Fazzaco Weekly Digest: Scope Markets Promotes Anthi Maratheftou; Sova Capital Enters Special Administration

Take a look at the latest happenings in this week's news digest from around the forex and fintech industry. Here are some of the top headlines from this past week.

1. Scope Markets Promotes Anthi Maratheftou to Group Head of Manager

Fazzaco has learned that leading online trading services and institutional solutions provider Scope Markets has promoted Anthi Maratheftou to the company's Group Head of Manager, effective from February 2022.

Anthi joinded Scope Markets in January 2021 as the HR Manager. Before her career at the company, Anthi served as the HR and Office Manager at Medserv Cyprus Ltd where she worked for nearly four years and gained rich experience in personnel management and development.

2. London Broker Sova Capital Enters Special Administration due to Russian Ties

Sova Capital, a London-based broker controlled by Russian banker Roman Avdeev, said on Thursday it was entering special administration because of liquidity problems, as a barrage of Western sanctions hurts businesses with Russian ties.

"We are committed to acting with integrity at all times and strive to protect the interests of our customers. As such, our contingency planning includes prudent pre-emptive steps designed to decrease any negative impact on our business and clients." Sova, which offers trading and execution services and access to Russian markets, states.

3. Fiserv Board Elects CEO Frank Bisignano as Chairman

Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), a leading global provider of payments and financial services technology, today announced that its Board of Directors elected Frank Bisignano, President and Chief Executive Officer and a current director of Fiserv, as Chairman of the Board. The board also elected Doyle Simons, a current director, to serve as lead independent director. Both appointments will be effective upon reelection at the Fiserv Annual Shareholders Meeting on May 18, 2022.

The company also announced that Denis O'Leary, current Chairman of the Board, and Dennis Lynch and Scott Nuttall, current directors, will retire from the board effective after the company's 2022 Annual Shareholders Meeting.

4. Exness Onboards Eleonora Oikonomidou as Senior Public Relations Manager

Fazzaco learned that retail FX and CFDs broker Exness has onboarded Eleonora Oikonomidou as the company's Senior Public Relations Manager. She has already taken up the new role in February this year.

As seen on her Linkedin profile, Eleonora joined Exness from Tickmill, where she has been serving as Content Writer from August 2021 to February 2022. Before this role, FXPRIMUS utilised her services as Copywriter and Content Creator for 11 months.

5. FCA Fines Barclays £783,800 for Oversight Failings in Relationship with Premier FX

The Financial Conduct Authority（FCA）has fined Barclays Bank Plc (Barclays) £783,800 for oversight failings in its relationship with collapsed payments firm Premier FX. Barclays was Premier FX's sole banker in the UK.

The financial penalty takes into account that Barclays has agreed voluntarily to cover the losses of Premier FX customers whose claims have been accepted by Premier FX's liquidators.

6. Andreas Gavrielides Promoted as Tickmill's Partnership Account Manager, Africa

Fazzaco learned that Andreas Gavrielides has announced his promotion to the role of Partnership Account Manager with the African region at Tickmill, a multi-regulated Forex and CFD provider offering first-class products and services.

As seen on his LinkedIn profile, Gavrielides joined Tickmill in 2019 as the company's Account Manager. One year later, he was promoted to the position of the company's Partnership and Business Development in the African region.

7. FinTech Company Sweater Raises $12M in Seed Funding Round​

Sweater, a FinTech company building the first fully-managed venture capital fund that is open to everyday investors, closed a monumental $12 million series seed round of funding.

The round was co-led by Motivate VC and Akuna Capital, with participation from Jeffrey Cruttenden (Co-founder of Acorns), Eli Broverman (Co-founder of Betterment), Litquidity, MRTNZ Ventures, Bison Venture Partners, Spacestation, First Chair Ventures, Zilliqa Capital, Monsen Ventures, Nick Perez, Jeb Bush Jr., Ryan Holtzman, Aaron Wolko, as well as YouTube creators Peter Hollens, Andrei Jikh, Nate O' Brien, and Jake Tran, among other super angels.