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Nicholas Phillips

Nicholas Phillips

President, ETF Capital Markets Advisors LLC
Nicholas Phillips is the President of ETF Capital Markets Advisors LLC, a consulting firm focused on ETF capital markets, liquidity strategy, market structure, trading execution, and ecosystem coordination.

With more than 27 years of experience across ETF market making, trading, and issuer-side capital markets, Nicholas is recognized as a subject matter expert within the ETF industry. He began his career as a lead ETF market maker at Susquehanna International Group (SIG) and Goldman Sachs, where he spent a decade managing ETF liquidity, trading, and risk across a broad range of products and market environments.

Nicholas subsequently served as Director of ETF Capital Markets at VanEck, overseeing key operational and trading initiatives while deepening the firm’s engagement across the ETF ecosystem. He later led and expanded the ETF desk at MCAP LLC, developing pricing and risk models while strengthening relationships across issuers, market makers, and trading counterparties.

In 2025, Nicholas joined GQG Partners as Director of ETF Capital Markets, where he helped launch the firm’s first ETF before the company paused further ETF expansion efforts.

Today, through ETF Capital Markets Advisors LLC, Nicholas advises ETF issuers and industry participants on launch strategy, liquidity optimization, execution quality, AP and market maker engagement, exchange coordination, and broader ETF market structure dynamics, including current engagements supporting the ETF platforms of Westwood Holdings Group and WEBs ETFs.

Nicholas is also a regular contributor to ETF Central, where he writes extensively about ETF liquidity, market structure, trading mechanics, ecosystem evolution, and the operational realities behind ETF growth. His experience across trading, liquidity, and ETF market structure also positions him well for advisory and board-related roles within the asset management industry.

News by Nicholas Phillips

Are ETFs Getting Too Complicated? Not Necessarily, But Complexity Has a Cost

ETFs were built to make investing simpler. So what happens when the ETFs themselves stop being simple?

Are ETFs Getting Too Complicated? Not Necessarily, But Complexity Has a Cost
Nicholas Phillips
By Nicholas Phillips · September 29, 2026

Who Really Owns a White-Label ETF?

White-label ETFs make launching easier. Breaking up is where things get complicated.

pacer benchmark dispute
Nicholas Phillips
By Nicholas Phillips · September 1, 2026

What If a Futures-Based ETF Never Had to Roll Again?

The next evolution in futures could open a new playbook for ETF issuers.

Futures Roll
Nicholas Phillips
By Nicholas Phillips · August 27, 2026

How Do You Build a Winning ETF Business?

There’s no single playbook for ETF success. And the smartest path may not be the obvious one.

How Do You Build a Winning ETF Business?
Nicholas Phillips
By Nicholas Phillips · August 25, 2026

The Next ETF Battleground Isn't Just Fees. It's Strategy

ETFs won the battle to make investing cheaper. The next battle is over who can use the wrapper to build better portfolios.

chess-piece-strategy-boardgame
Nicholas Phillips
By Nicholas Phillips · August 18, 2026

ETF Creation Windows Matter More Than You Think

Why the timing of ETF creation and redemption cutoffs can affect execution quality on large orders.

ETF Creation Windows Matter More Than You Think
Nicholas Phillips
By Nicholas Phillips · August 13, 2026

Why the Time of Day Matters When Trading an ETF

An ETF may trade from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., but that doesn’t mean every minute of the trading day is created equal.

Why the Time of Day Matters When Trading an ETF
Nicholas Phillips
By Nicholas Phillips · August 12, 2026

The Leveraged ETF Question Nobody Is Asking

The real risk may not be leverage itself, but whether the underlying securities can absorb the hedging and rebalancing pressure during periods of stress.

Leveraged ETFs
Nicholas Phillips
By Nicholas Phillips · August 6, 2026

You Picked the Right ETF. Did You Trade It the Right Way?

The difference between a good ETF investment and a bad one may come down to how you execute the trade.

Investor Trading
Nicholas Phillips
By Nicholas Phillips · August 4, 2026

Who Really Cares About ETF Average Daily Volume?

Most investors judge an ETF by its average daily volume. They may be looking at the wrong metric.

ETF Average Trading Volume
Nicholas Phillips
By Nicholas Phillips · July 28, 2026
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