The Future of Global Investing: A Conversation with Tony Petrilli

From cross-border market access to 24-hour markets and AI agents—what’s changing, and why infrastructure matters.

Tony Petrilli, Global CEO of ViewTrade, reflects on structural shifts in investing – from the rise of personal computing to the growing demand for cross-border access, always-on markets, and AI-enabled experiences. Tony also shares leadership lessons on resilience, adaptability, and building teams that operate globally.

Host: Lubna Hamdan

Speaker: Tony Petrilli, Global CEO, ViewTrade

Key takeaways

• Cross-border investing is becoming more mainstream. Investors follow opportunities globally, often driven by real-time access to information and products.
• “Global market access” looks simple but it’s operationally complex. Regulations, licensing, tax reporting, FX, settlement, and market data requirements vary by market and asset class.
• Infrastructure can be a differentiator. Strong plumbing may help financial institutions offer global capabilities without building every component internally.
• Momentum toward extended trading hours is growing. As investor expectations evolve, the industry is exploring ways to support broader participation across time zones.
• Resilience comes from discipline. Risk management, reinvestment, flexible technology, and customer focus help firms adapt across market cycles.
• AI agents may change the investing workflow. Faster research, pattern recognition, and automation can reshape how investors discover and act on opportunities.

What “global market access” really means

For the end investor, global access can feel as simple as opening an account and placing a trade. Under the hood, delivering that experience can involve:

• Regulatory and licensing requirements across jurisdictions
• Tax and reporting workflows, including withholding considerations
• Market data access and entitlements that can be costly and complex
• Multi-asset coverage (equities, fixed income, options, futures, digital assets, and more)
• FX and banking rails to move and settle in local currencies
• Operational readiness to support clients across regions and time zones

24-hour markets and always-on expectations

Investor behavior is evolving. As digital-first participation grows, the industry is increasingly focused on accessibility across time zones. Operationally, always-on markets require:

• 24×7 support coverage (not just “end of day” processes)
• Global operating models across regions
• Technology and incident response built for continuous uptime expectations
• Clear governance and controls aligned with local rules and market structure

Leadership and culture: adaptability as a discipline
In discussing events from the dot-com era through the pandemic, Tony emphasizes a repeatable approach:

• Continuous discipline and risk management
• Flexible technology designed to adapt as conditions change
• Customer-first execution (solving problems without passing friction downstream)
• Teams built to move quickly—problem solvers, not rigid operators

AI agents: research in seconds, not hours

AI agents may reduce the time required to gather information, identify patterns, and help investors act faster—while keeping the investor’s preferences and decisions central. As adoption grows, differentiation may come from how effectively institutions integrate these tools into compliant, transparent experiences.

Disclaimer:
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment, legal, tax, or financial advice. Any views expressed are those of the speaker as of the interview date and may change. Availability of products, services, and market access depends on applicable laws, regulations, and client/system capabilities.