Who will lead the New York Stock Exchange?

A MarketWatch columnist notes that John Thain has long maintained that he would hold the top job at the New York Stock Exchange for just three-to-five years. He's less than a year away from the three-year mark, and he has previously stood by his timetable. So the NYSE's board would be wise to address succession issues. Given events, you have to think there are two strong candidates: Jerry Putnam, the former CEO of Archipelago, and Jean-Francois Theodore, the CEO of Euronext, assuming a deal goes through.

> Here's the column.