Binance, Global Trade Capital, Capital.com and More: Executive Moves of the Week

Sunday, 22/10/2023 | 00:00 GMT by Tom Hazan
  • Executive moves that dominated the week's news for the forex, crypto and fintech industries.
executive-moves-of-the-week

Now, in the penultimate week of the month of October, we hope for some positive changes in the forex, crypto, and fintech industries as well as in global news. Let’s review this uptick with the executives who have taken on recent roles and challenges in our executive moves roundup of the week.

Executive Moves of the Week

A Growing List of Departing Binance Executives: Cabossioras Joins the Roster

Binance France has seen another change in its leadership as Stéphanie Cabossioras stepped down from her position as the Executive Director. Her departure marks yet another senior executive leaving Binance this year, adding to the leadership transitions within the cryptocurrency exchange.

David Prinçay, the President of Binance France, confirmed Cabossioras' resignation in a recent post on the social platform X (formerly known as Twitter). Prinçay expressed his gratitude for Cabossioras' contributions to Binance France and wished her the best in her future endeavors.

Uncover more about the growing list of executives leaving Binancem which now includes Cabossioras.

Validus Appoints Andrew Spence as Senior Advisor

Validus Risk Management has appointed Andrew Spence as a senior advisor focusing on pension plans and asset managers. Spence brings three decades of experience in economics, investment strategy, and risk management.

He has previously held senior roles at Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and has been an advisor to HM Treasury and the Bank of Canada. The appointment coincides with plans to expand Validus' services in the pension and asset management sectors.

Sarah Hall
Sarah Hall

Sarah Hall Joins Global Trade Capital to Head Cyprus Office

Global Trade Capital (GTC Group) welcomes Sarah Hall as the General Manager of its new office in Cyprus. Hall, a seasoned industry veteran with over 15 years of experience, has previously worked at Etoro, FX Pro, and Saxo Bank.

She joins GTC from her most recent role at Axi, where she was the Global Head of Settlements. Her expertise in risk and fraud prevention is expected to enhance GTC's policies, ensuring high service and security standards for clients. As part of the company's expansion plans, Hall will focus on setting up the Cyprus branch and enhancing the customer success department.

"Sarah’s extensive industry experience and expertise will play a crucial role in our journey of growth and innovation in the financial services sector,” said Jack Zheng, the CEO of GTC Group.

BJ McAndrews Joins Academy Securities as Managing Director, Head of Securitized Product Sales

Academy Securities, a certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise and Minority Business Enterprise, welcomed BJ McAndrews as Managing Director and Head of Securitized Product Sales.

With 18 years of experience at Wells Fargo Securities, McAndrews brings extensive knowledge in structured product sales and trading. He is planning to strengthen Academy Securities' growing securitized product platform, leveraging his expertise and deep client relationships.

Academy Securities is a prominent disabled veteran-owned investment bank known for its commitment to mission-driven initiatives and dedication to providing meaningful careers to veterans.

Kypros Zoumidou
Kypros Zoumidou

Kypros Zoumidou Replaces Peter Hetherington as Capital.com CEO

Capital.com, owned by Viktor Prokopenya, has had its apex leadership changed through the appointment of Kypros Zoumidou as the Group Chief Executive Officer, replacing outgoing Peter Hetherington. This came as an internal hire, as Zoumidou joined the brokerage group at the beginning of last year as the UK Managing Director and later took up the additional responsibility as the Group's Chief Commercial Officer.

The official announcement today (Monday) detailed that Hetherington will continue to be with the brokerage group in an advisory role until 2026 to ensure a smooth transition and to provide strategic guidance to the company.

Discover more about Kypros Zoumidou replacing Peter Hetherington as the CEO of Capital.com.

Ian Leong
Ian Leong

Tiger Brokers Appoints New CEO in Singapore

Tiger Brokers (Singapore) has announced the appointment of Ian Leong as its new CEO. Leong, who previously served as the Business Development Director for the retail part of the company, has replaced the former CEO Eng Thiam Choon. He brings a wealth of experience from his previous roles in the financial industry, including as the CEO of uSMART Singapore and the Head of Dealing at Phillip Securities.

Dong Ming, the Vice President and Co-Founder of Tiger Brokers Group, expressed his enthusiasm for Leong's appointment. "Leong's strategic vision aligns perfectly with our commitment to growing our presence in Singapore and expanding throughout Southeast Asia."

The CFO, Henry Toh welcomed Leong, highlighting his established track record and alignment with the company's long-term goals.

OKX Hires New Head of Compliance

The crypto exchange OKX has announced that Neil Grant has become its Head of Compliance for the EMEA region. Previously, he served as the Compliance Officer at Crypto Facilities and Chief Compliance Officer at B2C2 and Global Prime Partners.

"I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Head of Compliance EMEA at OKX,” Grant commented on his LinkedIn profile.

Grant’s professional career in finance started at CMC Markets, where he served as a Business Analyst for two years, from 2022.

