Her Story: Arianne Criqui

Cboe Blog
March 26, 2019

For Arianne Criqui, being passionate about work has plenty of benefits outside of the office, too

Arianne Criqui, SVP, Head of Options and Global Client Services at Cboe, wanted a career that would harness the competitive spirit she developed on the swim team at Penn State. “I needed to do something with all that energy,” she says, and that led her to finance.

After college, Arianne started her career in investment banking at Merrill Lynch but soon realized it wasn’t for her. After three years, she made the switch to capital markets and eventually found her calling in derivatives. “I needed to get to a trading floor. Investment banking is notorious for long project timelines, whereas sales and trading can have a much shorter time to market. I loved the fast pace of the trading floor -- or maybe I just have a short attention span,” she jokes.

Arianne had the opportunity to learn more about Cboe before she officially joined the company in January, by serving three years on the company’s advisory board. “I already had such an appreciation for Cboe’s culture, the people and the way Cboe does business globally,” she says. “So it was an easy sale.”

Arianne, who is based in New York, has been on the road frequently since starting at Cboe, and for good reason. “I felt it was critical that within my first five weeks I visit the Kansas City, Chicago and London offices. I wanted to meet everyone and understand what they do and how their teams work within the organization. They are the foundation of the culture, so getting to know everyone was critical, in my mind, to properly integrate myself into Cboe.”

In addition to meeting many Cboe associates, Arianne is excited about the opportunities for Cboe, her new team and Cboe’s ever-growing clients. “In this role, I have the ability to rely upon many long standing customer relationships to position our team globally for further success,” she says. “The support we have internally and externally is motivating and I believe will allow Cboe to continue to grow its leading position.”

Arianne says a mix of both senior leader and peer mentors have had a significant impact on her success by helping her navigate the working world. Further, support from both men and women can help strike the right balance. No matter what, she suggests that everyone just starting their career should seek out a mentor – whether that is a formal or informal relationship seeks out a mentor. “They can serve as an outlet – a place to have constructive conversations about your career with someone who might not be involved in your day to day work,” she says. “I think it has been those relationships that have enabled me to get to where I am today.”

Arianne’s own advice to someone just getting started? Love what you do. “I know it sounds cliché but it’s true,” she says. “When you’re happy and love what you do, your enthusiasm is contiguous.

It shows to your coworkers and it shows in personal life with family and friends, too. Maintaining that energy is important to be a successful team player.”

Arianne’s passion for her work makes all the difference in her home life. Though balance can be a daily struggle, she reminds herself and her family that her priorities ebb and flow. “I have three kids and a great family. I’m giving up time with them to work, so it’s important to me that I enjoy my job and derive meaning from my career,” she says. “It all eventually events out, but if I didn’t love one side of that balance, it would impact everything.”

Arianne notes that she’s seen a lot of change surrounding balance in the workplace since she started her career. “Companies are starting to think thoughtfully about the happiness and healthiness of everyone in the organization and that actually empowers people to be more successful.”

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