R.J. O'Brien Promotes Heather Rucci to Chief Strategy Officer

CHICAGO, Jan. 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Chicago-based R.J. O'Brien & Associates (RJO), the oldest and largest independent futures brokerage and clearing firm in the United States, today announced the promotion of Heather Rucci to Chief Strategy Officer. Rucci, who has served as the firm's Chief Human Resources Officer since July 2021, will retain oversight of the global human resources (HR) function.

In her new role, Rucci will work across the firm's core businesses, departments and geographies to oversee long-term planning, ensuring alignment on strategic priorities, partnering with leaders on the appropriate deployment of resources, and streamlining global processes and procedures.

Rucci – a 23-year HR veteran who joined RJO in April 2019 as Managing Director, Human Resources – will continue to report to RJO Chairman and CEO Gerald Corcoran.

Corcoran said: "Heather has had an extraordinary impact on the organization in a relatively short period of time. She has taken on critical strategic projects that go beyond her human resources expertise, rising to every challenge and further reinforcing her talent, leadership and vision. I'm delighted that she has agreed to take on this new role and have every confidence that she'll make a significant contribution to our global growth going forward. Heather's deep understanding of our culture and people and her active involvement in so many important projects make her uniquely qualified to serve as our Chief Strategy Officer."

Rucci said: "RJO has an incredible track record of leadership in the industry, and I'm excited to work more closely with the executive team to position the firm for long-term growth and continued success."

Prior to RJO, Rucci served since 2016 as Senior Managing Director, Human Resources Business Partner at Nuveen. She joined Nuveen in 2008 as Assistant Vice President, Human Resources and served in several roles of increasing responsibility during her tenure there. Among her responsibilities were leading the firm's recruitment efforts. 

Rucci spent the first 10 years of her career in HR and human capital consulting, first at Mercer Human Resources Consulting and later at Capital H Group. She graduated with distinction from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Management/Engineering, with a minor in Organizational Behavior/Human Resource Management.

Founded in 1914, R.J. O'Brien & Associates is the largest independent futures brokerage and clearing firm in the United States, serving more than 80,000 institutional, commercial and individual clients globally, in addition to a network of approximately 300 introducing brokers (IBs). RJO services the industry's most expansive global network of IBs, a vast array of middle market firms and many of the world's largest financial, industrial and agricultural institutions. The firm offers state-of-the-art electronic trading and 24-hour trade execution on every major futures exchange worldwide. RJO received the FOW International Award for Non-Bank FCM of the Year for five consecutive years. At the HFM US Quant Awards 2020, RJO won the award for Best Independent FCM – the eighth honor bestowed by the HFM Global publications on RJO and its UK affiliate.

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