George Kledaras is a leader in developing financial software for instantaneous global trading anywhere, anytime, and most importantly, by everyone. He is the founder of two technology companies: CecilRep and FIX Flyer. He is also the author of numerous articles about electronic trading standards, and a frequent speaker on the major technology issues of our time.

Kledaras started CecilRep as the first technology company dedicated to helping automate financial reporting by asset managers, brokers and custodians of all sizes to their institutional clients.

If that isn’t enough excitement for one software inventor’s life, Kledaras co-founded FIX Flyer. The goal of this company, he said, is “to re-invent high-volume electronic trading.”

He is well known throughout the technology world as the founder, in 1996, of Javelin Technologies Inc. At Javelin, he was recognized as the leader in the Financial Information Exchange (FIX) industry, especially through his initiative in creating the first high-speed messaging FIX engine built entirely in Java.

Then, in 2000, he helped to ignite the world of high-speed global trading with Appia. Javelin was sold in 2002 to Nyfix, Inc.

Kledaras received a BS degree in Electrical Engineering from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA, and an MS degree in Mathematics from the Courant Institute at New York University. He is currently an adjunct professor at Fordham University Graduate School of Business, lecturing on entrepreneurship.

A member of Lehigh University’s Board of Trustees, he also serves a principal advisory role at Lehigh in helping the university develop new engineering, business and finance majors customized to the ever-changing worldwide demands for financial technology and software expertise.
With his home and office in New York City, Kledaras says he lives and works in the “two greatest cities of the world, the East Side of Manhattan and the West Side of Manhattan.”

While he never stops talking about the future of technology, he treasures the “early days” of the computer, so much so that he still has first computer, the Atari 800 with its 48K of memory. To this day, he uses the machine, he says, and it is not for sale.

Randy Prager is co-founder of FIX Flyer. He is known and followed widely in the technology community for his leadership in creating
next-generation software platforms in electronic trading, securities analysis, and knowledge management. In writing and talking about technology issues, Prager often questions the status quo, working from the questions to develop new solutions.

At FIX Flyer, Prager is leading the development of software and other technology advances FIX, FIXML and electronic trading. The goal is to provide a cost effective and open solution so that FIX becomes standard across all security types and counterparty communications.

Before joining Kledaras in his new ventures, Prager led software development and technology teams at both startup and big companies, including Scopeware, MarketXT and Bloomberg.

Prager is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University, where he held a double major in Economics, and Electrical and Computer Engineering. He lives in New York City.

Brian Ross is an industry leader in the development of financial databases, trading systems, and reporting tools. Ross has over 20 years of experience at leading software firms, spearheading technology projects for Wall Street and NASA and speaking frequently at industry events.

After graduating from the University of Oregon, Ross began his technology career at NASA where he led development of mission critical software and systems for the Galileo, Voyager and Hubble space missions. Ross received three NASA accommodations for his leadership in developing software systems.

In 1995, Ross took his engineering and technology skills to Wall Street where he joined Blackrock, a leading fixed income money manager. Ross developed and managed the database systems for Aladdin, the Blackrock Trading System. At Blackrock, Ross met George Kledaras. They worked together on the Blackrock trading systems from 1994 to 1996.

In 1997, Blackrock bought a majority stake in Trepp LLC and appointed Ross Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technology Officer. Under Ross's leadership, Trepp became the leading provider of CMBS and commercial mortgage information, analytics and technology to the securities and investment management community.

Brian is now Chief Executive Officer of FIX Flyer. Ross has graduate degrees in management and computer science from the Claremont Graduate School and Johns Hopkins University. He has also completed graduate studies in mathematics from the Courant Institute at New York University.