Exclusive: Rob Bowen Joins Pepperstone to Head London Office

Rob Bowen joined Pepperstone, the company confirmed to Finance Magnates in a statement. He will continue to be based out of London and will hold the position of Chief Commercial Officer for Europe and South Africa.

Bowen has an extensive career in the trading industry. He most recently held a number of roles at IG Group. His nine-year run with the London-listed brokerage company included several senior positions.

As Managing Director of IG’s South African and EMEA businesses and most recently as Commercial Director of IG’s network of international offices and Executive Committee member, he played a key role for the regional expansion of the UK broker’s business.

His reputation in the industry precedes him. With in-depth knowledge of the European and South African market, he is a strategic hire for Pepperstone at a key time for the industry in the area.

Bowen will be heading Pepperstone’s London office and will join the company later in the new year after a period of gardening leave.

Before joining IG Group, he spent eight years at GNI touch, a part of MF Global and Man Group. He joins Pepperstone at a time when the company has been actively expanding its business in Europe.

Regulatory Developments

The recent change in EU's regulatory requirements towards brokers has created new opportunities. With a solid capital base and a lucrative Australian license, Pepperstone has the opportunity to capture EU clients from its competitors.

The company has an extensive portfolio of products and a competitive offering. The firm is offering cTrader, MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 alongside a number of trader tools, which are becoming more and more important for retention.

The company's UK operation posted solid revenues during its first year as an FCA-licensed broker. The firm's UK Companies House filing for fiscal 2018 revealed about £5 million ($6.4 million) of revenues and a profit of £1.7 million ($2.2 million).

The company started the restructuring of its UK office in late 2018 with the exit of CHAMP IV Funds.