Robert A. Hocking

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Rob Hocking Occupation Executive Vice President, Global Head of Derivatives Employer Cboe Global Markets Location Chicago LinkedIn Profile Website http://www.cboe.com Robert A. Hocking is an American derivatives market executive and product innovator serving as executive vice president, global head of derivatives at Cboe Global Markets, a major exchange network for options and futures. Background Cboe Global Markets Hocking’s career in exchange and derivatives innovation was shaped at Cboe Global Markets, where he held posts including senior vice president, global head of product innovation, overseeing development of proprietary risk-transfer products and S&P 500 Index options, the VIX franchise, and emerging retail-focused instruments. He played a leading role in launching Nanos, a smaller-denomination options product, and worked to expand liquidity and diversify Cboe’s European and US offering. OCC: Board and Advisory Role After retiring from his lab-focused innovation post at Cboe Labs in April 2025, Hocking joined OCC (Options Clearing Corporation) as special advisor to the chairman, supporting board governance, organizational strategy, and OCC’s transition projects, including new clearing platform initiatives. Hocking’s OCC advisory work built on his several years as an OCC board member, where he participated in compensation, performance, and risk management committees. DRW Trading Group Hocking served as global head of equity volatility trading at DRW Trading Group, one of the largest Chicago-based proprietary trading firms, where he ran major index derivatives and volatility trading desks. His tenure spanned the growth of electronic trading and dramatic increases in open interest and volatility product complexity. At DRW, Hocking was a market participant in multiple asset classes, including in U.S. and European futures and options. Goldman Sachs and Hull Trading Before DRW, Hocking was vice president, index derivatives trading at Goldman Sachs, where he contributed to developing advanced trading strategies in institutional equity and index options. Early in his career, he worked at Hull Trading, a renowned quantitative-driven market maker focused on index derivatives, fostering expertise in electronic trading microstructure and risk analysis. Entrepreneurship and Industry Involvement In addition to exchange and trading roles, Hocking co-founded Franco Bicycles and serves on boards, including at Eris Innovations, known for its Eris SOFR Swap futures. He has participated actively in market participant committees and industry innovation working groups across Cboe, OCC, and DRW. Education Hocking holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Risk Management His roles at DRW, Cboe, and OCC involved direct oversight and strategic guidance on risk management frameworks, including risk analytics, margin systems, clearing risk structure, and the design of new futures and options products with robust risk controls. No significant controversies associated with Rob Hocking have been independently reported as of September 2025. The environments Hocking worked in were subject to major regulatory changes and competitive pressure, but no public allegations or disciplinary actions have involved his professional conduct. Video John Lothian News Interviews Cboe’s Rob Hocking talks Nanos and new tools for the retail investor Exploring Bitcoin ETF Options Trading and Vix Innovations With Cboe's Rob Hocking MarketsWiki World of Opportunity Rob Hocking, 2019 Chicago Event References

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