Optiver Appoints Andrius Jankunas as Strategy Lead
The veteran quantitative leader joins the firm following his tenure at Rokos Capital Management.
Updated on Oct. 20, 2026 in People
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Trading firm Optiver has hired Andrius Jankunas as its new global head of quantitative modelling and strategy. The appointment follows the completion of his two-year non-compete period.
Why it matters
The move is designed to bolster senior leadership within the firm's trading operations. It leverages his extensive background in quantitative finance across multiple major institutions.
Andrius Jankunas joins Optiver after a two-year non-compete period following his time at Rokos Capital Management. He brings nearly two decades of experience from his previous role at Goldman Sachs.
The players
Andrius Jankunas
He is the newly appointed global head of quantitative modelling and strategy at Optiver who previously held leadership roles at Rokos Capital Management and Goldman Sachs.
Optiver
It is a global trading firm headquartered in Amsterdam that maintains major trading business operations in London, Chicago, and New York.
Rokos Capital Management
This is a major alternative investment management firm where Jankunas served as a partner and global head of quantitative modelling and strategy.
Goldman Sachs
It is a leading global investment banking and financial services institution where Jankunas spent nearly two decades overseeing commodities strats for multiple regions.
The details
Jankunas previously served as the global head of quantitative modelling and strategy at Rokos Capital Management from 2018 to 2024. He will now focus on strengthening Optiver's senior trading leadership at its London operation.
Timeline
Jankunas joined Rokos Capital Management in 2018.
Jankunas completed his two-year non-compete period in 2024.
Optiver appointed Jankunas to his new role in October 2026.
Market Landscape
This appointment reflects a broader industry trend of market-making firms aggressively recruiting senior quantitative leadership from major hedge funds to enhance algorithmic performance. It positions Optiver to compete more effectively by integrating specialized strategic expertise into its core trading operations.
The hire is unlikely to affect retail customers directly, as Optiver operates primarily as a professional market-making firm. However, it signals a focus on technical infrastructure that may influence market efficiency in the trading sectors where the firm operates.
The takeaway
Top-tier trading firms continue to prioritize executive talent with deep backgrounds in quantitative modelling to navigate complex market environments. This appointment underscores the critical value of intellectual capital in the competitive landscape of global market making.
Further reading
For more on shifts in the financial services sector, visit our People section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Hedgeweek.
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