BTIG, a specialist in institutional trading, investment banking, research and related brokerage services, has promoted Jennifer Mermel to the newly-created role of Chief Strategy Officer and appointed Kyle Czepiel as Chief Operating Officer.

BTIG says both leadership appointments "reflect the firm’s continued effort to evolve, seek new opportunities, and build the team needed for the next phase of BTIG’s growth".

As Chief Strategy Officer, Mermel will expand her existing COO role to lead strategic planning and initiatives. Prior to serving as COO, she was the Chief of Staff of BTIG, managing the firm’s Corporate Communications, Human Resources, Administrative and Real Estate teams, as well as coordinating philanthropic giving.

As COO, Czepiel will lead the firm’s global operations, prime brokerage, and corporate businesses. In addition, he will work closely with the firm’s CEO Czepiel joins BTIG from Goldman Sachs where he spent 25 years as a Managing Director. Most recently, he was Head of Sales for Goldman Sachs Global Prime Clearing business. Prior to that, Czepiel was the CEO of Goldman Sachs Execution & Clearing. He joined Goldman Sachs in 2000 upon their acquisition of Spear, Leeds & Kellogg.