OANDA hires a compliance leader from IG, MultiBank's growth head joins a prop group: what this month's broker hires say

Executive appointments rarely make headlines outside the trade press, but they are one of the clearest signals of where companies are investing. Early October brought a cluster of moves across retail brokerage. OANDA hired Karolina Jasica from IG Group as global compliance officer, according to an exclusive report by FX News Group. Mitrade appointed Christopher Brankin, formerly of Capital.com and TD Ameritrade, as global markets advisor. Offshore CFD broker Bullwaves hired FP Markets executive Martin Stoilov as chief operating officer. And MultiBank's chief product and growth officer, Dana Massey, moved to prop firm group Next Ventures.

Read together, the moves map the industry's priorities in late 2026: compliance strength in a tougher regulatory climate, operational scaling and client retention as margins tighten, and the gravitational pull of prop trading on growth talent. For brokers planning their own hiring, and for professionals weighing their next move, the pattern is worth understanding.

OANDA strengthens compliance with IG talent

OANDA's hire of Karolina Jasica as global compliance officer brings experience from IG, one of the world's largest listed retail brokers, to a firm that operates under multiple regulators. A global compliance role at a broker of OANDA's scale covers licensing across jurisdictions, conduct rules, anti-money laundering programmes and regulatory relationships.

The timing reflects the environment. Regulators in Europe, Asia and elsewhere have intensified scrutiny of retail brokers, from marketing and leverage to client onboarding and complaints. ESMA has just told crypto firms to stop serving non-compliant stablecoins, and Asian regulators continue to act against unlicensed platforms. Strong compliance leadership is now a competitive necessity rather than a cost centre.

It also reflects IG's turbulent period. IG's shares fell as much as 27 percent on 2 October after a weak trading update, as we covered in our report on IG's revenue retention. Periods of pressure at large firms often lead to talent moving to competitors.

Compliance hires also carry a signal to regulators. A firm that recruits experienced compliance leadership from a large listed competitor demonstrates seriousness about its obligations, which can help in licence applications and supervisory relationships. In a year of heavy enforcement activity, that signal has commercial value.

Mitrade adds a markets adviser

Mitrade's appointment of Christopher Brankin as global markets advisor brings experience from Capital.com, a fast-growing multi-regulated broker, and TD Ameritrade, the US brokerage acquired by Charles Schwab. Advisory roles of this kind typically support strategy, product development and market expansion.

Mitrade, which has built a presence in Asia Pacific, is one of several brokers seeking to professionalise its leadership as it grows. Bringing in executives from larger, established firms helps with credibility among partners, regulators and institutional counterparties.

The appointment fits a broader trend of executives moving between brokers with different business models, from multi-regulated European firms to Asia-focused groups. Experience navigating several regulatory regimes is especially valued.

Follow the hires to read the strategy. This month the money went to compliance, retention and prop trading.

Advisers with experience at large US brokers bring perspective on product design, execution quality and client experience at scale. For brokers growing in Asia Pacific, where competition is intense and clients increasingly compare platforms with global investing apps, that perspective can shape how products are built and marketed.

Bullwaves bets on scaling and retention

Offshore CFD broker Bullwaves hired Martin Stoilov from FP Markets as chief operating officer, with a mandate to oversee operational scaling and client retention, according to FX News Group. Finance Magnates described him as FP Markets' former head of client relations.

Retention has become a priority across the industry. Acquiring retail trading clients is expensive, with marketing, affiliate commissions and promotions adding up, and many clients leave within months. Brokers that keep clients longer through better service, education and communication can grow more profitably.

Operational scaling matters for fast-growing offshore brokers in particular. Payments, onboarding, support and risk management must keep pace with client growth across many countries, and weaknesses in any of them lead to complaints and regulatory attention.

• OANDA: Karolina Jasica, from IG, global compliance officer.
• Mitrade: Christopher Brankin, ex-Capital.com and TD Ameritrade, global markets advisor.
• Bullwaves: Martin Stoilov, from FP Markets, chief operating officer.
• Next Ventures: Dana Massey, from MultiBank, prop firm group role.
• Devexperts: new chief executive named; OUINEX: Nathan Meyer, South Africa managing director.

The language of the appointment is telling. Retention and operational scaling are rarely the headline priorities for young offshore brokers, which tend to focus on acquisition. Making them the explicit mandate of a chief operating officer suggests a shift toward building a durable client base rather than chasing volume.

Prop trading pulls in growth talent

Dana Massey's move from MultiBank, where he was chief product and growth officer, to prop firm group Next Ventures is part of a wider flow of talent toward prop trading. OUINEX also appointed prop firm founder Nathan Meyer as South Africa managing director, according to Finance Magnates.

Prop trading has grown quickly, with leading firms such as FTMO paying out more than 14 million dollars in September alone, as we covered in our report on September prop payouts. Investors including senior figures from Citadel Securities, BlackRock and KKR have backed new entrants such as Vest Labs. That growth creates demand for executives who understand product, marketing and risk at scale.

For brokers, the competition for growth talent from prop firms is a new pressure. Executives who built client acquisition engines at brokers can apply the same skills to prop firms, where challenge fees and rapid scaling offer attractive opportunities.

The flow of talent also blurs the line between brokers and prop firms. Several brokers have launched prop offerings, and prop firms increasingly partner with or own brokers to handle execution. Executives who understand both models are well placed as the sectors converge.

Technology and payments moves

Technology providers are also reshuffling leadership. Devexperts, which builds trading platforms and market data solutions for brokers, named a new chief executive, according to Finance Magnates. In payments, Tribe Payments named former Euronet executive Alex Lim as head of sales and solutions for Asia Pacific, according to Fintech News Singapore.

These moves reflect the growing importance of technology in brokerage. As cTrader opens plugins to brokers and platforms compete on features, technology vendors are investing in leadership to capture demand. Payment providers serving brokers and fintechs in Asia are expanding regional teams as cross-border volumes grow.

For brokers, the quality of technology partners shapes client experience. Leadership changes at vendors can signal new strategies, products or priorities worth tracking.

What the moves mean for brokers and professionals

For brokers, the lesson is that talent follows priorities. Firms that want to win in a tougher regulatory climate need experienced compliance leaders. Those facing margin pressure need operators who can scale efficiently and keep clients. And all of them now compete with prop firms for growth talent.

For professionals, the market rewards experience across regulatory regimes and business models. Executives who have worked at large listed brokers, multi-regulated firms and fast-growing offshore or prop businesses are in demand.

For the industry, announcing hires well is part of building credibility. A clear explanation of why a leader was hired and what they will do signals strategy to clients, partners and regulators.

This month's broker appointments tell a coherent story. Compliance expertise is moving to firms that need regulatory strength, operators are being hired to scale and retain clients as margins tighten, and prop trading is pulling growth talent away from traditional brokers. For firms planning their next moves, the hires are a roadmap of where the industry believes value will be created in 2027.