Aquis Exchange
Aquis Exchange has named Thomas Downes as its new head of markets, as part of the firm’s continued expansion of its markets division.
London-based Downes brings extensive electronic trading experience to his new role, and is set to lead the firm’s strategy and operations, as well as driving the growth of Aquis’ pan-European multilateral trading facility (MTF).
He joins from fintech IOX Partners, where he worked as a managing partner for almost three years.
Previously in his career, Downes has held various roles covering liquidity, sales, strategy and execution at ITG for 14 years, before joining Virtu Financial as head of electronic trading sales and strategy for EMEA and executive committee member after the firm acquired ITG in March 2019.
Before this, he worked at Merrill Lynch for more than six years, in various senior and product management positions.
Marex
Marex has appointed Patterson McDonald to the prime brokerage and outsourced trading sales team.
He joins from Jefferies where he had most recently spent five years as vice president, focused on outsourced trading and relationship management and prime sales for new launch hedge funds.
He has previously served in a range of roles at firms including Signpost Capital, Incline Global Management, Perella Weinberg Partners, Stonebrook Fund Management, and Jefferies.
Bobby Croswell, co-head of Americas prime brokerage sales, outsourced trading and capital introduction, Marex said: “Patterson brings a rare combination of experience across trading, technology and institutional sales […] His cross-functional insight means he understands the full trading lifecycle from multiple vantage points – helping clients identify opportunities, navigate complexity and stay ahead of what’s next.”
AccessFintech
AccessFintech has appointed Sarah Shenton as chief executive, succeeding interim chief executive, John Shay.
New York-based Shenton begins her role effective immediately, and brings more than 20 years of experience covering operations, engineering and strategic investing to her new position.
She joins from Goldman Sachs, where she most recently led the value accelerator at the firm’s alternative assets business for more than eight years.
Prior to this, she also worked as an operating executive at the firm for 12 years, covering the oversight of functions in finance, risk, operations, data analytics and technology.
She has also served as a board director for AccessFintech from 2018 to 2025, where she led Goldman Sachs’ Series A investment into the firm.
She takes the helm from Shay, who is set to remain at AccessFintech as special advisor to Shenton, to facilitate the leadership transition and drive expertise.
Flow Traders
Market maker and liquidity provider Flow Traders has appointed former global head of markets at First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), Thomas Spitz as its new chief executive, effective 1 September.
Spitz brings more than two decades of experience leading and building trading operations to his new role, in which he will assume the responsibility for driving the firm’s growth and diversifying its strategy and trading capital expansion plan.
The appointment will also see him taking on the position of executive director of the board, subject to regulatory and shareholder approval.
Spitz takes over from Mike Kuehnel, who was made chief executive in February 2023, and initially joined Flow Traders in 2021 as chief financial officer.
Prior to Flow Traders, Spitz served as chief executive of alternative data and analytics firm, QuantCube Middle East from February 2025. He also worked at FAB from 2022 to 2024, initially serving as head of global markets, and later taking on a senior managing director role.
Previously in his career, he also spent more than 20 years at Crédit Agricole, covering several leadership roles spanning global markets, fixed income, credit and rates, derivatives, alternative products and structured credit markets.