JERSEY CITY, N.J., April 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Knight/Trimark Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: NITE), the largest wholesale market maker in U.S. equity securities, announced today that it has boosted its marketing and operations prowess with three strategic appointments.

Knight Securities has hired Andrew Kolinsky, 40, as a Senior Managing Director of Marketing and New Business Development. Kolinsky, who most recently was in charge of marketing, sales, public relations and operations at the Chicago Stock Exchange (CHX), will be responsible for Knight Securities' U.S. broker/dealer sales and new business development. He also will manage the combined sales and business development efforts of Knight Securities, Knight Capital Markets (formerly Trimark Securities) and Knight Financial Products (formerly Arbitrade, LLC).

"Andrew is one of the top marketing talents in the securities industry," said Walter Raquet, Executive Vice President of Global Marketing at Knight/Trimark Group and Chairman of Knight International. "His unparalleled creativity and marketing expertise will help Knight continue to attract increased order flow from retail and institutional investors alike. He will play an integral role in our ongoing effort to become the market maker of choice for customers who want immediacy and proactive liquidity guarantees on their equities and options transactions."

In addition, Knight Financial Products has appointed William McGowan, 46, as a Senior Managing Director to oversee its Options Execution Division. McGowan is the Chairman of the Securities Industry Association's (SIA) Options Committee and is a member of the organization's National Extended Trading Hours Committee, Linkage Committee, Decimalization Committee and Market Structure Committee. He also is on the Managing Director Committee of the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE).

McGowan most recently was in charge of Mesirow Financial's securities trading and clearance division. He also served as Chairman of Mesirow Europe and was a member of the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors at Mesirow Financial Holding, Inc. As the head of Knight's Options Execution Division, McGowan will play an important role in developing the firm's European and global execution strategies for options. Joining McGowan at Knight Financial Products is Mark Kuper, 41, who will serve as a Managing Director responsible for operation of the unit's options trading area. "Our appointments of Bill and Mark will help ensure that our operations and execution capabilities keep pace with our efforts to establish Knight Financial Products as the standard for best execution in the options industry," said Peter Hajas, Chief Executive Officer of Knight Financial Products (formerly Arbitrade, LLC). "Both men are highly respected for their options industry knowledge and understanding of the future direction of options trading. We know that they will make a significant impact on Knight's ability to become the dominant options market maker."

During his tenure at the CHX, Andrew Kolinsky oversaw the Exchange's marketing, advertising and public relations programs, managed its sales force and directed its trading floor and clearing operations. He also was responsible for the CHX's customer service department, including systems support. Prior to the CHX, Kolinsky served as First Vice President of Equity Products Marketing at the Philadelphia Stock Exchange (PHLX), where he was in charge of the Exchange's equities, equity options and index options products.

At Mesirow Financial, Bill McGowan oversaw the firm's securities trading and clearance division that included listed and options exchanges nationally. He also spearheaded the firm's expansion in Europe and established Mesirow as the pioneer in cross-border trading through the development of a unique global trading platform and automatic order entry system (GOES(TM)). Prior to Mesirow, McGowan was Executive Vice President with First Options of Chicago, where he developed the firm's Correspondent Dealer business and established its exchange floor access across the U.S. He also developed at First Options one of the first "black box" software system to link up other purchased or proprietary securities trading systems.

Mark Kuper most recently was a Director at SG Cowen Securities Corporation where he oversaw the firm's Equity Execution Services Division that operated on the regional stock exchanges and the options exchanges. Before SG Cowen, Mark marketed stock execution services in conjunction with Lek, Schoenau & Co., Inc. He also spent 10 years at Spear Leeds & Kellogg (SLK) where he had numerous responsibilities, including the management of SLK's commodity options trading group on the floor of the COMEX. He also managed SLK's equity options specialists trading group at the PHLX.

Knight/Trimark Group, headquartered in Jersey City, NJ, is the parent company of Knight Securities, Knight Capital Markets (formerly Trimark Securities) and Knight Financial Products (formerly Arbitrade, LLC). Knight/Trimark's subsidiaries make markets in equity securities listed on Nasdaq, the OTCBB of the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and American Stock Exchange (AMEX), and in options on individual equities, equity indices, fixed income instruments and certain commodities in the U.S. and Europe. The firm also maintains an asset management business for institutional investors and high net worth individuals through Knight Financial Products' Deephaven subsidiary.

As the number one destination for online trade executions, Knight/Trimark is the processing power behind the explosive growth in securities trading via the Internet. The firm was recently selected to Fortune's "e-50 Stock Index," an elite collection of companies that are shaping the new Internet-based economy. In addition, Knight also was selected to the "Forbes 500," a ranking of the most profitable companies in the U.S. Currently, the four-year-old company employs more than 900 people worldwide with offices in Jersey City, NJ; Jericho, White Plains, Purchase and New York, NY; Chicago, IL; Boston, MA; Minnetonka, MN; Santa Clara, CA; and London, England. SOURCE Knight/Trimark Group, Inc.

CONTACT: Margaret Wyrwas, Vice President, Corporate Communications & Investor Relations, 201-557-6954, or mwyrwas@knight-sec.com, or Chuck Dohrenwend, Manager, Corporate Communications, 201-356-1753, or chuck_dohrenwend@knight-sec.com, both of Knight/Trimark Group, Inc.; or Russell Dubner, 212-704-4538, or Creighton Abrams, 212-704-8295, both of