R.J. O'Brien Elevates Heather Rucci to Chief Strategy Officer

R.J. O'Brien & Associates​, the oldest and largest independent futures brokerage and clearing firm in the US, announced on Thursday the promotion of Heather Rucci to its new Chief Strategy Officer.

Rucci joined the company in April 2019 as Managing Director, Human Resources, then rose to become Global Chief Human Resources Officer in July 2021. She will retain oversight of the global human resources (HR) function.

In her new role, Rucci is tasked with working across the firm's core businesses, departments and geographies to supervise long-term planning, ensuring alignment on strategic priorities, partnering with leaders on the appropriate deployment of resources, and streamlining global processes and procedures. She will continue to report to R.J. O’Brien Chairman and CEO Gerald Corcoran.

Prior to R.J. O'Brien, Rucci has spent more than eleven years at Nuveen Investments, with roles including Senior Managing Director, Human Resources and Talent Acquisition, and Assistant Vice President, Human Resources. Earlier in her career, she worked on HR and human capital consulting, first at Mercer Human Resources Consulting and later at Capital H Group.

"Heather has had an extraordinary impact on the organization in a relatively short period of time. She has taken on critical strategic projects that go beyond her human resources expertise, rising to every challenge and further reinforcing her talent, leadership and vision. I'm delighted that she has agreed to take on this new role and have every confidence that she'll make a significant contribution to our global growth going forward," commented Corcoran.

Rucci said: "R.J. O'Brien has an incredible track record of leadership in the industry, and I'm excited to work more closely with the executive team to position the firm for long-term growth and continued success."