Tech and Finance Industry Veterans Barry Purkis and Darren Coombes Join Cloud9 Team

Cloud9 Technologies today announced that it has opened a new corporate office in London.  The addition of the office will provide Cloud9 with a base for sales, service, and customer support as it continues to invest, expand, and create new jobs within the UK.

The office will be led by Cloud9’s Global Head of Sales and Managing Director of EMEA, Barry Purkis.  Mr. Purkis will oversee the company’s growth and expansion throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.  Prior to joining Cloud9, Mr. Purkis ran global sales at IPC Systems and was part of the leadership team that started and successfully sold Gains International, one of the first private networks used to connect global trading firms.

“I am excited to join the Cloud9 team,” said Purkis.  “The rapid adoption of the Cloud9 platform by traders around the world is a strong endorsement that the trading community is looking for a more modern way to connect and collaborate with their counterparties.  Cloud9 brings innovative technology to the trading floor, and I look forward to being part of the Company’s growth and success.”

Darren Coombes has also joined the London office as Head of Operations, EMEA where he will be instrumental in supporting the company’s ongoing regional growth.  Mr. Coombes previously served as Global Chief Technology Officer at Tullett Prebon, where he was responsible for Global Operations, IT, Disaster Recovery, and Telecommunications Management.

“We’re thrilled that Barry and Darren joined the Cloud9 team,” said Gerald Starr, Chief Executive Officer of Cloud9.  “Our customer base is expanding around the world quickly and we look forward to their leadership to support our continued growth.”

Since the company’s launch in 2014, Cloud9 has been adopted and is actively used by more than 350 financial institutions, globally.  The Cloud9 platform replaces legacy trader voice services like turrets and private lines with a modern desktop application that makes connecting to counterparties as easy as instant messaging.  It reduces spend on trader voice services by more than 40%, while giving traders and IT personnel access to advanced directories, enhanced compliance services, and sophisticated self-service management tools.  These features all support greater transparency related to trader communication and simply make it easier to do business in a more secure and compliant manner.