Why IMC London is the place to be for FX options traders.

Talent, tech, and team spirit: Why Alex Ross chose IMC London

Less than half a year into his journey at IMC, we caught up with Alex – an FX options trader at IMC London – to hear how he’s settled into his new role. We took a look back at his career journey so far and discussed the exciting growth rate at our London office.

You’ve worked at multiple financial trading companies in London. What made IMC the right fit for you at this stage of your career?

Joining IMC was a really exciting opportunity for me to come and work with an exceptional base of talented traders, quants, and developers, all of whom have a lot of diverse experience in forex markets.

The biggest pull factor was the chance to have a large impact from day one. Ramon (Head of FX Trading at IMC) convinced me that I could bring my prior experience and use it to really shape the business moving forward.

Could you tell us about your academic background and your initial career plans?

I’m originally from New Zealand, and I moved to the UK to pursue my studies after winning the Sir Douglas Myers Scholarship. I completed my bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD studies in economics at the University of Cambridge.

I spent some time at the IMF during my doctorate, but I was always drawn to London. I took on roles as an FX options trader at Barclays and Citi, working mainly on the Yen/Dollar desk at first before transitioning to the Dollar/Euro desk – which is the busiest and most liquid forex currency pair.

In July 2025, I took up my role as an FX options trader at IMC London.

How does working at IMC London compare to working at major global banks or other proprietary trading firms in London?

The IMC London office feels very different from an investment bank. I would describe it as a blend of the energy and spirit of a startup, but with the resources of a well-established London trading firm, including robust computing power and ultra-low latency.

It’s the perfect blend for FX options trading.

What is the culture like in the London office?

It’s a relatively small, fast-growing office, and I’ve found it very easy to settle in here. During my first couple of weeks, I took my daughter along to an IMC picnic one weekend and we had a lot of fun. People are so friendly and seem to genuinely care about each other, which is lovely to be part of.

Also, the annual IMC weekend trips are really cool. Shortly after I joined, we visited Dubrovnik, and I got to meet loads of my fellow IMC colleagues from around Europe. As IMC traders in London, we work very closely with our colleagues in Amsterdam, so this was a great opportunity to get to know the wider team early on!

I’m already enjoying showing new joiners the office and feeling like part of the furniture!

How does the technology and infrastructure at IMC support your work as a trader compared to other trading companies in London?

The IMC trading technology we use is incredibly powerful. Everything is engineered for speed and precision. When I first joined, it felt like being put behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car!

Many of the excellent tools already at our disposal were built with equity markets in mind. We’re now tailoring these to the FX market, putting us in a great position to grow and keep capturing more of the market share.

What signals to you that IMC is prioritizing London as a key strategic location?

We’re growing quickly and we’re expanding our presence here in the middle of the London financial district, which is really exciting.

But beyond an increasing headcount, London is clearly a strategic focus area as an IMC trading location. Senior management figures – including the CEO – regularly visit us here in London. And when they do, they sit with us, eat lunch with us, and get to know us on a personal level. That’s not something I’ve experienced in any of my previous jobs.

It’s clear that they have big ambitions for our London office and our growing team – which bodes well for the future!

Do you collaborate with other IMC offices around the world? How important is this to your work as an FX options trader?

We certainly do. We regularly have visitors over from the Amsterdam office, and we also regularly visit them to exchange ideas and learn from each other. In-person collaboration with all our global IMC trading locations is definitely one of our biggest strengths.

Is there a particular achievement at IMC you’re most proud of so far?

Our team picked up the Innovation in FX Liquidity Provision award at the 2025 Leaders in Trading ceremony in London.

It was special because it perfectly reflects what we’re collectively trying to achieve. Seeing how hard my colleagues – as well as the wider London desk and our global teams around the world – have worked to build this business and bring the best of IMC into a new market is really rewarding.

In your opinion, what attributes do IMC traders in London need to thrive?

You must be ready to learn. Of course, as an experienced forex trader, you’ll bring in expert knowledge from your previous roles. But we do things uniquely at IMC, so you must be open minded and humble. I’m still learning so much about all the IMC trading tech we have and how we can harness it to get the best possible results.

The IMC London office is growing quickly. Why is now an exciting time to join?

Since I joined, we’ve grown a lot in a short space of time – it’s great to see us continue to bring in top talent with fresh perspectives.

On the FX desk specifically, our volumes keep rising, and we’re expanding into more currency pairs and FX products. So, it's really an excellent chance to join a dynamic team and have a big, big impact immediately.

Fancy joining Alex and being part of our dynamic London office? Visit our career siteto discover IMC trading jobs in London.