Benjamin Klixball Joins Dutch Prop Trader in New York

Benjamin Klixball has joined the Dutch proprietary trading firm IMC Trading in New York after serving as the head of U.S. sales at XTX Markets, according to reports published June 12, 2026. The appointment moves a senior executive from one major non-bank market maker to a direct competitor in the North American liquidity space.

Klixball previously led the U.S. sales efforts for XTX Markets, where he managed client relationships and liquidity distribution in the United States. His move to IMC Trading places him within a firm that specializes in high-frequency trading and market making across global exchanges.

What is the difference between IMC Trading and XTX Markets?

While both firms operate as liquidity providers, they employ different business models. IMC Trading is a proprietary trading firm, meaning it primarily trades its own capital to profit from market inefficiencies. It is headquartered in the Netherlands and maintains a significant presence in options and futures markets.

XTX Markets operates as a non-bank market maker. Unlike traditional prop firms, XTX focuses heavily on providing liquidity to other institutional clients, including banks and hedge funds, particularly in the foreign exchange (FX) and equities markets. XTX is known for its reliance on massive data sets and algorithmic execution to minimize human intervention in trading.

The transition of a sales head from a non-bank market maker to a proprietary trader suggests a strategic focus on client-facing growth for IMC Trading in the New York market.

Why does this executive move matter for the New York market?

The New York financial sector is the primary hub for North American market making. Firms like IMC and XTX compete for the same pool of institutional flow and technical talent. Because these firms rely on proprietary algorithms, the “human” element of the business—sales and relationship management—is used to secure the best order flow from clients.

According to industry standards for proprietary trading, the acquisition of a sales leader from a rival typically aims to expand a firm’s reach into new client segments or to strengthen existing ties with institutional traders. Klixball’s experience at XTX, a firm with a dominant position in FX liquidity, may provide IMC with insights into expanding its footprint in that specific asset class.

How does this fit into broader hiring trends in prop trading?

Talent poaching between high-frequency trading (HFT) firms and market makers is common in the Americas. These firms often compete for a small group of executives who understand both the technical side of algorithmic trading and the regulatory requirements of the U.S. markets.

The competition generally centers on three areas:

• Order Flow: Securing access to the highest quality trades from institutional clients.
• Latency: Improving the speed of execution to beat competitors to a price.
• Regulatory Expertise: Navigating the complex rules set by the SEC and CFTC in the United States.

By hiring the former U.S. sales head of XTX, IMC Trading gains an executive with direct experience managing the American side of a global liquidity operation.

XTX Markets has not issued a public statement regarding the replacement of the U.S. sales head as of June 12, 2026.