A return to prop trading

Nigel Babbage helped build BNP Paribas’ currency derivatives dealing business. Now he’s doing the same for a new proprietary trading operation. By Arielle Weliky

After nearly a decade at BNP Paribas, Nigel Babbage is embarking on a new challenge. In addition to his client-facing role, the global head of currency options is spearheading the French bank’s nascent proprietary currency trading group.

Babbage claims the growth of BNP’s foreign exchange business during the past few years prompted the bank’s move to trade on its own account more significantly. “We want to take it to the next level and increase the bank’s exposure to the market,” he says. The