Mitrade Hires Former TD Ameritrade and Capital.com Singapore Chief as Markets Advisor

Mitrade has appointed Christopher Brankin, who previously ran the Singapore operations of TD Ameritrade and later Capital.com, as its global markets advisor. The Melbourne-founded CFD broker announced the hire on Thursday, describing the role as a commentary position in which Brankin will publish analysis of macroeconomic trends, interest rates and market volatility for its retail clients.

Brankin spent close to 15 years at TD Ameritrade's Asian business, 11 of them as chief executive of its Singapore entity. He left in 2022 to take the chief executive and executive director roles at Capital.com's Singapore arm, succeeding Chul Lim, who moved up to run the group's Asia operations. As of March, Capital.com said it was still working to obtain approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore and was advertising for a local risk manager. Mitrade's release describes the Capital.com position only as heading regional expansion for a CFD brokerage. Elsewhere, Brankin is currently listed as chief operating officer of Whisky Cask Club, a Singapore-based seller of Scotch whisky casks.

Two regional versions

The broker, which reports more than 7 million traders, issued the announcement in two regional variants. The Melbourne release tied the appointment to the Reserve Bank of Australia's decision in late September to lift its cash rate to 4.60%, the highest level since November 2011, which it attributed to higher global energy prices. "There's no such thing as an isolated local market anymore," Brankin said in the release.

The Dubai version framed the hire around oil prices and the Gulf region, where Mitrade secured a Category 5 licence from the UAE Capital Market Authority in April. Mitrade holds authorisations from six regulators, including Australia, Cyprus and the UAE, and entered South Africa in October 2025 through the acquisition of Fridah Asset Managers, a firm licensed by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority. In August, the company promoted Timur Konsky to chief executive of its EU unit, with Germany as the first market for a European retail push.

Mitrade is not alone in adding a public-facing markets voice. iFOREX named Michael Hewson as senior market analyst in April, roughly two years after he stepped down as chief analyst at CMC Markets following 15 years there. FXTM hired CNBC Arabia host Hussein Al Sayed as chief market strategist for the Gulf in 2016 while he continued presenting his show.