Berenberg
Berenberg has made two strategic hires to its algorithmic and program trading teams, as part of the firm’s push to bolster its product portfolio and drive institutional growth.
As part of the expansion, the firm has appointed Nishad Vallonthaiel as head of liquidity solutions.
In his new position, Vallonthaiel will play a key role in connecting retail and institutional liquidity, and is set to support the firm in enhancing its algorithmic trading capabilities.
He joins from Peel Hunt, where he had served as head of electronic and program trading since 2023. He left the firm in June 2025, as reported by The TRADE at the time.
Additionally, the firm has also appointed former Bernstein director, Reid Farah as head of index and quant research, where he is set to lead the firm’s Polygon service.
Farah joins the firm following 14 years at Bernstein in London, where he most recently served as managing director and head of portfolio trading strategy and risk.
Kepler Cheuvreux
Kepler Cheuvreux has made additions to its global team with three new hires spanning London and New York, all effective 1 September.
Among the appointments is Edward Bowler, who joins the firm as a UK high touch sales trader based out of London.
He brings extensive sales trading experience to his new position, and joins Kepler Cheuvreux from ABG Sundal Collier, where he worked as a senior sales trader for almost six years.
Prior to this, he worked at Societe Generale for more than 12 years.
Also joining the Kepler Cheuvreux team in London is Sam Dawson, who will hold the position of high touch sales trader for the UK hedge funds client zone.
Kepler Cheuvreux’s appointments also extend to New York, where Brian Foley will be joining the team in an execution sales role.
Foley joins the firm from Provable Markets, where he worked as managing director of sales for more than two years.
Previously in his career, he worked extensively at Liquidnet across both Tokyo and New York, before later becoming global sales manager at the firm.
Citi
Citi has named Jig Patel as head of prime finance for Japan, Asia North, Australia (JANA) and Asia South.
Patel will be based out of Hong Kong in his new role and is set to support the growth of Citi’s prime finance platform.
He will report to Robert Stewart, head of equity trading for JANA and Asia South, as well as global heads of prime services, Sebastien Mailleux and Tim Tomalin-Reeves.
He joins the firm from Millennium, where he had served as Asia treasurer for two years. Prior to this, he spent almost 30 years at Goldman Sachs.
Bloomberg
Sagar Sanghvi has swapped the buy-side for a new role at Bloomberg, serving as its head of credit derivatives electronic trading.
New York-based Sanghvi joins the firm from Unifi Asset Management, where he worked as a senior trader for more than a year.
Prior to this, he also spent more than 11 years at BlackRock, where he served in various roles, most recently as a US credit trading director. He has also held vice president roles spanning US credit trading and financial markets advisory at the firm, as well as foreign exchange trading positions.
Earlier in his career, he also worked across private wealth management at Goldman Sachs.
Mysten Labs
Mustafa Al Niama has joined Mysten Labs as head of capital markets after a decade long tenure at Goldman Sachs.
In his new role, Al Niama is set to work with leaders at firms spanning asset managers, banks and fintechs, and will also support the growth of the Sui blockchain among institutional investors.
Al Niama joins the firm from Goldman Sachs, where he worked across various roles, most recently as Americas head of digital assets for three years.
He joined the firm in 2015 as a senior associate based out of New York, and later became vice president, global banking and markets, market solutions.
Oman Investment Bank
Jean-Louis Gaucher has joined Oman Investment Bank as head of fixed income sales.
Gaucher will be based out of Muscat in Oman in his new role, and joins from QNB Group where he had worked in fixed income – group Treasury.
Prior to his positions in the Middle East, he also served as managing director, head of emerging markets, fixed income sales at Intesa Sanpaolo for almost six years.
Previously in his career, he has also worked at VTB Capital and Standard Chartered.