Carbon credit exchange operator Carbon Trade Exchange (CTX) has hired two former IntercontinentalExchange (ICE) executives to help grow its North American business, it said in a statement on Thursday.

Michael MacGregor will join as Chief Strategy Officer. He was a managing director at Climate Exchange plc before it was bought by ICE in 2010 and stayed to lead its environmental commodities business.

Daniel Scarbrough will become President of CTX’s US arm. He was a senior vice president at Climate Exchange and ICE, where he launched dozens of environmental futures and options contracts.

With the appointments, CTX’s US CEO Nathan Rockliff will take a more strategic role in North America and beyond, the statement said.

Australia-based CTX aims to expand its voluntary market business by launching platforms for trade in the RGGI and WCI markets.

CTX chairman and founder Wayne Sharpe also chairs European Environmental Markets plc, which is launching a spot exchange for trading in the EU ETS.

By Ben Garside – ben@carbon-pulse.com