Female Executive in Fintech Talks: Farah Mourad, Senior Market Analyst at XTB MENA - Having Passion for What You Do Matters

Dubai, a global financial center, is home to numerous fintech firms and forex brokers, including X-Trade Brokers (XTB) MENA, a famous CFDs brokerage, which has secured a category three license from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) in July 2021.

This February, Fazzaco MENA associate Mr. Sherif Qura paid a visit to Dubai where he had an appointment with Ms. Farah Mourad, Senior Market Analyst at XTB MENA, and interviewed her for the upcoming Fazzaco's female leadership specials.

​(Following text is based on the audio recording)

Fazzaco: Hi Farah! How did you get into the FX/Finance industry or which parts attracted your attention to get into it?

Farah: First of all, I was a trader. So FX is something I am familiar with. I was using my knowledge in news and broadcasting industry, this is where I came from by the way. I had to follow up news on the daily basis, and being able to understand the financial markets, I thought that I could probably make profits out of them if there's something happening in the industry that may lead to the price going up. So I started trading. Because I was once in the middle of an existential crisis where I didn't want to continue with media anymore. A friend of mine told me a broker was looking for a brand ambassador and market analyst who has a media background. She didn't like the job but she said it is perfect for you just simply because she knew how much I loved the financial markets and economy in general. Even though I was already quite established in the media industry, I still went there for a month just to see what the workflow was, to see if I fit to the road. So things just happened organically, I started creating contents for a live broadcast, writing articles, and digging deep into it, during which I felt like this is something interesting because your knowledge can make you a good trader, along with many other things. I think the tools are the same, the information is right there, and you just need to connect the dots. So it is really something interesting to do.

Fazzaco: As a minority female leader, have you found any differences between men's and women's perspectives when making a strategic decision or a decision related to profession?

Farah: If I say this, I would sound a little bit biased. But I want to say that gender has little to do with it. If you look at the reality, for example, Australia, where women were in power, and they decided to continue with the lockdown preferring health over the recovery of stock market or economy in general. I think they did a good job. The answer to this is not really a yes or a no. As a woman, I don't really know if our process of decision-making is the same as men's. But I am seeing places where women in power, they are supporting healthcare, marginalized people and minorities, maybe they are just playing a political card, but in countries led by women, they definitely focus more on health over economic recovery. At the end of the day, without lockdowns, you'll see impact on health industry which will then be reflected on economy. I believe that the less greedier you are, the better you will be as a trader. It's not a men-women thing, just be less greedier.

Fazzaco: What competitive advantages do women have over men in the finance industry?

Farah: First off, whatever I will say might sound biased because I am a woman. But what I can say for sure, is that the most men perceive women as emotional, less logical, making irrational choices. Whether such perception is true or not, but when you are in an environment surrounded by men, and they are not expecting something from you, this is could be your strength in return. But if we dig deeper into the characteristics of women and men, I genuinely believe that there is no way to make sure that women fit to certain domains than men and vice versa.

Fazzaco: Where do you see yourself in the future?

Farah: At some point, I really want to be a full-time trader, not to work at an institution, and that'll give me more freedom. But now with XTB, I feel like that I believe in their vision even more than I believe in mine. Whatever they have in mind, about fintech, growth, the way they want their clients to learn, the products they deliver, and up-to-date analysis, they are doing it perfectly, and I definitely want to be a part of it. I feel like I belong to such environment, but at the same time, it gives me back a lot too. I'm surrounded by financial market analysts from all around the world, Europe, South America, and even Asia. They have different backgrounds, but we share the vision.

Fazzaco: Tell us your secrets to balancing work and family life.

Farah: Balancing is a very tricky word, but I wanna say if you're doing something you're really passionate about, you simply can't take it out of your head. Now when I watch the news, I'd link it to financial markets, or when I talk to my friends who mention crypto, for example, then I'll dig deeper into the conversation. I just do it naturally. But like media, it wasn't something I'm thinking about 24 hours a day. So maybe you spend more time working, you'll have less time for the family, but if you spend time with the family, you'll be less productive, so it is tricky. But to be passionate about what you do is number one.