lower commissions, and increased demand for leveraged products. Exchanges have also introduced micro-sized contracts, lowering capital requirements for retail participants. Omens commented that the derivatives industry is at an important inflection point and that NinjaTrader is “uniquely positioned” to support the retail trading community.

Reporting directly to Franchi, Omens will also represent NinjaTrader at industry trade associations and major events, as the company builds momentum following the Kraken acquisition.