Citadel has strengthened its operations team with the addition of Gerald Walker who will focus on options-related activities for both the hedge fund and its sister company, market-maker Citadel Securities, according to a report by eFinancial Careers.

Walker is a seasoned professional with extensive experience in clearing and derivatives. Before joining Citadel, he spent a year and a half at Tower Research Capital, where he served as Global Head of Clearing and Operations. His responsibilities included overseeing crypto clearing, a focus area at Citadel Securities, which engages in cryptocurrency market-making through its co-owned digital asset exchange, EDX Markets. Notably, the Citadel hedge fund does not participate in cryptocurrency trading.

Walker also spent eight years at ABN AMRO, where he held key leadership roles, including Head of UK Operations and European Head of Client Service Management, and prior to that, another eight-year stint at derivatives exchange CME Group.