Kristina Campbell
Kristina Campbell

Ripple's CFO, Kristina Campbell Departs amid Speculation

Kristina Campbell, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Ripple, has left the cryptocurrency payments platform to assume a similar position at the virtual healthcare provider Maven Clinic. Campbell's departure from Ripple took place in October.

The departure news comes in the midst of the ongoing legal battle between Ripple and the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Campbell's LinkedIn profile indicated that her tenure at Ripple ended abruptly after more than two years.

The post offered little explanation for her exit other than describing her time at the crypto firm as "memorable." She joined Ripple in April 2021, following more than four years as the CFO at the payments platform PayNearMe.

Learn more about Kristina Campbell exiting Ripple as the CFO.

R.J. O’Brien Announces Key Executive Promotions

Chicago-based R.J. O’Brien & Associates (RJO), the oldest independent futures brokerage and clearing firm in the US, has promoted Matt Heidkamp to Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer (COO) for its US operations. At the same time, Gemma Lloyd was promoted to COO for the company's EMEA affiliate, R.J. O’Brien Limited.

Both Heidkamp and Lloyd bring extensive experience to their new roles, with Heidkamp having nearly 29 years of experience at RJO in trading and operations, and Lloyd joining earlier this year with over 25 years in client service and sales management roles in the listed derivatives sector.

Johnny Leon Tong
Johnny Leon Tong

Axi Eelevates Ton to Head of RPA

In a separate move, Axi has informed that Jonny Leon Tong was promoted to Head of Robotic and Programming Automation. Tong joined Axi back in 2017 as the Head of Client Services and worked as the General Manager, Head of Financial Operations, and Head of Global Middle Office.

“I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Head of Robotic Programming Automation (RPA) at Axi,” Tong commented.

Oliver Haste
Oliver Haste

Oliver Haste Joins Propellant.digital as Head of EMEA Product

Oliver Haste has been appointed as the Head of EMEA Product at Propellant.digital, a fintech company specializing in data analytics. Haste, who recently led data-related projects at Goldman Sachs, is expected to enhance Propellant's platform and client experience. Propellant's second senior appointment in five weeks indicates the company's ambitious growth plans in the data analytics space.

"It is an exciting time to work in data analytics," said Oliver Haste. "Regulators understand that data holds the key to market transparency while investors realise that the data they need for better investment outcomes is within reach – but organising and analysing it remains the real challenge. Propellant's unique solution unlocks the full potential of market data and I aim to push the boundaries of what all market participants can expect from data analytics software."

Now, in the penultimate week of the month of October, we hope for some positive changes in the forex, crypto, and fintech industries as well as in global news. Let’s review this uptick with the executives who have taken on recent roles and challenges in our executive moves roundup of the week.

Executive Moves of the Week

A Growing List of Departing Binance Executives: Cabossioras Joins the Roster

Binance France has seen another change in its leadership as Stéphanie Cabossioras stepped down from her position as the Executive Director. Her departure marks yet another senior executive leaving Binance this year, adding to the leadership transitions within the cryptocurrency exchange.

David Prinçay, the President of Binance France, confirmed Cabossioras' resignation in a recent post on the social platform X (formerly known as Twitter). Prinçay expressed his gratitude for Cabossioras' contributions to Binance France and wished her the best in her future endeavors.

Uncover more about the growing list of executives leaving Binancem which now includes Cabossioras.

Validus Appoints Andrew Spence as Senior Advisor

Validus Risk Management has appointed Andrew Spence as a senior advisor focusing on pension plans and asset managers. Spence brings three decades of experience in economics, investment strategy, and risk management.

He has previously held senior roles at Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and has been an advisor to HM Treasury and the Bank of Canada. The appointment coincides with plans to expand Validus' services in the pension and asset management sectors.

Sarah Hall
Sarah Hall

Sarah Hall Joins Global Trade Capital to Head Cyprus Office

Global Trade Capital (GTC Group) welcomes Sarah Hall as the General Manager of its new office in Cyprus. Hall, a seasoned industry veteran with over 15 years of experience, has previously worked at Etoro, FX Pro, and Saxo Bank.

She joins GTC from her most recent role at Axi, where she was the Global Head of Settlements. Her expertise in risk and fraud prevention is expected to enhance GTC's policies, ensuring high service and security standards for clients. As part of the company's expansion plans, Hall will focus on setting up the Cyprus branch and enhancing the customer success department.

"Sarah’s extensive industry experience and expertise will play a crucial role in our journey of growth and innovation in the financial services sector,” said Jack Zheng, the CEO of GTC Group.

BJ McAndrews Joins Academy Securities as Managing Director, Head of Securitized Product Sales

Academy Securities, a certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise and Minority Business Enterprise, welcomed BJ McAndrews as Managing Director and Head of Securitized Product Sales.

With 18 years of experience at Wells Fargo Securities, McAndrews brings extensive knowledge in structured product sales and trading. He is planning to strengthen Academy Securities' growing securitized product platform, leveraging his expertise and deep client relationships.

Academy Securities is a prominent disabled veteran-owned investment bank known for its commitment to mission-driven initiatives and dedication to providing meaningful careers to veterans.

