Options Partners with Queen’s University Belfast Rowing Club

LONDON & NEW YORK & HONG KONG--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Options Technology, the leading Capital Markets services provider, today announced it will become the new sponsor of the Queen's University Belfast Rowing Clubs.

The partnership will see Options support Queen's Rowing, in its pursuit of success on the world stage.

In May 2022, QUB Rowing finished 3rd in the overall standings after picking up twenty medals at British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS), which marked the team’s highest performance at the prestigious tournament. John Armstrong, Head Rowing Coach, received the accolade of BUCS Coach of the Year in recognition of this performance and the success of Queen’s Rowing at national and international level.

Options Technology already shares close ties to Queen’s Rowing, with world-class rower Ryan Ballantyne and former Men’s Captain Dominic Murtagh both part of the team at Options.

“We are delighted to support Queen’s Rowing and to invest in the future of the club,” said Danny Moore, President and CEO of Options Technology. “As a QUB alumnus, I am particularly proud to see Options giving back to the institution that provided me and many others with the foundation for a career on the global stage.

We are honoured to support and promote the next generation of leadership and elite sports at the university, and we believe our sponsorship will help carry the torch for the continued prosperity and development of talent in the region and beyond.”

Samantha McCormick, Queen’s Rowing Club Women’s Captain, said, “We are delighted to welcome and partner with Options for the upcoming 2023 season and beyond. Their sponsorship will support the club to travel further than ever before, from training camps to prestigious worldwide tournaments, contribute to the supply of new equipment, and together we can continue to showcase and develop the club’s performance on the global stage."

Karl Oakes, Head of Sport and Physical Wellbeing at Queen’s, added, “Queen’s Sport seeks to maximise the academic and sporting potential of our students and there is a clear synergy with the values and aspirations of Options Technology which already provides global opportunities for many Queen’s graduates. This sponsorship will allow us to continue to invest in our students and in Queen’s Rowing and provide the best possible development opportunities for them.”

This fundraising effort is just one example of Options Technology’s commitment to social responsibility and giving back to the community, most recently with its donation of £25,000 to PIPS, its support of the American Lung Association, the 2023 SPAR Craic 10K, and the MAC Belfast.

Today’s news comes as the latest in a series of exciting development for Options, including, the launch of its 2023 Graduate and Placement Programme, its achievements at the Belfast Telegraph IT awards and its Best Employee Development Programme (SME) award win at the Irish News Workplace and Employment Awards.

In 2019, Options received investment from Boston-based Private Equity Firm Abry Partners. This investment has enabled Options to accelerate its growth strategy and develop its technology platform while expanding its global reach in key financial centres.

About Options (www.options-it.com):

Options Technology is the No. 1 provider of IT infrastructure to global Capital Markets firms, supporting their operations and ecosystems.

Founded in 1993, the firm began life as a hedge fund technology services provider. Today, the company provides high-performance managed trading infrastructure and cloud-enabled managed services to over 550 firms globally, providing an agile, scalable platform in an Investment Bank-grade Cybersecurity wrapper.

Options clients include the leading global investment banks, hedge funds, funds of funds, proprietary trading firms, market makers, broker/dealers, private equity houses, and exchanges. With offices in 8 key cities; New York, Toronto, Chicago, London, Belfast, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Auckland, Options are well placed to service its customers on-site and remotely.

In 2019, Options secured a significant growth investment from Abry Partners, a Boston-based sector-focused private equity firm. This investment has enabled Options to considerably accelerate its growth strategy to invest further in its technology platform and expand its reach in key financial centres globally.

Options has been named among the UK’s leading growth companies in the 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, and 2017 Sunday Times HSBC International Track 200 league table.

For more on Options, please visit www.options-it.com, follow us on Twitter at @Options_IT, and visit our LinkedIn page.

About Abry Partners (www.abry.com)

Abry is one of the most experienced and successful sector-focused private equity investment firms in North America. Since its founding in 1989, the firm has completed over $82 billion of leveraged transactions and other private equity or preferred equity placements. Currently, the firm manages over $5.0 billion of capital across their active funds.