JOSEPH BOTKIER
Mr. Joseph Botkier is a Chief Executive Officer of FXDirect Dealer, LLC. Mr. Botkier served as Executive Vice President and Deputy General Manager of Bank Brussels Lambert, New York. Mr. Botkier served as General Manager of Treasury at Bank Cariplo and Vice President and Treasurer at Credito Italiano. He has enjoyed playing integral roles as a consultant and advisor to major financial institutions in Russia and Central and Eastern Europe. His career started in 1972 as Deputy Operations Manager with HARRIS TRUST Co. of New York. Mr. Botkier served as Assistant Operations Manager of CREDITO ITALIANO from 1974 to 1985. While at CREDITO ITALIANO Mr. Botkier is credited with establishing the bank as one of the first banks to trade Currency Futures and use Swap's and FRA's. As one of the youngest Bank Treasurers in New York, he assumed responsibility for Futures and Foreign Currency Dealing and posted profits yearly from 1976 to 1985. From 1985 to 1988 Mr. Botkier joined BANK CARIPLO of New York as First Vice President and Deputy General Manager, where he was directly responsible for establishing its New York Treasury operations, which consisted of trading Money Market instruments, Currencies and Derivatives. Mr. Botkier served as Senior Vice President and Treasurer with BANK BRUSSELS LAMBERT of New York from 1988 to 1998. During his tenure at BBL he was fully responsible for the entire Foreign Exchange Department as well as Money Markets, Capital Markets, Derivatives and the structuring and funding of loan portfolios and Asset Management. As such, he was credited with successfully rebuilding the Trading Operations, transforming the Bank's Foreign Exchange desk from negative performance to cumulative profits in excess of $200 Million. At the same time, he instituted a computer based Risk Management System to monitor and evaluate Treasury Instruments. At BANK BRUSSELS LAMBERT, Mr. Botkier was credited with restoring treasury function to profitability in 12; establishing a proprietary mortgage-backed securities portfolio in 1992 and asset-backed portfolio in 1993; starting a Domestic High-Yield Trading and Asset Management Group in 1996. In 1996 he created and managed a Proprietary Fund worth over $500 Mill. In 1997 Mr. Botkier launched the first Leveraged High Yield Fund for the Bank's account. During the same year, he established and managed a Proprietary Fund participating in Emerging Market Debt and launched the bank's first “Fund of Funds”. During his distinguished career, Mr. Botkier became a successful senior level Banking Industry Executive with extensive strength in developing and executing highly profitable trading strategies dealing with: Currencies, Currency Options, Euro Bonds, Derivatives, Swaps, FRA's and High Yield Securities. He is highly skilled and perceptive in fostering and maintaining long-term relationships with major Banks and Fortune 500 Companies, building organizational infrastructures to drive and sustain revenues, generating strong profits as well as identifying and capitalizing on new and niche market opportunities. Mr. Botkier brings over 25 years of hands-on professional and management experience in the Banking and Currency Industries. He serves as the CEO FXDirectDealer. He served as Special Advisor to the Board of Directors Advanced Technologies Group, Ltd., since October 2000. Mr. Botkier holds a BS degree in Mathematics. He received his Advanced Studies from The American Institute of Banking.