MAS Markets
has appointed Matt Porter as head of operations, hiring him from rival broker
ATFX, where he had run operations for the institutional desk since 2019. The
London-based liquidity provider announced the move today (Tuesday) and
described it as its second senior hire within a month.
Porter
spent more than seven years at ATFX UK, according to his career history, the
bulk of a financial services run that also includes nearly a decade at trading
technology firm FIXI and earlier roles at Morgan Stanley and NatWest.
A Hiring Run That
Stretches Back to January
The
appointment is the latest in a steady stretch of senior recruitment at MAS
Markets. In May, the firm named former Equiti Capital and Rostro executive Saul Knapp as chief risk officer, hiring him from Rostro Group’s
institutional arm Scope Prime.
That came
after three senior appointments to its
institutional team in January, including a head of institutional sales and an account manager, plus
the earlier hire of Gold-i’s Chris James as chief technology officer.
The
build-out has tracked rising revenue. MAS Markets nearly doubled its 2025 turnover to
6.13 million pounds
from 3.19 million a year earlier, and said platform trading volumes rose 81%
year on year, though it did not disclose absolute volume figures.
CEO and
founder Simon Blackledge said “having the right operational leadership in
place is essential” as the firm scales. Porter added he was “joining
MAS Markets at such a pivotal time in the company’s growth journey.”
In the new
role, Porter will oversee internal processes, client onboarding, and service
delivery, the company said. MAS added that he would also work on initiatives
meant to improve efficiency and support expansion into new markets.
Poaching Operational
Talent From a Larger Rival
Porter’s
move points MAS Markets at a bigger institutional competitor. ATFX runs ATFX Connect, the broker’s Prime of Prime arm launched in
2019, and reported $1.09 trillion in group trading volume for the first quarter
of 2026, a 40.6% increase from a year earlier, according to FM Intelligence data.
ATFX
operates from 24 locations and holds nine regulatory licenses, a far wider
footprint than MAS Markets, which is regulated by the UK’s Financial Conduct
Authority and runs infrastructure out of the LD4 and TY3 data centers.
MAS Markets
describes itself as a provider of institutional-grade liquidity, serving
brokers, hedge funds, family offices, and professional trading firms. It sits
within MAS Group, which also operates a digital-asset liquidity unit and a
funds-management arm.
Liquidity Providers
Compete for a Shrinking Talent Pool
The hire
lands as liquidity providers across the sector chase senior staff and brace for
consolidation.
A March
survey of over-the-counter participants by Finery Markets found that 60% expected fewer liquidity
providers to survive 2026, with a quarter predicting an outright decrease, a backdrop that has
sharpened competition for clients and experienced operators alike.
Rivals have
been moving on talent and territory at the same time. oneZero Financial Systems
opened its first Middle East office in Dubai this year and appointed Lochlan
White as director of sales, while GTC Group named Alexandros Patsalides vice
president of institutional after poaching a trade solutions head from
Scope Markets.
This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.
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