Spot Trading Named One of "Chicago's 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work for"

CHICAGO, July 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Spot Trading LLC, a leading proprietary equity options trading firm, announced that the National Association of Business Resources (NABR) has named the firm one of "Chicago's 101 Best and Brightest Places to Work for."  Winners will be honored at a symposium and awards luncheon on Aug. 1.

The selection of the 2011 winning companies is a result of an independent research firm that evaluates each company's entry in the following categories: communication, community initiatives, compensation and benefits, diversity and multiculturalism, employee education and development, employee engagement and commitment, recognition and retention, small business, recruitment and selection, and work-life balance.

Rob Merrilees, Spot Trading founder and CEO, said: "We are truly honored and humbled that a review of Spot's programs, combined with employee survey feedback, resulted in our inclusion in the list.  The designation reinforces our efforts to instill a team-based culture at all levels of the firm and to provide a rich overall work experience.  Our work environment promotes collaboration, innovation and lasting relationships, providing us with a strong competitive edge as we continue to grow."

Spot's trading style is unique in that it is based on the integration and collaboration of a variety of disciplines, involving traders, research analysts, technologists, financial engineers and various support teams.  Merrilees said the firm is hiring this year, including the addition of many new full-time positions.  "We continue to be thoughtful in our growth and very judicious in hiring only the best and brightest who will thrive personally and professionally," he said.  The firm has approximately 150 employees.

Jennifer Kluge, NABR President, said: "This year's winners epitomize what it means to be committed to employees. Our winners excelled at employee relations, used innovation to motivate employees, implemented creative compensation programs and more. They serve as a standard for other companies to work toward.  We are proud to honor this year's 101 winners."

The National Association for Business Resources (NABR) advocates and represents small and medium-sized businesses throughout the United States. NABR specializes in providing businesses the benefits, programs, services and assistance required to operate as efficiently and successfully as possible. Best practice solutions are available to members in the areas of human resources, healthcare, legal, transaction, compliance, marketing and office services. For more information about NABR and its offerings, please call 1-866-321-1822.  

About Spot Trading LLC

Spot Trading LLC (www.spottradingllc.com) is a technology-driven proprietary trading firm based in Chicago.  Founded in 1999, Spot has grown to be a leading liquidity provider and market-maker for the U.S. exchange-listed equity options markets.  Spot deploys a highly integrated model, where traders, financial engineers, equity analysts and technologists work closely together to make assessments about pricing opportunities in the market.  Spot has developed an institutionalized and scalable trading platform that promotes collaboration, manages firm-wide risk and uses proprietary technology to enable high performance and a trading edge.  

SOURCE Spot Trading LLC