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Meet The Team

Driving clarity, precision and progress in capital markets technology 

At STAC, our team is built for rigor. From engineers and researchers to technologists and strategists, we bring together deep expertise with an unshakable commitment to objectivity. 

And existing on the cutting edge of technology in Financial Services as we do, we couldn't resist experimenting with Generative AI to create our new headshots.  What do you think?

We’re not
just analysts

We're trusted partners to the industry's top decision-makers. Every benchmark we develop and every insight we produce is grounded in real-world experience, designed to help financial institutions move faster and choose smarter in an increasingly complex technology landscape. 

We thrive on nuance, challenge assumptions, and cut through vendor noise to deliver the clarity that drives competitive advantage. 

Explore Custom Research

Contact our team to explore custom research capabilities and discuss how we can support your critical technology decisions. 

+

reports published

Leadership Team

Jack
Gidding

CEO

Jack leads STAC's community expansion and strategic direction, bringing 30+ years of financial technology experience. He previously held senior roles at London Stock Exchange Group, Refinitiv, and Thomson Reuters, and helped build STAC from the ground up during its first seven years. 

Stuart
Buckland

CTO

Stuart brings 30+ years of technology strategy experience across Internet, data center, and finance sectors. As a former UBS Distinguished Engineer, he led UK Technology R&D and Innovation Labs. Named a STAC Fellow in 2024 for his work on STAC-AI LANG6 benchmark. 

James
Corcoran

Head of AI & Analytics

James leads the AI and Analytics strategy at STAC, where he collaborates with CTOs and senior technologists to evaluate and future-proof their technology investments. He also advises technology vendors on market requirements and drives STAC’s research agenda ensuring it aligns with the evolving needs of the community. With over 15 years of experience in developing data, cloud, and AI solutions, James has held multiple leadership roles at the intersection of business and technology. Prior to STAC, he served as the Chief Growth Officer at database vendor KX, where he shaped the company’s cloud and AI strategies, launched several new products, and was responsible for driving strategic partnerships with major technology vendors. Prior to KX, he was the CTO for Financial Services at First Derivative where he oversaw the implementation of data and analytics platforms for over 100 large financial institutions. James holds an MSc in Quantitative Finance from University College Dublin and an Executive MBA from Imperial College London.

David
Whitney

Head of Business Development

David has spent much of his career as a global sales and business development leader in the APAC region and New York working within the low latency vendor community firms such as AMD/Solarflare, Exablaze, Safran, Nutanix and KX. David is passionate about the value that STAC brings to the end-user and vendor communities and is focused on helping the team grow around the globe. David is an avid skier and sailor and is a native of Connecticut.

The Team

Jennifer Huneck

Manager of Events & Operations

Jennifer keeps the STAC community functioning smoothly. In addition to managing numerous events each year in multiple countries or online, Jennifer handles all administrative processes for the community, ranging from memberships and subscriptions to the STAC website. Before joining STAC, Jennifer worked in 401(k) administration, simplifying processes to increase productivity in an enormously complex field. She holds a BS in Finance from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Matthew Pratscher

Account Representative

Matthew Pratscher is the newest addition to the STAC team. He graduated from Carthage College in 2022 where he studied economics and business administration and played on the varsity baseball team. His responsibilities at STAC include establishing and advancing vendor and end-user relationships, as well as growing the STAC community.

Jun Rui Lee

Researcher

Jun Rui joined the STAC research team to develop research, benchmark standards, and software tools that support STAC’s growing community. He previously worked in Al at nAG and in Market Risk at Goldman Sachs. Jun Rui holds an MSc in Artificial Intelligence from Imperial College London and a BSc in Mathematics with Economics from the London School of Economics.

Ami Wise

Administrator

Ami joined STAC as an Administrator. She holds a BA in Interpersonal and Group Communication and brings extensive experience in marketing, collaboration, and organizational strategy. We are confident that her skills and expertise will be a valuable asset to our team and our customers.

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