AN EXPERT TEAM WITH FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE
Ideal CEO John Crouch and CTO Walter Bell each bring a unique combination of skills that is hard to find on the Street today: decades of firsthand experience as traders and quants plus advanced degrees in computer science. With an innate understanding of the dynamics and idiosyncrasies of FX, fixed income, and metals, at Ideal they have put their expertise to work creating the analytics solutions they wished they’d had in-house. Together, our team is truly Ideal.
IDEAL LEADERSHIP
John Crouch
CEO
John founded Ideal in 2015. Prior to Ideal, he led electronic trading groups in market-making and proprietary trading. His experience spans large banks (BAML, CS, DB) and HFTs. He served on the board of Broadway Technology for 17 years until its acquisition in 2020. John has an S.B. and an M.Eng from MIT in EECS and an M.S. in mathematics from NYU.
Walter Bell
CTO
Walter joined Ideal from Bank of America Merrill Lynch where he was the Global Head of Rates eTrading Quants. Previously, he managed teams in eFX Development, Cross Asset Trading, and Global Arbitrage Trading at Credit Suisse. Earlier in his career he was a Senior Product Manager at Broadway Technology. Walter has a B.S. and an M.Eng in computer science from Cornell University.
IDEAL ADVISORS
Geoff Jones is a leader in FX markets with 20+ years of experience in electronic trading. Geoff is Director of Spot Venues at Refinitiv, an LSEG business, and also runs an e-FX consulting business focused on data analysis and market microstructure. Previously, Geoff was an MD at RBC where he was global head of electronic and voice FX spot trading. Geoff has also held product management and software development roles at various Tier 1 banks.
Jonathan Fieldman is an independent advisor, investor, and entrepreneur. Previously, Jonathan spent 16 years at financial technology software provider Broadway Technology, where he was member of the executive team and on the board of directors. At Broadway, Jonathan led sales, marketing, and business development, acquiring over half of the top 50 global banks as customers prior to a successful exit in 2020. Before Broadway, Jonathan was an executive and founder at multiple startups, including a SaaS market intelligence provider and venture-backed online wholesale B2B marketplace. Jonathan holds an SB in Economics from MIT.
Peter Sand is a software engineer with experience in computer vision, machine learning, robotics, high-frequency trading, and mechanical/electrical design. In 2014, Peter founded Modular Science, which designs and builds modular machines that power autonomous, sustainable farming. The company went through Y Combinator in 2017 and has worked on a variety of farming and research projects, including projects with the Department of Plant Biology at Stanford. Peter holds a B.S. in computer science from Carnegie Mellon and Ph.D. in computer science from MIT.
Phil Weisberg is EVP of Strategic Planning and Partnerships at oneZero. Previously, Phil founded FXall, the #1 business-to-business foreign exchange platform, growing the company from the development of its business plan to a firm with 150 employees, 1,300+ customers, and $125M in revenues. After an IPO and subsequent sale to Thomson Reuters, Phil served as Managing Director and Global Head of FX, Rates, and Credit for Thomson Reuters. Earlier in his career, he ran the Global FX Derivatives Business at JP Morgan. Phil holds a B.S. in electrical engineering from Cooper Union and an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business.
James Sinclair co-founded MarketFactory to address a gap in the market for turnkey aggregation platforms. Formerly Head of Research and Strategy of ICAP / EBS (Electronic Broking Services), James helped lead the sale of EBS to ICAP in 2006. Prior to that, James was Head of Sales for the Americas and Asia-Pacific as well as the Global Head of Product at EBS. James began his career at Citibank and received his BSc. in Engineering Honors from the University of London, Imperial College. Outside of MarketFactory, James is a keen cyclist, a certified US Coast Guard Captain, and a skipper at the Manhattan Sailing Club.
