London / New York / Hong Kong — 5th December 2024 — Options Technology (Options), a trailblazer in capital markets infrastructure, today announced a landmark partnership with Queen’s University Belfast to launch a new Rowing Academy. The investment will provide £150,000 in funding over the next three years, supporting student-athletes in their pursuit of academic and sporting excellence.
The partnership will enable the newly established Options Rowing Academy at Queen’s to provide enhanced training opportunities, financial support for regattas, and improved resources for its athletes. The investment builds on Queen’s growing reputation as a centre for rowing excellence, following medal-winning performances by its athletes at the recent Paris Olympic Games.
Options already shares close ties to Queen’s Rowing, as world-class rowers Olivia Blundell, Ryan Ballantyne and former Men’s Captain Dominic Murtagh are all current employees of the company.
Danny Moore, President and CEO at Options, commented, “At Options, our commitment to supporting local communities and fostering exceptional talent is at the heart of everything we do. Our continued partnership with Queen’s Rowing is a powerful reflection of those values.
With the launch of the Options Rowing Academy, we are proud to establish a collaboration that will nurture the next generation of athletes and leaders. By providing the resources and support they need, we aim to empower these students to achieve excellence both on the water and in their academic and professional pursuits.”
Speaking about the announcement, Caroline Young, Vice President, Student and Corporate Services, added, “We are incredibly proud of the achievement of our athletes who have flown the flag for Queen’s at the Olympic games and across the world.
We very much welcome the investment that Options has shown in our students and their futures. There is a lot of dedication and hard work involved for our students in pursing their sporting goals whilst studying so it’s important that we take measures to support them in that.
This kind of investment can keep them on track on their course in their research and ensure that they can develop their sporting skills at local and regional level or at the highest levels in national and world rowing.”
Welcoming the sponsorship, Director of Alumni Engagement and Philanthropy Eddie Friel, said: “The generous sponsorship will support students to improve their ability whilst excelling in their studies. It will also deliver financial backing for training and regattas to ensure athletes maintain a balance between the pursuit of sporting goals and a world-class education at Queen’s University.”
The partnership represents another step in Options’ ongoing commitment to community engagement and the development of future talent and follows news of its fundraising efforts for the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust, and PIPS Suicide Prevention Ireland alongside strategic milestones including significant investment from Vitruvian Partners and recent office openings in key markets such as Sydney and Dubai.
ENDS
For media inquiries, please contact Niall McAleer, niall.mcaleer@options-it.com
Options Technology:
Options Technology (Options) is a financial technology company at the forefront of banking and trading infrastructure. We serve clients globally with offices in New York, London, Belfast, Cambridge, Chicago, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore, Paris, and Auckland. At Options, our services are woven into the hottest trends in global technology, including high-performance Networking, Cloud, Security, and AI (Artificial Intelligence).