SEC, Scope Markets, XTB, and More: Executive Moves of the Week

This week in our executive move coverage: Trump named Paul Atkins as the new SEC Chair; Siri Porncharoenrit joined Scope Markets; CFI South Africa named Zihaad Israfil as CEO; GTN enlisted 20-year fintech veteran as European CEO; Britannia welcomed new COO; while Scope Prime named Kearabilwe Nonyana as Head of Africa.

Also, XTB Online Investing added Theocharis Panayi as the General Manager; Muinmos brought in Sa'adeh to lead the Middle East expansion drive, while Advanced Markets hired a new Business Development Head for the UK.

Trump Taps Paul Atkins to Lead SEC

US President-elect Donald Trump picked Paul Atkins to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Atkins, a former commissioner at the agency and veteran of conservative financial space, is expected to steer the agency toward a lighter regulatory approach.

Atkins brings a wealth of experience in the regulatory space. He was the former Republican SEC commissioner under President George W. Bush and has reportedly championed innovation in the financial markets in his past roles. After leaving the agency, Atkins founded Patomak Global Partners, a consulting firm specializing in guiding financial firms through Washington’s regulations.

Learn more about the appointment of Paul Atkins as the new SEC boss.

Siri Porncharoenrit Joins Scope Markets

Siri Porncharoenrit switched to Scope Markets as the Country Manager based in Bangkok, Thailand. According to her LinkedIn profile, Porncharoenrit has been serving in the same capacity at Exinity for seven months now.

Porncharoenrit has an extensive industry background and has worked for notable brands. She was the Country Manager for Thailand at Hantec Markets for more than three years. Prior to this, she was the Business Development Executive and an Account Manager.

Display more about Siri Porncharoenrit's transition to Scope Markets.

CFI South Africa Names Zihaad Israfil as CEO

CFI Financial Group launched its operations in South Africa and appointed Zihaad Israfil as CEO. With nearly two decades of experience in leadership, sales, and trading, Israfil is set to lead the company’s growth and strengthen its presence in the region.

“Our entry into South Africa represents a significant milestone in CFI’s strategic vision for global growth,” said Hisham Mansour, Co-Founder and Managing Director of CFI Financial Group. “We are pleased to have Israfil lead this initiative,” he continued. “His deep understanding of the trading landscape and his dynamic leadership will ensure our success in this important market.”

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GTN Enlists 20-Year Fintech Veteran as European CEO

GTN has named Christopher Gregory as its new CEO for Europe. Gregory will lead the company's efforts to expand its presence in the region, which is a key part of GTN's global growth strategy. Gregory has over 20 years of experience in SaaS solutions, brokerage services, and fintech.

He has a background in launching and scaling businesses in these areas. His expertise includes regulatory compliance, technical knowledge, and strategic leadership. Before joining GTN, Gregory was the Chief Operating Officer at SideCaps for two years. In this role, he managed operations for a platform catering to German SMEs.

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Britannia Welcomes New COO

Britannia Global Markets appointed Martin Ryan, a thirty-year financial services veteran, as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO) and promoted Jodie Kelsall to Chief of Staff (CS). The London-based firm announced these appointments this week as part of its growth initiatives.

Ryan joins Britannia from TP ICAP, where he also served as COO. His extensive career includes leadership positions at the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), where he was CEO of Business Services, and LCH Clearnet, where he served as CIO and board member. Ryan also held significant positions at Morgan Stanley and began his career in JP Morgan's markets sales and trading business.

Highlight more about Britannia's latest executive leadership changes.

Scope Prime Names Kearabilwe Nonyana as Head of Africa

Institutional liquidity provider Scope Prime appointed Kearabilwe (Kea) Nonyana as Head of Africa, strengthening its institutional presence across the continent. The Johannesburg-based executive is the latest regional head, complementing the firm's existing leadership team, which includes Andrew Taylor in APAC and Miranti Rostian in Southeast Asia.

Nonyana brings over a decade of experience in research, analysis, and derivative sales from various banks and brokerages in Johannesburg. Previously, he was an Equity and Derivatives Sales Trader with IG South Africa for over two years. He then spent another two years at ThinkMarkets, where he served, among other roles, as Head of Equity Research.

Disclose more about Scope Prime onboarding of Kearabilwe Nonyana as Head of Africa.

XTB Online Investing Names Theocharis Panayi as General Manager

Polish publicly-listed forex and CFD broker XTB appointed Theocharis Panayi as the General Manager for XTB online investing. Panayi announced in a post on LinkedIn today (Monday) that he will be taking the Cyprus-based role beginning this month.

The experienced legal and compliance expert recently served as the Head of Compliance at Klips Official, which is also based in Cyprus. According to his LinkedIn profile, he served in the role for slightly more than two years. Besides that, for nearly three years, Panayi was the Head of Legal Compliance for TOPFX LTD based in Limassol from 2019.

Display more about XTB Online Investing's onboarding of Theocharis Panayi as General Manager.

Muinmos Names Sa'adeh to Lead Middle East Expansion Drive

Client onboarding platform provider Muinmos expanded into the Middle East market with the appointment of Nadeem Sa'adeh as Regional Business Development Director, marking the company's first strategic hire in the region.

Sa'adeh will spearhead the RegTech firm's growth initiatives in the MENA region, focusing on expanding Muinmos' client portfolio among regulated brokers, banks, digital wallet providers, and crypto firms. His role encompasses sales, strategic partnership development, and regulatory relationship management.

Learn more about the onboarding of Nadeem Sa'adeh as Regional Business Development Director for MENA.

Advanced Markets Hires New Business Development Head for UK

Oksana Remez left Finalto to join the UK unit of Advanced Markets as the Head of Business Development. Her departure from Finalto came after she spent more than nine years there. In her new role, she will lead the company’s global sales strategy, drive business development, and foster client relationships.

“Her vision and leadership in sales and business development will play a crucial role in accelerating our growth and enhancing the value we deliver to our clients,” said Anthony Brocco, CEO of Advanced Markets (UK) Limited, which is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

Investigate more about Advance Markets' recruitment of Oksana Remez as Head of Business Development.