LeapRate interview… We sat down with Hayel Abu-Hamdan, Chief Commercial Officer at Hantec Markets, and discussed the FX and CFDs broker’s recent expansion in the Latin American region, its future plans for growth in emerging markets such as Asia and Africa and the company’s market expectations for 2023.
In the early 2000s, Hayel began his career in the FX industry at HiFX. In 2002, he transitioned to Rosenthal Collins Group where he assisted with the development and implementation of the business’s direction and strategy across various regions. In 2007, he joined MIG Investments Switzerland where he successfully positioned the company within the global FX market, leading to substantial growth in the company’s client base. Additionally, he played an integral role in managing and executing the MIG BANK License. In 2010, Hayel became the Chief Operating Officer at Hantec Markets, and later assumed the role of Chief Commercial Officer, playing a key role in expanding the group’s client base and driving growth in several key markets.
LR: Hi Hayel, thank you for joining us today! Can you tell a bit about Hantec Markets and the people behind it?
Hayel Abu-Hamdan: Hantec Markets is a global provider of online trading with 33 years of experience offering a bespoke service tailored to the individual needs of our clients.
The people behind Hantec Markets have well over a hundred years of combined experience in the industry. Hantec Markets is for traders, by traders. We are passionate about what we do and how we can positively impact our clients’ trading. Our senior executives are industry veterans who, at the end of the day, are still traders at heart. They have the knowledge and skills necessary to ensure an unrivaled trading experience for our clients.
LR: What is Hantec Markets’ main focus?
Hayel: Hantec Markets is a client centric business. Our main priority is providing clients with the products and services to empower their financial freedom. By providing the latest technology, assisting them throughout the onboarding process, and focusing on the user experience, we make sure their trading experience with Hantec Markets is unparalleled. We provide our clients with access to education materials in order to aid them to financial independence. We’re continuously striving to remain relevant by investing in our infrastructure and IT and by executing strategic expansion plans that place clients at the heart of everything that we do.
LR: Hantec Markets expanded in LATAM with a new Chile office in October last year. What does that mean for the company?
Hayel: Our expansion into LATAM is the latest example of our company’s continued commitment to develop as a global brand and enter markets where we can educate and support those who want to take responsibility for their financial future and freedom. We are expanding into LATAM to better service our current and growing client base. Having an office in local time zones with teams that speak local languages is key for instilling confidence in our clients. We’ve recently hired our LATAM Regional Manager, who joined us from a senior role at Banco Santander and who will help aid our client relations. Chile has experienced a fintech boom in recent years, therefore moving into one of the leading financial centers in the region has been the perfect fit for us.
LR: We understand that you are planning further expansions, tell us more about that.
Hayel: We’re constantly looking and analyzing opportunities to further expand. We currently have a team in place carrying out research in various regions including Asia and Africa, where we believe our client centric approach and 33-year-old heritage can provide us with the foundations of solid growth.
LR: 2022 was a volatile year with challenging market conditions, what do you expect for 2023?
Hayel: Although 2022 provided volatility in global markets, it also presented opportunities for traders to profit from such moves. In 2023 we anticipate traders developing and changing their trading strategies as markets fluctuate. We believe that precious metals will be of interest, specifically gold as a safe haven asset. Due to macroeconomics and geopolitical conflicts, the landscape has been ever changing. That combined with new emerging tech has created a perfect landscape for traders to test out new strategies. Additionally, due to the flux in the market, investors have been attempting to diversify their portfolios to include safe haven assets such as gold, the US Dollar and the Swiss Franc. We have observed our clients ‘increased trading activity in these assets and we believe this will continue into 2023.
These expectations are in addition to the continuing trend of growth within emerging markets such as Asia and Africa. This rapid growth makes it even more important to continue providing education within these markets.
LR: What can we expect from Hantec Markets in the near future?
Hayel: As a client driven business, we’re committed to providing our customers with the best tools to empower financial freedom. With this in mind, we have a lot up our sleeve for the year ahead that will be beneficial to our customers. One thing we’re developing is a mobile application and website so our customers can trade on the go. We’re also looking to launch new products and tools that aid in increasing liquidity pools. Additionally, we’re looking forward to building on our partnership with the Moneygram Haas F1 Team.
