Strengthening client relationships across APAC

As Eurex celebrates 15 years in Singapore, the exchange is reflecting not only on its growth in Asia, but also on how client expectations have evolved across the region. In this article, Sophia Sung, Head of Key Account Management Asia at Eurex, discusses how client engagement, operational support, and local expertise have become increasingly important as Asian market participants seek more sophisticated access to global markets.

How have client expectations changed over the past 15 years?

When Eurex first established its presence in Asia, many clients viewed us primarily as a European exchange, with a focus on accessing European markets for diversification, hedging, and broadening their offerings. Engagements were primarily centered on market access and direct membership.

Today, that perspective has fundamentally evolved. Our client base is significantly more diverse, spanning brokers, proprietary trading firms, buy-side institutions, and global players operating across multiple jurisdictions.

Client expectations have shifted accordingly. They are no longer looking solely for access, but for seamless integration into global liquidity pools and end-to-end enablement across the value chain.

This includes operational optimization, advanced connectivity solutions, regulatory guidance, and capital efficiency. In essence, the shift has been from access to a strategic partnership, where Eurex supports clients in navigating regional complexity while aligning with their global trading objectives.

What are clients looking for from Eurex today?

Some of the most valuable insights we gain come from our customer satisfaction survey. Consistently, clients rank knowledge, responsiveness, and reliability among the most important attributes they value in our client engagement.

Knowledge is particularly critical. Clients expect an exchange partner who understands their business models, product interests, trading behavior, and operational challenges.

As Asia is a highly fragmented region with differing regulatory frameworks and market structures, clients value tailored engagement, whether through targeted product and functional consultation, customized communication, or responses adapted to their specific market context.

Ultimately, clients are looking for a trusted partner who can translate complexity into actionable insights, allowing them to effectively manage interactions with multiple CCPs (central counterparties) and trading venues in parallel.

Why is local presence still important in an increasingly digital market?

Technology and automation are essential, but local presence remains a key differentiator, particularly in Asia.

Clients value real-time support in their time zone and the ability to engage with teams who understand local market structures, regulatory nuances, and cultural context. Beyond responsiveness, local teams play a critical role throughout the client lifecycle, from onboarding to ongoing operational support, ensuring a smooth and efficient experience. Workshops, training sessions, and direct dialogue allow for a deeper understanding of complex topics, particularly around regulatory and technological changes.

Equally important, local teams act as the voice of the client internally. We represent Asian market perspectives and client-specific needs in global initiatives, ensuring that functional and product developments fully reflect regional requirements.

While digital capabilities continue to evolve, the human element of proximity, advocacy, and trusted relationships remains fundamental to building long-term partnerships in the region.

How has the extension of trading hours changed client engagement?

The extension of trading hours has fundamentally shifted client engagement from a regional service model to a truly global, continuous partnership.

Clients in Asia are no longer interacting with Eurex as an overnight market; they are participating during core Asia trading hours, with expectations aligned to global standards, including trading and clearing expertise, operational support, and consistent execution.

Today, clients expect the same level of responsiveness and operational resilience during Asian hours as they do in Europe. This shift has also reinforced the importance of reliability and communication, particularly during periods of market stress, where consistency is critical to building long-term client trust.

Sophia Sung

Head of Key Account Management Asia at Eurex

How is Eurex responding to these changing expectations?

Eurex has significantly expanded both its regional presence and service coverage in Asia, alongside extending trading availability to a 21-hour model. This has significantly strengthened our position as a global market infrastructure provider.

We have built a global operating model that enables continuous production support across time zones, ensuring clients receive consistent service regardless of where they operate.

In Asia, this includes dedicated capabilities spanning trading operations, clearing operations, and risk management from 07:00 SGT, supporting the full lifecycle of client activity.

We have also strengthened customer technical support and account management functions to provide timely issue resolution and proactive client lifecycle management.

What will clients expect from exchanges and clearing houses over the next decade?

Efficiency will remain a central theme, particularly in terms of capital usage, operational processes, and market access solutions across regions.

Clients are increasingly focused on optimizing balance sheets and expect CCPs to deliver cross-product margining, netting efficiencies, and innovative collateral solutions that improve capital efficiency.

Second, clients, especially in Asia and other non‑EEA regions, will expect seamless and scalable access to global markets, with simplified onboarding, reduced regulatory and operational friction, and more flexible access models such as Sponsored Access to reach a broader client base, particularly the buy-side.

The resilience of our trading and clearing IT infrastructure is equally critical, with increasing focus on incident management, contingency planning, and communication during disruptions.

Lastly, Eurex has been continuously strengthening its liquidity and distribution globally, connecting European markets more effectively to Asian investors and expanding the trading ecosystem in the region.