R.J. O'Brien Promotes Two Officers

CHICAGO, May 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- R.J. O'Brien & Associates (RJO), the largest independent futures brokerage firm in the United States, announced today the promotion of two officers of the company, Mary Ellen Scanlin and Katie Hanley. Scanlin, currently Executive Vice President and CEO of the firm's Introducing Broker (IB) Division who has been with RJO for 30 years, will assume the newly created role of Executive Vice President, Corporate Development. Taking over responsibility for the Introducing Brokers as President of the division is Hanley, a 14-year veteran of RJO.

Scanlin will assume her new role on Sept. 1, following a summer sabbatical.  As Executive Vice President, Corporate Development, she will continue to report to Chairman and CEO Gerald Corcoran, working closely with him to further develop the company's growth strategy.

Corcoran said: "Mary Ellen has played a critical role at RJO, helping to build our IB Division and create the industry's largest network of Introducing Brokers.  I've loved working with her for the past 25 years, and I look forward to continuing our collaboration in her new role.  Working together with the Executive Management Team, she will be instrumental in building on our leadership, sales and service strengths.  I'm very excited that Mary Ellen's new role will place her in a position of working with the entire organization."

Said Scanlin: "I am so grateful for all the opportunities that RJO has provided me through the years and continues to offer me today.  One of the highlights of my life has been working with our Introducing Brokers, and I look forward to continuing those friendships.  Two strong passions of mine are personal/professional development and R.J. O'Brien.  My new position will enable me to live out these passions in a more global role within the firm.  Going forward, Katie is the ideal person to run the Introducing Broker Division.  She has done an outstanding job as Vice President, working with me, and has helped grow and service our wonderful network of IB's for the past 10 years.  Her strong leadership skills, experience as a solid sales producer, and unwavering focus on customer service have prepared her well for her new role.  She will, no doubt, hit the ground running when she takes over."

Both executives have spent their entire career at RJO.  Scanlin joined the firm in 1981 as a runner on the CME trading floor.  Her progression at the firm includes managing trading desk operations as well as firm-wide back-office operations, and guiding sales in every key division.  She has led the Introducing Broker Division for the past 12 years.

Hanley began her career at RJO in 1997 as a margin clerk and quickly moved up to an Institutional Customer Service representative.  In 2001, she joined the marketing department of the IB Division and has worked closely with Scanlin ever since.

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 80,000 client accounts, RJO services a global network of more than 300 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