Press Releases

Largest training dealing facilities in Europe open at ICMA Centre in Reading – University of Reading

Release Date : 28 January 2009

The ICMA Centre at the Henley Business School, University of Reading, is opening state-of-the-art new facilities, including a new flagship dealing room.

The new building, which has cost £6.5 million, includes a new 40-seat dealing room equipped by Thomson Reuters, making the ICMA Centre the largest training facility of its kind in Europe. The dealing room runs the latest Thomson Reuters feeds on four plasma screens and there is also a ticker tape running the financial information in the atrium.

The new extension links to the 1998 ICMA Centre itself and houses a 185-seat lecture theatre, seminar room, media centre and dedicated research area. The latest AV equipment allows for live streaming of lectures and podcasts and there is a dedicated career development office.

Professor John Board, Director ICMA Centre, said: "We are all delighted that our new facilities surpass expectations and are now ready for use by our students. Our new building was generously funded by the International Capital Market Association and reinforces their belief in the University and, of course, in the importance of education - particularly at a time when both the economy and the finance industry face so many challenges."

The Centre is being opened to alumni, stakeholders and industry representatives at 5pm on Wednesday 28 January. Attendees include

René Karsenti, Executive President, International Capital Market Association, Susan Taylor-Martin, Managing Director & SCO, UK & Ireland, Thomson Reuters and Alexis Lautenberg, Swiss Ambassador to the UK.

The building has been made possible by a major donation of £5 million by the International Capital Market Association (ICMA). The relationship with the International Capital Market Association started in 1991 with the creation of the ICMA Centre and a donation of £3m in 1997 for the current building. The ICMA Centre also runs all of ICMA's executive education programmes. The relationship with Thomson Reuters (then Reuters) began in 1998.

ENDS

Further information from Alex Brannen, Media Relations Manager at the University of Reading on 0118 378 7388 / 07834 006243

Notes to editors:

The ICMA Centre, University of Reading has an international reputation for providing quality undergraduate, postgraduate and professional programmes tailored to the capital markets industry. The ICMA Centre's success is based not only on the integration of applied finance theory and industry specific training but also its considerable professional and academic expertise, and strong links with companies and trade associations in the global finance industry.

Established in 1991 with funding provided by the International Capital Market Association (ICMA) in Zurich, the Centre is housed in a purpose-built modernist building with state-of-the-art facilities including two dealing rooms using software similar to those found in major investment banks.