Kraken and CAPEX.com also reported notable executive moves this week.
This week in our executive news coverage: Kraken recruited Stephanie Lemmerman as the new Chief Financial Officer; Virgin Money's Former Executive joined IG Group as CFO; Swissquote promoted a 22-year veteran to the new People Chief Post; and Exinity's Former Country Manager will now lead CAPEX.com in Colombia. Elsewhere, Binance's Former executive joined the crypto exchange Bitget.
Executive Moves of the Week
Kraken Recruits Stephanie Lemmerman as Chief Financial Officer
Kraken hired Stephanie Lemmerman as its new Chief Financial Officer. Lemmerman, who has a background in fintech and crypto, will step into the new role as the exchange aims to deepen its presence in the crypto and financial sectors. Lemmerman has extensive experience in the financial landscape, including her recent tenure as CFO at Dapper Labs, a blockchain and NFT company.
Stephanie Lemmerman, Source: LinkedIn
Commenting about the appointment, Arjun Sethi, the Co-CEO at Kraken, said: “Stephanie has deep expertise across fintech, gaming, and consumer crypto at scale. She’s one of the best financial and operations thinkers I've met in a long time. As we continue on our path of growth, I look forward to partnering with her to build more bridges into the world of crypto rails and between traditional finance and decentralized financial technology.”
Virgin Money's Former Executive Joins IG Group as CFO
IG Group named Clifford Abrahams Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director, effective December. Abrahams will join the Board in his new role. He brings experience as a CFO across major financial institutions.
Clifford Abrahams, Source: LinkedIn
Most recently, Abrahams served as Group CFO for Virgin Money UK, a position he held since 2021. Before Virgin Money, he was Group CFO at ABN AMRO Bank for nearly four years. He held the same role at the Dutch insurer Delta Lloyd Group.
Swissquote Promotes 22-Year Veteran to New People Chief Post
Swissquote created the Chief People Officer position and appointed its long-serving Head of Human Resources, Tara Yip, to the new role effective January. The appointment marked a significant strategic shift for Switzerland's online bank as it elevates human capital management to the executive level.
Yip, who has led Swissquote's HR operations for over two decades, will reportedly join the company's Executive Management team in her new capacity. A Swiss native born in 1973, Yip reportedly brings extensive experience in talent management, diversity initiatives, and organizational development to the role.
Exinity's Former Country Manager to Lead CAPEX.com in Colombia
Geofrey Briñez joined CAPEX.com as Country Manager in Colombia. Briñez brings extensive experience from several previous responsibilities to in the financial and tech industries. Most recently, Briñez was the Country Manager at Exinity for six months, focusing on product launches and strategic growth.
Geofrey Briñez, Source: LinkedIn
Before this, he worked at Equiti Capital as a Business Development and Account Manager for about two and half years, where he focused on business development within the Latin American market. Briñez also held short-term roles, including as a Sales Specialist at LB Sistemas.
Another Former Binance Exec Joins Bitget Crypto Exchange
Bitget appointed Min Lin, Binance's Former Regional Vice President for Latin America, as its Chief Business Officer. Lin will reportedly focus on strengthening Bitget's presence in key regional markets and expanding its product offerings.
Min Lin, Source: Bitget
Lin joined Bitget after leading Binance's Latin American operations, where he played a key role in regulatory compliance and strategic growth. Prior to entering the crypto sector, he served as an executive director in Goldman Sachs' Global Markets Division for over five years.
This week in our executive news coverage: Kraken recruited Stephanie Lemmerman as the new Chief Financial Officer; Virgin Money's Former Executive joined IG Group as CFO; Swissquote promoted a 22-year veteran to the new People Chief Post; and Exinity's Former Country Manager will now lead CAPEX.com in Colombia. Elsewhere, Binance's Former executive joined the crypto exchange Bitget.
Executive Moves of the Week
Kraken Recruits Stephanie Lemmerman as Chief Financial Officer
Kraken hired Stephanie Lemmerman as its new Chief Financial Officer. Lemmerman, who has a background in fintech and crypto, will step into the new role as the exchange aims to deepen its presence in the crypto and financial sectors. Lemmerman has extensive experience in the financial landscape, including her recent tenure as CFO at Dapper Labs, a blockchain and NFT company.
Stephanie Lemmerman, Source: LinkedIn
Commenting about the appointment, Arjun Sethi, the Co-CEO at Kraken, said: “Stephanie has deep expertise across fintech, gaming, and consumer crypto at scale. She’s one of the best financial and operations thinkers I've met in a long time. As we continue on our path of growth, I look forward to partnering with her to build more bridges into the world of crypto rails and between traditional finance and decentralized financial technology.”
Virgin Money's Former Executive Joins IG Group as CFO
IG Group named Clifford Abrahams Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director, effective December. Abrahams will join the Board in his new role. He brings experience as a CFO across major financial institutions.
Clifford Abrahams, Source: LinkedIn
Most recently, Abrahams served as Group CFO for Virgin Money UK, a position he held since 2021. Before Virgin Money, he was Group CFO at ABN AMRO Bank for nearly four years. He held the same role at the Dutch insurer Delta Lloyd Group.
