Intercontinental Exchange has signed a three-year deal with ZISHI, the former training arm of prop trading group OSTC, to supply education to ICE staff and clients in the first long-term partnership by ZISHI since it span off OSTC.

London-based ZISHI said on Monday it has signed a three-year deal to provide educational services to ICE staff and, in partnership with the US exchange, to ICE trading clients.

Chris Jenkins, CEO of ZISHI: “We have worked with ICE for many years, but this is the first time we have struck a long-term formal agreement to provide high end training to support their strategic objectives for their members and ICE as a business.”

Jenkins, who was for one year the head of ZISHI when it was part of OSTC Group and has retained that role since ZISHI span off of OSTC in August last year, said the ICE agreement is an example of the longer-term strategic partnerships that ZISHI is keen to strike as an independent.

He said: “The longer-term strategic partnership positions ZISHI as an extension of ICE’s internal education department. This means that we are working very closely with them now to help them realise their objectives via the use of ZISHI’s educational services.”

Jenkins said ZISHI has grown significantly in the past three years, partly through the acquisitions of FSTP in May 2021, BG Consulting in January 2021 and UK options training firm Volcube in late 2020.

“Since ZISHI made two acquisitions in 2021, our offering has become very broad whilst still focusing on financial market participants. We offer everything from Artificial Intelligence, Data science, Governance, Compliance and Regulation, ESG, Professional Skills, full Graduate Programmes, Leadership, as well as continued specialisation in front office education, particularly trading and risk management.”

Jenkins added: “ZISHI has quickly become a strong independent business, naturally fuelled by our recent acquisitions. This growth is reflected in the diversity of our client base, from Investment Banks, Exchanges to Pension Funds, Asset Managers and Trading Houses.”

Tim Campbell, ZISHI’s marketing director, said the training firm and ICE are aligned in their perception of the value of education.   

Campbell said: “Given the turmoil in the market, what we are able to do with our world-class trainers, which ICE sees huge value in, is prepare the existing and the next generation of market participants to deal with that volatility. Our training empowers organisations and their individuals with the knowledge and understanding to navigate these difficult times.”

Chris Rhodes, president of ICE Futures Europe, added: “ICE has been focused on financial education programmes for over a decade, fostered around our belief that creating a more informed financial system by educating business leaders, investors and entrepreneurs about derivatives leads to stronger and more sustainable financial markets for future generations.”