By – Barbara Schmidt-Bailey, CME Group Director of Client Development & Sales
The first conference I attended a mere month into my tenure as a new CBOT, now CME Group, employee in the spring of 2001 was NIBA’s annual Chicago meeting. The event was a great representation of the Chicago futures industry, with IBs, FCMs and vendors in attendance and discussions circling around markets and outlook. It was clear to CME Group long before I joined that being a part of NIBA was an important way to support IBs and their customers on the ground around the country.
Now in 2021, I’ve served on the NIBA Board for over 10 years. I greatly value the relationships I’ve built with numerous IBs and FCMs who continue to volunteer their time to NIBA to make sure that the IB community is well-informed on industry issues, well-represented with our regulators and educated on products and market trends.
Over the years, CME Group has had the privilege of sponsoring and speaking at NIBA events across the country. We have worked closely with the members of the NIBA Board to assist in ongoing member education efforts, including, most recently, partnering with NIBA on a virtual webinar in a new area of focus – water futures.
Even as markets became electronic, personal relationships continue to be key in the IB community, and NIBA has integrated itself into those relationships by providing quality communication, continuing education and events. CME Group congratulates NIBA on 30 years of being the industry association for the IB community. We look forward to supporting NIBA in its efforts for years to come.
