Executive Moves of the Week: Leadership Shifts at GCEX, DriveWealth, United Fintech and EXANTE

The below are selected highlights of last week's executive transitions, including significant leadership shifts across the banking, trading, and FinTech sectors.

Prime Broker - GCEX Expands Leadership Team with Appointment of Kevin Gillespie

GCEX Group, a London-headquartered digital prime brokerage firm, has named Kevin Gillespie to a newly created sales and business development role, focusing on the UK and EMEA markets. Gillespie, who brings more than 35 years of experience in financial services, will report directly to the company's founder and CEO, Lars Holst.

Gillespie began his career as an FX trader before moving into institutional sales and business development over two decades ago. His previous roles include senior positions at Laser Digital, Menai Markets, Spotex, CobaltFX, Hotspot, and IFX Markets. At GCEX, he will be responsible for strengthening relationships with brokers, hedge funds, asset managers, and professional traders while expanding opportunities across FX, CFDs, and digital assets.

BaaS - DriveWealth Appoints Naureen Hassan as Global CEO
DriveWealth, a provider of Brokerage-as-a-Service technology, has appointed Naureen Hassan as its new Global Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Michael Blaugrund.

Blaugrund, who led the company during a period of growth and profitability, is departing to take on a newly created position at Intercontinental Exchange (ICE). DriveWealth founder and executive chairman Robert Cortright praised his contributions, while welcoming Hassan as the leader to guide the company's next stage of expansion. "Naureen has a proven track record as an industry innovator and disruptor and is the perfect person to lead DriveWealth through our continued evolution," Cortright said.

FinTech - United Fintech Strengthens Leadership Team with Appointment of Head of M&A

United Fintech has named Rupsa Mukherjee as its new Head of Mergers & Acquisitions, marking another key leadership hire in 2025 as the company continues to expand its global presence.

Mukherjee brings over a decade of experience in corporate finance and investment banking, having previously worked at Goldman Sachs, Caterpillar, and Deutsche Bank. At Deutsche Bank, she advised on transactions exceeding $20 billion across London and New York. She is also a qualified Chartered Accountant and holds an MBA from The Wharton School.

Prime Broker - EXANTE Names Sergei Solomatin Director of IT Operations​

Global prime broker EXANTE has appointed Sergei Solomatin as Director of IT Operations, in a move designed to strengthen the firm's technology leadership and operational resilience.

Solomatin will report directly to Chief Technology Officer Richard Forss and will take on responsibility for shaping EXANTE's IT operations strategy. His role covers hybrid infrastructure, security, compliance, monitoring, production support, DevOps, service desk, process automation, and wider IT operations projects. He will also lead the company's cloud transformation and automation initiatives, aligning its technology capabilities with global growth ambitions and client service priorities.