Swissquote Promotes 22-Year Veteran to New People Chief Post
Swissquote created the Chief People Officer position and appointed its long-serving Head of Human Resources, Tara Yip, to the new role effective January. The appointment marked a significant strategic shift for Switzerland's online bank as it elevates human capital management to the executive level.
Yip, who has led Swissquote's HR operations for over two decades, will reportedly join the company's Executive Management team in her new capacity. A Swiss native born in 1973, Yip reportedly brings extensive experience in talent management, diversity initiatives, and organizational development to the role.
Exinity's Former Country Manager to Lead CAPEX.com in Colombia
Geofrey Briñez joined CAPEX.com as Country Manager in Colombia. Briñez brings extensive experience from several previous responsibilities to in the financial and tech industries. Most recently, Briñez was the Country Manager at Exinity for six months, focusing on product launches and strategic growth.
Geofrey Briñez, Source: LinkedIn
Before this, he worked at Equiti Capital as a Business Development and Account Manager for about two and half years, where he focused on business development within the Latin American market. Briñez also held short-term roles, including as a Sales Specialist at LB Sistemas.
Another Former Binance Exec Joins Bitget Crypto Exchange
Bitget appointed Min Lin, Binance's Former Regional Vice President for Latin America, as its Chief Business Officer. Lin will reportedly focus on strengthening Bitget's presence in key regional markets and expanding its product offerings.
Min Lin, Source: Bitget
Lin joined Bitget after leading Binance's Latin American operations, where he played a key role in regulatory compliance and strategic growth. Prior to entering the crypto sector, he served as an executive director in Goldman Sachs' Global Markets Division for over five years.
CFI Promotes Charbel Saleh to Global Head of Business Operations
Exness expands its presence in Africa: Inside our interview with Paul Margarites in Cape Town
Exness expands its presence in Africa: Inside our interview with Paul Margarites in Cape Town
Finance Magnates met with Paul Margarites, Exness regional commercial director for Sub-Saharan Africa, during a visit to the firm’s office opening in Cape Town. In this talk, led by Andrea Badiola Mateos, Co-CEO at Finance Magnates, Paul shares views on the South African trading space, local user behavior, mobile trends, regulation, team growth, and how Exness plans to grow in more markets across the region. @Exness
Read the article at: https://www.financemagnates.com/thought-leadership/exness-expands-its-presence-in-africa-inside-our-interview-with-paul-margarites/
#exness #financemagnates #exnesstrading #CFDtrading #tradeonline #africanews #capetown
Finance Magnates met with Paul Margarites, Exness regional commercial director for Sub-Saharan Africa, during a visit to the firm’s office opening in Cape Town. In this talk, led by Andrea Badiola Mateos, Co-CEO at Finance Magnates, Paul shares views on the South African trading space, local user behavior, mobile trends, regulation, team growth, and how Exness plans to grow in more markets across the region. @Exness
Read the article at: https://www.financemagnates.com/thought-leadership/exness-expands-its-presence-in-africa-inside-our-interview-with-paul-margarites/
#exness #financemagnates #exnesstrading #CFDtrading #tradeonline #africanews #capetown
Interview with Jas Shah
Builder | Adviser | Fintech Writer | Product Strategist
In this episode, Jonathan Fine sat down with Jas Shah, one of the most thoughtful voices in global fintech. Known for his work across advisory, product, stablecoins, and his widely read writing, Jas brings a rare combination of industry insight and plain-spoken clarity.
We talk about his first impression of the Summit, the projects that keep him busy today, and how they connect to the stablecoin panel he joined. Jas shares his view on the link between fintech, wealthtech and retail brokers, especially as firms like Revolut, eToro and Trading212 blur long-standing lines in the market.
We also explore what stablecoin adoption might look like for retail investment platforms, including a few product and UX angles that are not obvious at first glance.
To close, Jas explains how he thinks about writing, and how he approaches “shipping” pieces that spark debate across the industry.
Interview with Jas Shah
Builder | Adviser | Fintech Writer | Product Strategist
In this episode, Jonathan Fine sat down with Jas Shah, one of the most thoughtful voices in global fintech. Known for his work across advisory, product, stablecoins, and his widely read writing, Jas brings a rare combination of industry insight and plain-spoken clarity.
We talk about his first impression of the Summit, the projects that keep him busy today, and how they connect to the stablecoin panel he joined. Jas shares his view on the link between fintech, wealthtech and retail brokers, especially as firms like Revolut, eToro and Trading212 blur long-standing lines in the market.
We also explore what stablecoin adoption might look like for retail investment platforms, including a few product and UX angles that are not obvious at first glance.
To close, Jas explains how he thinks about writing, and how he approaches “shipping” pieces that spark debate across the industry.
Vitalii Bulynin Talks About Versus Trade, New Pairs, and Big Plans
Vitalii Bulynin Talks About Versus Trade, New Pairs, and Big Plans
In this interview, Versus Trade Co-Founder Vitalii Bulynin explains how the company got its license fast, why its trading pairs are fresh and fun, and what the team will build next.
