NEW YORK, Feb. 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — GFI Group Inc. (NYSE: “GFIG”) has announced the appointment of Colin Heffron as GFI’s Chief Executive Officer. Effective immediately, Colin Heffron will take on responsibility for the overall management of GFI’s business and continue to serve as a member of the Board of Directors. 

Michael Gooch will remain Executive Chairman of the Board focusing on the broad strategic direction of the Company.

Michael Gooch, GFI Group Executive Chairman said: “In his 25 years with the company, Colin has succeeded in every role and executive capacity he has undertaken and has demonstrated extraordinary leadership as Group President.  His appointment as CEO reflects the breadth of his responsibilities at GFI and stature within the industry.”

Mr. Heffron joined GFI Group in 1988 a broker of foreign currency options in New York, before moving to London to assist in the establishment of GFI Group’s London office. Mr. Heffron later headed the Group’s currency options business and from 1994 until 1997, ran the day-today operations of all GFI’s European businesses. From 1998 until February 2004, he was head of all operations in Europe and joint-head of Asian operations. In February 2004, Mr. Heffron was appointed President.

Colin Heffron has been a member of GFI’s Board of Directors since 2001, and is chairman of the Board of Directors of Trayport, a wholly-owned subsidiary of GFI. Additionally, Colin Heffron co-chairs the Board of Directors of the Bob Woodruff Foundation, a charity devoted to injured American service members, veterans and their families, and sits on the Board of Directors of BondDesk, a leading fixed income technology platform.

Mr. Heffron graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Government from St. Lawrence University in New York.

About GFI Group Inc.
GFI Group Inc. (NYSE: “GFIG”) is a leading provider of wholesale brokerage services, clearing services, electronic execution and trading support products for global financial markets. GFI Group Inc. provides brokerage services, market data, trading platform and analytics software products to institutional clients in markets for a range of fixed income, financial, equity and commodity instruments.

Headquartered in New York, GFI was founded in 1987 and employs more than 2,100 people with additional offices in London, Paris, Nyon, Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo, Singapore, Sydney, Cape Town, Santiago, Bogota, Buenos Aires, Lima, Dubai, Dublin, Tel Aviv, Los Angeles and Sugar Land (TX). GFI Group Inc. provides services and products to over 2,600 institutional clients, including leading investment and commercial banks, corporations, insurance companies and hedge funds. Its brands include GFI^SM, GFInet®, CreditMatch®, GFI ForexMatch®, EnergyMatch®, FENICS®, Starsupply®, Amerex®, Trayport® and Kyte®.

Forward-looking statement
Certain matters discussed in this press release contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “may,” “might,” “intend,” “expect” and similar expressions identify such forward-looking statements. Actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those contemplated, expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained herein. These forward-looking statements are based largely on the expectations of GFI Group Inc. (the “Company”) and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. These include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties associated with: economic, political and market factors affecting trading volumes; securities prices or demand for the Company’s brokerage services; competition from current and new competitors; the Company’s ability to attract and retain key personnel, including highly-qualified brokerage personnel; the Company’s ability to identify and develop new products and markets; changes in laws and regulations governing the Company’s business and operations or permissible activities; the Company’s ability to manage its international operations; financial difficulties experienced by the Company’s customers or key participants in the markets in which the Company focuses its brokerage services; the Company’s ability to keep up with technological changes; uncertainties relating to litigation and the Company’s ability to assess and integrate acquisition prospects. Further information about factors that could affect the Company’s financial and other results is included in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company does not undertake to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE GFI Group Inc.