Kypros Zoumidou
Kypros Zoumidou

Kypros Zoumidou Replaces Peter Hetherington as Capital.com CEO

Capital.com, owned by Viktor Prokopenya, has had its apex leadership changed through the appointment of Kypros Zoumidou as the Group Chief Executive Officer, replacing outgoing Peter Hetherington. This came as an internal hire, as Zoumidou joined the brokerage group at the beginning of last year as the UK Managing Director and later took up the additional responsibility as the Group's Chief Commercial Officer.

The official announcement today (Monday) detailed that Hetherington will continue to be with the brokerage group in an advisory role until 2026 to ensure a smooth transition and to provide strategic guidance to the company.

Discover more about Kypros Zoumidou replacing Peter Hetherington as the CEO of Capital.com.

Ian Leong
Ian Leong

Tiger Brokers Appoints New CEO in Singapore

Tiger Brokers (Singapore) has announced the appointment of Ian Leong as its new CEO. Leong, who previously served as the Business Development Director for the retail part of the company, has replaced the former CEO Eng Thiam Choon. He brings a wealth of experience from his previous roles in the financial industry, including as the CEO of uSMART Singapore and the Head of Dealing at Phillip Securities.

Dong Ming, the Vice President and Co-Founder of Tiger Brokers Group, expressed his enthusiasm for Leong's appointment. "Leong's strategic vision aligns perfectly with our commitment to growing our presence in Singapore and expanding throughout Southeast Asia."

The CFO, Henry Toh welcomed Leong, highlighting his established track record and alignment with the company's long-term goals.

OKX Hires New Head of Compliance

The crypto exchange OKX has announced that Neil Grant has become its Head of Compliance for the EMEA region. Previously, he served as the Compliance Officer at Crypto Facilities and Chief Compliance Officer at B2C2 and Global Prime Partners.

"I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Head of Compliance EMEA at OKX,” Grant commented on his LinkedIn profile.

Grant’s professional career in finance started at CMC Markets, where he served as a Business Analyst for two years, from 2022.

Kristina Campbell
Kristina Campbell

Ripple's CFO, Kristina Campbell Departs amid Speculation

Kristina Campbell, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Ripple, has left the cryptocurrency payments platform to assume a similar position at the virtual healthcare provider Maven Clinic. Campbell's departure from Ripple took place in October.

The departure news comes in the midst of the ongoing legal battle between Ripple and the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Campbell's LinkedIn profile indicated that her tenure at Ripple ended abruptly after more than two years.

The post offered little explanation for her exit other than describing her time at the crypto firm as "memorable." She joined Ripple in April 2021, following more than four years as the CFO at the payments platform PayNearMe.

Learn more about Kristina Campbell exiting Ripple as the CFO.

R.J. O’Brien Announces Key Executive Promotions

Chicago-based R.J. O’Brien & Associates (RJO), the oldest independent futures brokerage and clearing firm in the US, has promoted Matt Heidkamp to Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer (COO) for its US operations. At the same time, Gemma Lloyd was promoted to COO for the company's EMEA affiliate, R.J. O’Brien Limited.

Both Heidkamp and Lloyd bring extensive experience to their new roles, with Heidkamp having nearly 29 years of experience at RJO in trading and operations, and Lloyd joining earlier this year with over 25 years in client service and sales management roles in the listed derivatives sector.

Johnny Leon Tong
Johnny Leon Tong

Axi Eelevates Ton to Head of RPA

In a separate move, Axi has informed that Jonny Leon Tong was promoted to Head of Robotic and Programming Automation. Tong joined Axi back in 2017 as the Head of Client Services and worked as the General Manager, Head of Financial Operations, and Head of Global Middle Office.

“I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Head of Robotic Programming Automation (RPA) at Axi,” Tong commented.

Oliver Haste
Oliver Haste

Oliver Haste Joins Propellant.digital as Head of EMEA Product

Oliver Haste has been appointed as the Head of EMEA Product at Propellant.digital, a fintech company specializing in data analytics. Haste, who recently led data-related projects at Goldman Sachs, is expected to enhance Propellant's platform and client experience. Propellant's second senior appointment in five weeks indicates the company's ambitious growth plans in the data analytics space.

"It is an exciting time to work in data analytics," said Oliver Haste. "Regulators understand that data holds the key to market transparency while investors realise that the data they need for better investment outcomes is within reach – but organising and analysing it remains the real challenge. Propellant's unique solution unlocks the full potential of market data and I aim to push the boundaries of what all market participants can expect from data analytics software."

About the Author: Tom Hazan
Tom Hazan
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Coming from a background in English Education, Tom joined Finance Magnates in Autumn 2020, originally as a Content Specialist and Proofreader in his first year. Having completed three successful years with the FM News desk, he has since worked with the team as both an editor and a proofreader. Previously, he spent almost two decades in the field of education, working around the globe at different institutions and companies, which has influenced him considerably after being immersed in various cultures and business environments. Now fully developed in this field, he is relishing the challenge of constantly adapting to the ever-changing fintech industry and all the developments that arise. He holds a bachelor's degree in Marketing and a higher diploma in English Teaching from Cambridge University.

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