The number of executive appointments, promotions, and departures jumped this week. Featuring in our executive segment: CFI onboarded two of Amana's former executives; Kypros Zoumidou resigned as Capital.com’s Group CEO; Nomura appointed a new CEO for its European division.

Also, Finalto enlisted Luis dos Santos as Sales Director for Latin America; Capital.com added a new Head of M&A and Corporate Development based in London; Britannia onboarded Neil Welsh as Head of Metals; Saxo Bank split Adam Reynolds’ Role after his exit; Hidden Road promoted Michael Higgins to International CEO.

Elsewhere, STARTRADER brought an ex-MultiBank executive to lead European Business Development, VT Markets named Marex's Former Exec to lead Strategy, while Andrew Biggs was appointed CEO of Finalto Trading.

Executive Moves of the Week

CFI Onboards Two Top Former Amana Executives

CFI Financial Group appointed two industry veterans to its top management team: Ahmad Khatib as Chief Business Development Officer and Ziad Melhem as Chief Marketing Officer. Both executives joined the firm after dedicating nearly two years to Amana as advisors.

Khatib was Amana’s founding CEO, a role he held for 12 years, while Melhem spent eight years with the Gulf-based broker, initially as Chief Marketing Officer and later as Chief Business Development Officer.

In his new role at CFI, Khatib will reportedly focus on implementing the company’s objectives and strategies across markets. His goal is to make the broker “agile and responsive” against its competitors. Melhem, on the other hand, will lead the broker’s marketing efforts, aiming to enhance its brand reach in the MENA region and beyond.

Learn more about CFI's onboarding of Amana's Former executives.

Kypros Zoumidou Resigns as Capital.com’s Group CEO

Capital.com announced Kypros Zoumidou's exit from the role of Global Group CEO after about a year in the position. However, the broker is not replacing Zoumidou with another individual but has decided to follow a regional leadership model, promoting Soutzis as the CEO of the Cyprus entity.

The company clarified that Zoumidou will remain a part of the business and assist with strategic projects. Additionally, he will support the new management in settling into their roles, ensuring continued success in future initiatives.

Discover more about the resignation of Kypros Zoumidou as Capital.com's Group CEO.

Nomura Appoints New CEO for European Division

Nomura announced a significant leadership transition. John Tierney will take over as CEO of Nomura Europe Holdings and Nomura International. The move marks the end of Jonathan Lewis's 10-year tenure as CEO.

Jonathan Lewis, who has held the CEO position since December 2014, reportedly played a pivotal role in steering Nomura through a turbulent financial landscape. His tenure spanned critical events such as Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a wave of regulatory changes.

Read more about Nomura's new pick for the CEO role in Europe.

Finalto Appoints Luis dos Santos as Sales Director for Latin America

Finalto, the liquidity and fintech provider, named Luis dos Santos as its Sales Director for Latin America. Dos Santos previously worked as Global Head of Business Development at Markets.com.

He has also held senior client services and business development roles at IG, LCG, and Trading 212. In his role at Finalto, Dos Santos will reportedly focus on identifying new market opportunities and partnerships.

Find out more about the selection of Luis dos Santos as Finalto's Sales Director for Latin America.

Capital.com Names New Head of M&A and Corporate Development in London

Capital.com appointed Salim Sebbata as Head of M&A and Corporate Development. Based in Capital.com’s London office, Sebbata will oversee the company’s M&A strategy and support its global expansion initiatives.

Sebbata joins Capital.com after holding several senior roles in financial services. Most recently, he was CEO and Director at APM Capital Markets Limited, where he served for six months. Before that, he spent two years as Managing Director at Stryk by BUX and three years as Chief Executive Officer for BUX in the UK and Global Managing Director for Derivatives.

Discover more about Salim Sebbata's transition to Head of M&A and Corporate Development in London.

Britannia Onboards Neil Welsh as Head of Metals

FCA-regulated Britannia Global Markets boosted its trading desk by rehiring Neil Welsh as Head of Metals. He returns to the company after about two years, having previously served as a base metals sales trader there for over three years.

“The highly experienced team of professionals at Britannia Global Markets is what has attracted me to return to the business,” said Welsh. He added, “I am delighted to be back, especially given the firm’s renewed focus on growing its brokerage business, particularly in commodities and metals.”

Show more about Britannia's onboarding of Neil Welsh as Head of Metals.

Saxo Bank Splits Adam Reynolds’ Role after His Exit

Saxo Bank, whose owners are reportedly accepting bids for sale, boosted its management in the Asia-Pacific region with two internal promotions. The broker appointed Damian Hitchen as the Regional Head of APAC and MENA and Mahesh Sethuraman as the CEO for Singapore.

Both executives succeed Adam Reynolds, who previously held the role of APAC and Singapore CEO at Saxo. He stepped down last September after spending a decade with the company.

Learn more about Saxo Bank's new roles for its Asia-Pacific region.

Hidden Road Promotes Michael Higgins to International CEO

Hidden Road, the crypto prime brokerage, promoted Michael Higgins to International Chief Executive Officer, further strengthening its leadership. According to Higgins' update on LinkedIn, he assumed the role last month.

Higgins joined Hidden Road in 2019 as a Partner and Head of EMEA and the UK. He was later promoted to Global Head of Business Development, which was also his most recent role. He is based in London.

Find out more about Hidden Road's promotion of Michael Higgins to International CEO.

STARTRADER Appoints Ex-MultiBank Executive to Lead European Business Development

Sarah Farah started a new role as Head of European Business Development at STARTRADER. Prior to this position, Farah worked at MultiBank Group for nearly two years as Head of International Sales. In this role, she was responsible for overseeing international sales operations and driving the company’s growth in global markets.

She also spent over a year at NAGA, initially as a Sales Team Leader and later as Head of Retention, where she managed customer retention strategies and led the sales team.

Read more about STARTRADER's appointment of Sarah Farah as the Head of European Business Development.

VT Markets Names Marex's Former Exec to Lead Strategy

Online trading platform VT Markets onboarded veteran financial markets professional Ross Maxwell as its new Global Strategy Operations Lead. Maxwell brings over two decades of financial markets experience across major financial hubs including London and Hong Kong.

He previously worked as a dealer for the EMEA region for three years at Marex's London branch and eight years as a Senior Dealer for BGC Partners in the same area. At VT Markets, he will spearhead the development of educational content and trading resources while providing strategic direction for the company's global growth initiatives.

Learn more about VT Market's appointment of Ross Maxwell as the new Global Strategy Operations Lead.

Andrew Biggs Appointed CEO of Finalto Trading

Finalto Group promoted Andrew Biggs to the role of Chief Executive Officer of Finalto Trading. The company sits within Finalto Group and will complement the services provided by industry-leading financial institution Finalto Financial Services.

Effective immediately, Biggs will take on the role of CEO at Finalto Trading, and will lead the company’s strategic vision, focusing on driving innovation and expanding the group’s influence in the global trading ecosystem. Andrew Biggs brings to the role over 15 years of experience in the financial and trading industry. He has a history of impactful leadership in trading and strategic planning.

Discover more about Finalto Trading's promotion of Andrew Biggs as CEO.