R.J. O'Brien Promotes Bonniwell to Senior Vice President, Commercial Grain and Asia

CHICAGO, Aug. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- R.J. O'Brien & Associates (RJO), the nation's oldest and largest independent futures brokerage and clearing firm, announced the promotion of Kirk R. Bonniwell, 36, to Senior Vice President, Commercial Grain and Asia.  Bonniwell, a Certified Public Accountant, had assumed interim responsibility for these areas in his role as Vice President, Strategic Planning and now takes on the Senior Vice President title.

Gerald Corcoran, RJO Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said: "Our expertise in commercial grain is an important driver of our business, and we are committed to providing one of the strongest offerings in the industry for commercial clients across the globe who need to hedge their risk.  Kirk is ideally suited to lead the way in our efforts to grow the business even further and ensure we continue to offer the premium service our clients expect."

Bonniwell said: "Our commercial grain business has served as the foundation of our growth in Asia and other overseas markets.  We believe we can leverage this strength both domestically and internationally by expanding our business beyond commercial hedgers to professional traders such as commodity trading advisors who have discretionary programs."

Bonniwell was responsible for spearheading the strategy to expand RJO's footprint in Asia and to diversify the business into new product lines such as wholesale clearing for regional futures brokerage firms.  He is also driving efforts to expand the firm's over-the-counter offering in Asia, which will provide clients with a broader range of products to meet their objectives.

Prior to joining RJO, Bonniwell worked at Bowe Bell + Howell, a global manufacturer and service provider, as Senior Financial Analyst, Accounting Manager/Plant Controller and later Director of Finance for the firm's Scanners Division.  He began his career at Price Waterhouse Coopers, LLP in San Jose, Calif. in the Assurance and Business Advisory Practice and also served as a Senior Financial Analyst at KLA-Tencor Corporation.

A resident of Chicago, Bonniwell earned a bachelor of business administration degree in accounting from the University of Iowa. 

About R.J. O'Brien

Founded in 1914, RJO is the largest independent futures brokerage firm in the United States.  The firm offers state-of-the-art electronic trading technology and 24-hour trade execution on every futures exchange worldwide.  Clearing more than 100,000 client accounts, RJO services a global network of more than 400 introducing brokers and many of the world's largest financial, industrial and agricultural institutions.  For more information, please visit www.rjobrien.com. 

SOURCE R.J. O'Brien & Associates