He also discusses the most active pairs, the IB and MIB plans, and hiring needs for new markets.
Watch the whole talk to learn more about how Versus Trade works and where it is heading.
#financemagnates #VersusTrade #TradingPairs #BTCvsGold #goldtrading #innovation
In this interview, Versus Trade Co-Founder Vitalii Bulynin explains how the company got its license fast, why its trading pairs are fresh and fun, and what the team will build next.
He also discusses the most active pairs, the IB and MIB plans, and hiring needs for new markets.
Watch the whole talk to learn more about how Versus Trade works and where it is heading.
#financemagnates #VersusTrade #TradingPairs #BTCvsGold #goldtrading #innovation
Marketing in 2026 Audiences, Costs, and Smarter AI
Marketing in 2026 Audiences, Costs, and Smarter AI
As brokers eye B2B business and compete with fintechs and crypto exchanges alike, marketers need to act wisely with often limited budgets. AI can offer scalable solutions, but only if used properly.
Join seasoned marketing executives and specialists as they discuss the main challenges they identify in financial services in 2026 and how they address them.
Attendees of this session will walk away with:
- A nuts-and-bolts account of acquisition costs across platforms and geos
- Analysis of today’s multi-layered audience segments and differences in behaviour
- First-hand account of how global brokers balance consistency and local flavour
- Notes from the field about intelligently using AI and automation in marketing
Speakers:
-Yam Yehoshua, Editor-In-Chief at Finance Magnates
-Federico Paderni, Managing Director for Growth Markets in Europe at X
-Jo Benton, Chief Marketing Officer, Consulting | Fractional CMO
-Itai Levitan, Head of Strategy at investingLive
-Roberto Napolitano, CMO at Innovate Finance
-Tony Cross, Director at Monk Communications
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #FintechMarketing #AI #DigitalStrategy #Fintech #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
As brokers eye B2B business and compete with fintechs and crypto exchanges alike, marketers need to act wisely with often limited budgets. AI can offer scalable solutions, but only if used properly.
Join seasoned marketing executives and specialists as they discuss the main challenges they identify in financial services in 2026 and how they address them.
Attendees of this session will walk away with:
- A nuts-and-bolts account of acquisition costs across platforms and geos
- Analysis of today’s multi-layered audience segments and differences in behaviour
- First-hand account of how global brokers balance consistency and local flavour
- Notes from the field about intelligently using AI and automation in marketing
Speakers:
-Yam Yehoshua, Editor-In-Chief at Finance Magnates
-Federico Paderni, Managing Director for Growth Markets in Europe at X
-Jo Benton, Chief Marketing Officer, Consulting | Fractional CMO
-Itai Levitan, Head of Strategy at investingLive
-Roberto Napolitano, CMO at Innovate Finance
-Tony Cross, Director at Monk Communications
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #FintechMarketing #AI #DigitalStrategy #Fintech #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
Fail Better Trading Tech to Tackle Industry Risks
Fail Better Trading Tech to Tackle Industry Risks
Much like their traders in the market, brokers must diversify to manage risk and stay resilient. But that can get costly, clunky, and lengthy.
This candid panel brings together builders across the trading infrastructure space to uncover the shifting dynamics behind tools, interfaces, and full-stack ambitions.
Attendees will hear:
-Why platform dependency has become one of the most overlooked risks in the trading business?
-Buy vs. build: What do hybrid models look like, and why are industry graveyards filled with failed ‘killer apps’?
-How AI is already changing execution, risk, and reporting—and what’s next?
-Which features, assets, and tools gain the most traction, and where brokers should look for tech-driven retention?
Speakers:
-Stephen Miles, Chief Revenue Officer at FYNXT
-John Morris, Co-Founder at FXBlue
-Matthew Smith, Group Chair & CEO at EC Markets
-Tom Higgins, Founder & CEO at Gold-i
-Gil Ben Hur, Founder at 5% Group
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #Trading #Fintech #FintechInnovation #TradingTechnology #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
Much like their traders in the market, brokers must diversify to manage risk and stay resilient. But that can get costly, clunky, and lengthy.
This candid panel brings together builders across the trading infrastructure space to uncover the shifting dynamics behind tools, interfaces, and full-stack ambitions.
Attendees will hear:
-Why platform dependency has become one of the most overlooked risks in the trading business?
-Buy vs. build: What do hybrid models look like, and why are industry graveyards filled with failed ‘killer apps’?
-How AI is already changing execution, risk, and reporting—and what’s next?
-Which features, assets, and tools gain the most traction, and where brokers should look for tech-driven retention?
Speakers:
-Stephen Miles, Chief Revenue Officer at FYNXT
-John Morris, Co-Founder at FXBlue
-Matthew Smith, Group Chair & CEO at EC Markets
-Tom Higgins, Founder & CEO at Gold-i
-Gil Ben Hur, Founder at 5% Group
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #Trading #Fintech #FintechInnovation #TradingTechnology #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
