Chief Executive Officer

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Global Multi-Asset BrokerageDubai (DIFC) | Confidential Mandate | Regulated Financial ServicesA leading global multi-asset brokerage and trading group is seeking a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to establish and scale its regulated presence in Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).

This is a foundational leadership mandate, not a maintenance role. The successful candidate will be responsible for building a fully operational, DFSA/SCA-compliant brokerage entity and driving its commercial expansion across institutional and retail trading markets.

The opportunity

The business operates across FX, CFDs, equities, commodities, and digital trading infrastructure, serving a global client base through institutional-grade execution, liquidity partnerships, and proprietary technology.

The CEO will act as the strategic and regulatory leader for the Dubai hub, responsible for launching, licensing, and scaling the regional business into a top-tier multi-asset brokerage operation.

This role combines regulatory leadership, commercial brokerage scaling, institutional business development, trading infrastructure oversight, and full P&L ownership for the UAE entity.

Key responsibilities

• Regulatory and licensing leadership
• Lead DFSA, SCA, and DIFC licensing process as Senior Executive Officer (SEO) or Responsible Officer.
• Build and maintain direct relationships with regulators and compliance authorities.
• Ensure full adherence to UAE financial services rulebooks and AML frameworks.
• Brokerage build and expansion
• Establish end-to-end brokerage infrastructure including operations, dealing, risk, compliance, and client onboarding.
• Develop multi-asset trading capabilities across FX, CFDs, equities, and derivatives.
• Oversee liquidity providers, prime brokers, and technology integrations.
• Commercial leadership
• Drive revenue growth across institutional and retail trading channels.
• Build strategic partnerships with hedge funds, prop firms, introducing brokers, and asset managers.
• Design scalable client acquisition and distribution models.
• Leadership and governance
• Recruit and lead senior management including COO, CRO, Head of Sales, and Head of Compliance.
• Implement institutional-grade governance, risk, and operational frameworks.
• Act as the public-facing executive for investors, partners, and regulators.

Candidate profile

The ideal candidate will bring 10 to 20 plus years of experience in brokerage, capital markets, or multi-asset trading environments.

They will have held senior leadership roles such as CEO, COO, Managing Director, or Senior Executive Officer within regulated financial services firms.

Strong exposure to DFSA, FCA, SFC, MAS, or equivalent regulatory environments is required.

Candidates should demonstrate a proven track record of building or scaling a brokerage or trading platform, with deep knowledge of FX, CFD, derivatives markets, liquidity and execution infrastructure, and regulatory frameworks.A strong institutional network across liquidity providers, hedge funds, introducing brokers, and fintech partners is essential.

Experience operating in high-growth regulated environments is required.

What this role offersExecutive-level ownership of a regulated brokerage build in Dubai.

Opportunity to shape a multi-asset trading platform from inception to scale.

Strategic visibility with investors, institutional partners, and regulators.

High-impact leadership role within a global financial services group.

Competitive executive compensation with performance-based incentives and potential equity participation.

ConfidentialityThis is a confidential retained search mandate. Full company details will be shared with shortlisted candidates only under NDA.Application or expression of interestSenior executives and brokerage leaders interested in this mandate should submit their CV and a summary of relevant regulated brokerage experience, including evidence of P&L ownership or platform scaling responsibility.