Aquis Exchange Taps Thomas Downes to Lead Markets Division Amid Growth Push

In a strategic move to fuel expansion, Aquis Exchange has appointed Thomas Downes as Head of Markets, placing him at the helm of its pan-European multilateral trading facility (MTF). Downes arrives with deep expertise in electronic trading, having shaped market strategies at ITG and Virtu, and most recently advising fintech firms as Managing Partner at IOX Partners.

Taking over from David Stevens, now CEO, Downes will steer the Markets division through a pivotal phase after a robust first half of 2025. Based in London and joining Aquis’ Executive Committee, he faces the challenge of driving innovation and expanding the firm’s footprint across Europe’s competitive trading landscape.

With Richard Fisher also situated in the business as Chief Financial Officer, Aquis is known for its innovative subscription pricing model that charges trading participants based on message traffic rather than transaction value — a move that has shaken up traditional fee structures. The company operates across 16 European markets, offering diverse trading options including lit and dark order books and Europe’s largest alternative closing auction service.

With backing from its recent acquisition by SIX, Aquis seems poised to push harder into growth and innovation, and Downes’ appointment signals a clear intent to accelerate that journey.

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ESG360° and Arup Join Forces to Tackle ESG Reporting Complexity

A new partnership between ESG360° and Arup aims to take the pain out of ESG and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reporting — an area that continues to challenge even the most mature sustainability teams.

The two companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to offer a joint service that blends ESG360°’s digital platform with Arup’s technical and advisory expertise. The focus? Helping organisations make sense of ESG reporting frameworks, especially around hard-to-measure Scope 3 emissions, and ultimately turning that data into action.

The collaboration has been shaped by more than a year of work between the two teams, grounded in a shared frustration around how slow, complex and inconsistent sustainability reporting can be — and a desire to simplify it.

“As standards shift and expectations rise, organisations are struggling to get clarity and momentum,” said Anj Chadha, Founder & CEO of ESG360°. “We’re excited to partner with Arup to help companies go beyond compliance and make ESG data more useful, more actionable.”

ESG360°’s platform integrates AI technology with expert-led support to help organisations generate consistent disclosures across multiple frameworks using a single, unified dataset. The aim is to cut through noise and duplication, while improving data governance and integrity.

For Arup, the partnership offers a way to bring scalable tooling into its sustainability work with clients around the world.

“We’re seeing real demand for streamlined, tech-enabled solutions,” said Christopher Pountney, Arup’s Global Decarbonisation and Sustainability Skills Leader.

 “This partnership is about equipping our clients with the insight and tools they need to take confident next steps.”

Joan Ko, Arup’s Global Climate and Sustainability Leader, added: “Digital transformation and climate transition are happening side by side. This collaboration allows us to support both, in ways that are forward-looking and grounded in reality.”

As ESG frameworks continue to evolve, and scrutiny from investors, regulators, and the public increases, this partnership reflects a broader shift: from ticking boxes to embedding sustainability into decision-making at every level.

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Cytora Becomes One of the First to Secure ISO/IEC 42001 AI Governance Certification

Cytora, the digital risk processing platform transforming commercial insurance, has become one of the first companies globally to achieve ISO/IEC 42001 — the new international standard for AI governance.

Building on its ISO 27001 credentials, the certification recognises Cytora’s rigorous approach to responsible AI, including formal risk reviews, human-in-the-loop controls, and explainability across its product lifecycle.

ISO/IEC 42001 outlines how organisations should manage AI systems ethically and transparently — a challenge Cytora embraced as part of its mission to embed trustworthy AI into core insurance workflows. While AI is central to the platform, it’s used to assist, not replace, human decision-making — powering intake, enrichment, and submission digitisation across all transaction types.

“We’re proud to be one of the first insurtechs to meet this global benchmark,” said João Domingues, Security Director. “This reflects the culture of accountability we’ve built from day one.”

Co-founded by CEO Richard Hartley and Joshua Wallace, Cytora continues to grow its footprint, partnering with major insurers like Chubb, Arch, and Everest. Its latest AI-powered offering, Concierge, is already transforming how insurers manage intake at scale.

As AI regulation ramps up globally, Cytora’s certification signals more than compliance — it’s a clear commitment to building trustworthy, industry-aligned technology for the long term.

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HiBob and SQEPtech Join Forces to Streamline UK HR and Payroll Integrations

In a move set to benefit UK businesses navigating the complexities of HR and payroll, HiBob has announced a new partnership with SQEPtech, joining as a specialist integration partner and UK payroll expert.

Founded by Bobbie King and Jonathan Ball with Sophie Leslie as Head of Business Development, SQEPtech was born from a shared passion to deliver high-quality solutions and share deep knowledge with clients. This partnership combines HiBob’s modern, user-friendly HR platform with SQEPtech’s expertise in system integrations and payroll compliance, designed to deliver smoother implementations and improve people operations.

For HiBob customers, SQEPtech brings trusted support tailored to the complexities of UK payroll. Meanwhile, SQEPtech clients gain access to HiBob’s intuitive HR platform — crafted to be both easy to use and enjoyable.

Both companies emphasise that workplace technology should simplify day-to-day tasks, empowering HR teams to focus on supporting employees and fostering company culture.

With HiBob founded by Ronni Zehavi, Israel David, Andy Bellass, and Amit Knaani under the idea that the employee experience and role of HR needed to evolve, this partnership is poised to create significant value for growing businesses and mid-sized organisations across the UK.

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