Abu Dhabi-based Retail FX and CFDs broker ADSS has announced that it has hired Sophia Salim as the company’s new Chief Product and Innovation Officer.
ADSS said that the hire complements a series of key senior executive hires over the past 12 months that will support the firm’s ambitious strategy to expand its retail and institutional securities brokerage with cutting edge technology, processes and best-in-class product experiences for its customers. However ADSS has also been hit with a number of top-level departures over the past few months, most recently its CFO Jo Page and Human Resources chief Kevin Ball.
Sophia Salim brings to ADSS 17 years of global experience in technology product innovation and has worked across a range of global corporations, including Microsoft, where she was a software engineer. She also co-founded Ropazi, a San Francisco-based commerce platform start-up that was supported by StartX, an accelerator for Stanford-affiliated entrepreneurs. Prior to joining ADSS, she was the Dubai-based Chief Product Officer at Bykea, a ride-hailing start-up in Pakistan.
Sophia Salim, ADSS’s Chief Product and Innovation Officer, said:
“I am excited to be joining ADSS amid its rapid and transformational growth. As we continue to differentiate ourselves in a competitive marketplace, we will seek ways to bring our clients innovative and best-in-class experiences and propositions that meet their evolving needs. I look forward to working with the highly capable executive team to further enhance the business’s product line up as we strive to deliver greater value to our institutional and retail clients.”
The news is part of the company’s broader executive team expansion, and it marks a notable focus on the company’s plans to become a next generation broker with seamless and personalised experiences that enable customers to trade with confidence. The addition of Ms Salim to ADSS’s executive committee also enhances the firm’s commitment to diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace. This is further bolstered by the promotion of Budoor Alkhaaldi to the role of Chief Human Resources Officer. Ms Alkhaaldi is also the first Emirati to join the Leadership team. Following the most recent appointments, women now represent more than 30% of ADSS’s senior leadership team.
The other recent hires to the leadership team driving ADSS through the next phase of growth are: Dave Worsfold, Chief Operations Officer – Previously Director of Operations for CMC Markets; Theo Papathanasiou, Chief Client Officer – Previously Regional Sales Director at Interactive Brokers and Head of Global Sales Trading at Saxo Bank; Jo Benton, Chief Marketing Officer – Previously Head of Marketing for Saxo Capital Markets UK and Head of Marketing EMEA at StoneX Retail; Sheena Kanabar, Chief Compliance Officer – Previously Head of Compliance at CMC Markets; and Vinod Pal, Chief Data Officer – Previously Head of Data Product for Reckitt and Head of Data for WorldRemit.
Theo Papathanasiou, Chief Client Officer, said:
“ADSS is at an exciting point of its journey as we build upon our leading position in the Middle East and expand our operations in key global markets. We are driving our new growth strategy forward at an accelerated pace and welcome Sophia to the team as we continue to embed key principles of innovation into our organisation.”
ADSS’s most recent additions to its executive committee follows the appointment of Rocco Paduano, formerly Head of Global Market Risk Management at Saxo Bank, as Chief Risk Officer. Completing the Leadership team are long standing ADSS executives Marios Kampouridis as Chief Technology Officer and Khaldoun Sharaiha as Global Head of Sales.
ADSS was founded in 2010 with the mission of creating a global financial services company delivering the highest quality products and services. Through significant investment into proprietary multi-asset trading technology, this has enabled access to liquidity and instruments to meet such a goal. Investment in developing experienced, highly qualified teams has helped place ADSS as a leader in global business. ADSS is regulated by the Securities and Commodities Authority of the UAE, and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK.