A conversation with Geoff Morton, Global Head of Strategists, Data

When Geoff Morton joined MarketAxess in July 2024, he brought with him a unique combination of academic rigor and market experience—spanning physics research, structured credit trading, and algorithmic strategy development at some of the world’s largest financial institutions. Today, as Global Head of Strategists, Data at MarketAxess, Geoff leads efforts to transform data into intelligent, actionable tools that power the next generation of electronic trading. 

Geoff’s career path took an unconventional turn. After earning a PhD from Oxford and researching at Imperial College, he made the move from academia to finance. “It was partially practical,” he recalls with a laugh. “Working in universities on short-term contracts wasn’t easy with a growing family. The move into finance felt like a big change at the time—but it was also an opportunity to apply the same problem-solving mindset to real-world challenges.”

He started his financial career at BNP Paribas, later spending nearly a decade at Bank of America, where he ran the global credit and muni algo strategy team. Geoff also spent several years running his own startup building tools for systematic credit and portfolio trading. “Those experiences gave me a deep understanding of both the quantitative and operational sides of trading,” Geoff says. “But when I learned about MarketAxess and the scale of its data, I saw massive untapped potential.”

That potential is what drew him to MarketAxess. “I knew about the sheer volume and richness of the data here,” Geoff explains. “I thought—there’s so much value in this that can be unlocked for clients through smarter analytics and commercial products.”

Since joining MarketAxess, Geoff has played a key role in advancing MarketAxess’s data capabilities—especially in transparency, analytics, and regulatory evolution. Among the most exciting initiatives, he says, has been the development of new data products which are still in progress. Additionally, Geoff mentioned the work related to Europe’s bond transparency regime, which is reshaping how firms access and interpret fixed income data, as a recent exciting venture.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty in the market about how these new rules will affect trading and competition,” Geoff says. “Being part of that conversation with clients, understanding the regulatory side, and finding ways to turn those changes into new product opportunities has been fascinating.”

That regulatory shift is creating momentum across the industry.

Geoff’s team is now focused on ensuring MarketAxess’s data products—like Trax^® and CP+™—continue to evolve as the market does. “Transparency is a moving target,” he says. “As new consolidated tape providers launch, and post-trade reporting standards change, we’re adapting how our data feeds and analytics integrate with those frameworks. It’s about staying competitive, relevant, and forward-looking.”

One clear trend shaping his roadmap is the growing influence of ETFs. “The ETF market has become a huge driver of activity in secondary trading,” Geoff notes. “There’s a two-way relationship between ETFs and bond pricing—they influence each other. We’re looking at how our data solutions can help clients better understand that dynamic.”

Geoff is quick to point out that the MarketAxess data business is evolving beyond individual products. “We’re moving toward providing data solutions, not just data sets,” he explains. “That means understanding who our clients are, what challenges they face, and how our data can solve those challenges.”

Rather than simply selling access to tools like CP+ or Trax, his team focuses on combining insights across sources to solve specific use cases—such as helping clients measure relative value within ETFs or model liquidity under different market conditions.

“It’s a little cliché to say we’re solution-oriented,” Geoff admits, “but we back that up by sitting down with clients, understanding their needs, and showing them how our data can work for them. It’s a much more collaborative, customized approach.”

When asked what he’s learned during his time at MarketAxess, Geoff points to the culture and the people. “There’s an incredible team spirit here,” he says. “Our sales organization, in particular, is best in class—they help us punch well above our weight. Compared to some of our much larger competitors, we’re nimble, innovative, and tightly aligned. That combination of scale and agility is what makes MarketAxess so effective.”

Looking ahead, Geoff remains focused on innovation, especially at the intersection of data, regulation, and technology. “Getting the data right is crucial,” he says.