Exclusive Interview with BDSwiss CEO Nicolas Shamtanis--How to Keep Ahead in the Financial Market

In a highly competitive financial market, brokers are now facing huge challenges to keep ahead. Nicolas Shamtanis, CEO of BDSwiss, a professional with 15-year successful career in the financial industry, has his own understanding on what traders expect from their brokers and the trading tools, platforms and services they provide.

​This interview with Nicolas involves topics on how brokers can stay ahead in such a competitive market. Full interview details appear below.

​Fazzaco: Please introduce yourself, and tell us more about your industry experience, and the path that led to assuming the leadership of BDSwiss.

Nicolas: My name is Nicolas Shamtanis, and I am the CEO of BDSwiss – one of the world's fastest-growing multi-asset financial services firms. Prior to assuming this role, I had a successful 15-year career in the financial services industry with experience across numerous facets of the industry including sales, business development, partnerships, dealing, and acquisition. Having previously held key leadership roles as Chief Sales Officer at Exness and Chief Commercial Officer at easyMarkets, I consider myself a forward-thinking professional with a passion for innovation and for building products and technologies that drive financial inclusion. Currently, I am responsible for leading BDSwiss' strategic direction, management structure, and global expansion plans.

Fazzaco: What did you set out to achieve when you joined BDSwiss, and what challenges did you face along the way?

Nicolas: My previous experience in the forex trading industry has helped me develop deep insights into what traders have come to expect from their brokers and the trading tools, platforms, and services they provide. When I joined BDSwiss, I set out to expand the company's asset range while also reinforcing BDSwiss' long-standing reputation, ensuring operational excellence and staying ahead of the curve when it comes to the latest advancements and innovations in retail trading and investing. One of our objectives for 2022 and 2023 is to also cement our market presence in emerging non-EU markets including LATAM, Asia, and the Middle East. 

Of course, realising our growth aspirations came with its own set of challenges. Turning a geographic toehold into a growth stronghold requires a strong understanding of the social and cultural differences of local audiences, as well as obtaining the relevant regulatory authorisations which are required to operate in those regions. 

Ultimately, it takes proper regulation to facilitate growth and adoption, safeguard clients' interests, and encourage innovation. At BDSwiss, we welcome regulation and take a collaborative approach when working with regulators and governments to navigate local markets. Strong regulation does not only enable, but also encourages innovation as it helps safeguard investors' best interests, we are therefore always actively keeping abreast of shifting regional policies. 

Fazzaco: It is not an easy task to gain a significant share in such a competitive industry. How does your company adapt to this highly competitive market?

Nicolas: Emerging markets in particular are now becoming hyper-competitive battlegrounds for global fintech companies. At BDSwiss, we are responding to the "rise of middle-class retail investors" in emerging economies by developing products and services tailored to their individual needs. Overall, retail traders have come to expect far more than a multi-asset offering from their brokers; they demand a high level of service, a regulated trading environment, bespoke tools, competitive conditions, and personalised communications that empower them to make well-informed investment decisions. 

At BDSwiss, we not only give our clients access to bespoke investment products at some of the most competitive conditions, but also offer them value-added services including real-time personalisation, bespoke support, and access to quality financial education and market research. In this way, we essentially communicate to them that we are investing in their education and are committed to creating long-term and transparent relationships with them. 

Fazzaco: Retail Forex has changed considerably over the past few years. Spreads are very low, but operation costs are really high. What is BDSwiss' way of staying profitable in these current market conditions, while ensuring that it still offers clients the best possible conditions?

Nicolas: In the last couple of years, we've seen a major paradigm shift for broader financial services, after the Covid-19 pandemic acted as an ideal entry point into the world of investing for many beginner retail traders and investors. Major brokerage firms saw record numbers of new account openings, but retaining those clients was still a challenge as very few investment firms offer truly competitive trading conditions with low costs and no hidden fees.   

At BDSwiss, we operate as an STP (Straight Through Processing) and DMA (Direct Market Access) broker, acting as an intermediary for clients trades and transmitting their orders to a 3rd party Liquidity Provider (LP). This enables us to avoid any conflict of interest with our clients, but it also means that we are able to offer clients better pricing.  We employ a Direct Market Access (DMA) model when it comes to stock trading, offering low latency access to over 1000 stocks and ETFs from nine of the world's biggest exchanges. We also use advanced Business Intelligence tools and have fostered a strong ROI culture to ensure we minimise costs as much as we can. 

Fazzaco: What is BDSwiss' corporate direction for the rest of the year?

Nicolas: In 2022, we remain committed to our mission to democratise finance and make investing accessible, affordable, and engaging for everyone. We aim to release new tools and investment vehicles that can accommodate traders and investors of all backgrounds, calibres, and income levels. In the meantime, we will of course continue to provide all our clients with the tools, support, and education they need to forge their financial future.