Everett Samms

Biography

​​Everett H. Samms, MSG, USAR (Ret.), is a senior financial-markets leader with more than 30 years’ experience across futures trading, derivatives markets, credit risk, market risk, margin operations, and regulatory oversight. He has built and led enterprise risk frameworks for some of the industry’s most established brokerage and futures organizations, possessing deep expertise spanning institutional, commercial, and retail market participants. His professional background integrates operational oversight and technology-enabled risk management, a combination shaped by a strategic mindset and a disciplined, mission-focused approach developed over three decades of military service.

​Most recently, Everett served as Executive Director of Risk – North America at R.J. O’Brien & Associates (RJO), where he led regional risk strategy and oversaw daily exposure monitoring, margin adequacy, and counterparty risk assessment. In this role, he chaired the firm’s Risk Management Unit and was instrumental in modernizing operational risk processes through the implementation of real-time risk analytics and integrated dashboards. Prior to this, he served for nearly two decades as Senior Director and Head of Credit at RJO, directing firmwide credit risk governance, onboarding controls, and exposure oversight while balancing disciplined risk management with business growth objectives.

​Earlier in his career, Everett held senior leadership positions at Refco and PaineWebber, where he managed teams focused on client onboarding, documentation, margin exposure limits, and financial analysis. He also contributed to the design and development of Credit Limit and Line Exception Reporting systems that enhanced risk transparency and operational efficiency. His broad experience extends to legal structures, vendor oversight, and multi-state operational management, where he has guided organizations through complex markets and governance challenges.

​In addition to his financial expertise, Everett served with distinction in both the U.S. Air Force Reserve and U.S. Army Reserve, retiring as a Master Sergeant after 30 years' service. His military leadership included operational, instructional, and advisory assignments—including aircraft maintenance and service in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom—and he is the recipient of multiple commendations recognizing his leadership and operational excellence. He is widely recognized for his strategic mindset and his ability to build robust risk frameworks that align operational efficiency with regulatory expectations.​