What happens to NYSE Euronext?
Thain spent his nearly four years at the helm of the Big Board breaking it away from its insular roots and building it into a global, electronically oriented, multiproduct exchange. Heir Duncan Niederauer–like Thain, a Goldman alum–has a track record of supporting electronic trading. He even once said some disparaging things about the Big Board’s floor brokers. His leadership at NYSE Euronext (nyse: NYX – news – people ) will probably involve even more evolution toward electronic trading, a build-up of the company’s operations in Asia, and NYSE’s entry into derivatives trading.