Former Nasdaq chief Greifeld to take over as Virtu chairman

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former Nasdaq Inc (NASDAQ: NDAQ) Chief Executive Robert Greifeld will become chairman of trading firm Virtu Financial Inc's (NASDAQ: VIRT) board after the company completes its $1.4 billion takeover of rival KCG Holdings Inc (NYSE: KCG).

Greifeld stepped down as CEO of Nasdaq on Jan. 1 after running the exchange operator since 2003 and transforming it into a more diversified, transatlantic exchange operator.

He will take over from current chairman and Virtu founder Vincent Viola. The company disclosed the move in a regulatory filing on May 31.

Greifeld, along with Silver Lake co-founder Glenn Hutchins, joined forces with Singapore's GIC and Temasek and Canada's Public Sector Pension Investment Board to buy a combined $750 million of new Virtu stock as part of the firm's deal to buy KCG. Hutchins will also join Virtu's board.

Viola, a former chairman of the New York Mercantile Exchange, had been nominated by U.S. President Donald Trump to be secretary of the Army, but withdrew his name from consideration in February due to potential conflicts related to his businesses.

Along with Virtu CEO Douglas Cifu, Viola bought the Florida Panthers of the U.S. National Hockey League in 2013.

(Reporting by John McCrank; Editing by Bill Rigby)

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