Optiver has announced the appointment of Lance Braunstein as its Global Chief Technology Officer (CTO), effective May 1, 2025. Braunstein, who will be based in Optiver’s New York office, joins the firm as a Partner and a member of the Executive Committee. In this newly created role, he will be responsible for driving a unified global technology strategy across business lines and regions, working closely with regional CTOs. He will report directly to Jan Boomaars, Optiver’s Chief Executive Officer.
Braunstein sees this opportunity as a pivotal moment to enhance the resilience, scale, and performance of Optiver’s technology platform while leveraging emerging technologies to foster innovation. “This is an opportunity to evolve the resilience, scale, and performance of Optiver’s platform while leveraging emerging technologies to innovate at a moment of significant growth for the firm,” Braunstein remarked. “I’m excited to join the team and look forward to continuing the tradition of engineering excellence that has long been central to Optiver’s success.”
Optiver, a global market-making firm, has long positioned technology at the heart of its operations. With Braunstein’s appointment, the firm aims to further enhance its agility, drive greater efficiency, and foster continued innovation. CEO Jan Boomaars highlighted this strategic move, stating, “As a global market-making firm, technology is at the core of what we do. Lance’s leadership will help us further enhance our agility, drive greater efficiency, and foster continued innovation in our mission to improve the market.”
A Proven Leader in Financial Technology
Braunstein brings an impressive track record of building and managing technology platforms at leading financial institutions. Most recently, he served as Head of Aladdin Engineering at BlackRock, where he oversaw the design, product management, development, and operation of the firm’s flagship investment management technology platform. Aladdin, a comprehensive platform used by money managers, insurers, and other financial firms for portfolio management, trading, and risk analytics, has become a key differentiator for BlackRock.
During his tenure at BlackRock, Braunstein played a crucial role in formal talent acquisition and development programs and led an expansion of Aladdin’s capabilities. His contributions helped position Aladdin for a record year in 2023. However, BlackRock announced that Braunstein would not be directly replaced, with the Aladdin engineering team continuing under the leadership of Sunil Dalal, Nish Ajitsaria, and Afwa Kandawire, reporting to Sudhir Nair, Global Head of Aladdin.
Before BlackRock, Braunstein served as Chief Information Officer at E*TRADE, where he was instrumental in developing the firm’s world-class options trading platform. His extensive career also includes senior technology leadership roles at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, further cementing his expertise in financial technology and market infrastructure.
Braunstein’s educational background reflects a strong foundation in technology and strategic management. He holds an MBA from The Wharton School, a Master of Science from Colorado State University, and a Mathematics degree from the University of Rochester. His ability to bridge technology with business strategy has been a hallmark of his career, making him a valuable addition to Optiver’s leadership team.
A New Chapter at Optiver
Reflecting on his move, Braunstein shared his enthusiasm on LinkedIn: “As one chapter closes, another begins. I’m thrilled to share that I’ll be joining the wonderful crew at Optiver in May. With an incredible track record over nearly 40 years, the firm continues to evolve and challenge itself to innovate. I’m stoked to be on that journey with them. Thanks to the Optiver team for the gracious welcome.”
His appointment comes at a time of significant growth for Optiver, and his leadership is expected to shape the firm’s technological evolution in the coming years. By unifying the firm’s global technology strategy, Braunstein will play a critical role in strengthening Optiver’s position as a leading market-maker through innovation, efficiency, and enhanced technological capabilities.
