His temp job of CEO promises to be eventful nonetheless.

The former chairman of Banque Internationale á Luxembourg took the post last month , most likely at the urging of the grand duchy's banking establishment , because a rudderless Clearstream would be an obstacle to needed consolidation of Europe's clearing and settlement bodies. Says Roelants, ,This is an important time for Clearstream to have a full-time chief executive.,

The former CEO, André Lussi, was suspended following charges of money laundering at Clearstream, and although the company has been exonerated of the principal charges, the investigation is proceeding.

Clearstream is in discussions about possible combinations. Broker-dealers favor a Euroclear-Clearstream merger, but Deutsche Börse , with a 50 percent holding in Clearstream , is nominally in the driver's seat. Still, its relations with Clearstream are said to be at a low ebb: Roelants could pull a surprise.