Merrill Lynch & Co named the NYSE Euronext Chief Financial Officer, Nelson Chai, as its own CFO today, replacing Jeffrey Edwards.

The new appointment is expected to begin December 10.

Chai, 42, takes over Dec. 10, New York-based Merrill said today. He had been finance chief of the NYSE under former Chief Executive Officer John Thain, who started today as Merrill Lynch's CEO.

Nelson was a key advisor to me and the board of directors at NYSE, Thain, 52, said in the statement. He was instrumental in the development of and execution of our international expansion and overall growth strategy.

In January 2006, Chai became CFO of the NYSE. He was the chief numbers cruncher for Archipelago Holdings, the electronic stock trading network acquired by the NYSE, from 2000 to 2005.

The NYSE Euronext exchange's deputy CFO Joost van der Does de Willebois will become acting CFO.

NYSE Euronext Bank of america Investment Merrill Lynch