Ben Smoker has been named as the new Australian chief executive for Saxo Capital Markets, replacing former chief executive Anthony Griffin who left the company in April 2016.
The company has also announced that Nik Kritikos will step into the role of head of institutional business in Australia.
The changes to the executive team have been made “in line with a global realignment with the group’s fintech and new business goals”, said a spokesperson for Saxo Capital Markets.
Saxo Capital Markets chief executive for Asia Pacific, Adam Reynolds, said the new appointments would help the firm grow its services for institutional clients in Australia.
“Our main goal in the institutional space is to facilitate and grow existing partner relationships and to enhance our position as a leading fintech innovator and enabler of new business in this dynamic market,” Mr Reynolds said.
“Ben and Nik’s leadership and experience will no doubt resonate with clients and further strengthen the local institutional business, as well as our well established private client offer,” he said.
Mr Smoker has 20 years of experience in financial services, most recently holding the positions of country head of GAIN Capital Australia and head of sales trading and equity derivatives and structured products at Royal Bank of Scotland.
Mr Kritikos was previously an executive director of global cash equities at JP Morgan.
“The needs of institutional clients are constantly evolving, and fintech disruption is impacting the financial services industry at a rapid pace,” Mr Reynolds said.
“Saxo is well placed to support a variety of institutional market segments including both the disrupters and the disrupted in this evolving environment, including retail banks, brokers, advisers and the growing realm of local asset managers in Australia,” he said.
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