Capitolis has named Okan Pekin as president. He is based in London and reports to founder and CEO Gil Mandelzis.
Okan brings more than 35 years of global financial services experience, including senior leadership roles at Citi (NYSE: C) until his retirement in April. Most recently, he served as global head of Securities Services. Previously, Okan led Equity Prime Finance, Futures & Clearing, and FX Prime Brokerage, and earlier held global leadership positions in Investor Services, FX, and Local Markets. He also led derivatives sales in Europe and debt capital markets for Frequent Issuers.
Okan has also served as a Board Member at Capitolis for five years on behalf of Citi.
“Capitolis has grown tremendously, andnow, we’re preparing for our next phase and focusing on what’s needed to continue our momentum. With that growth comes complexity across our business, products, clients, and delivery, and getting this right is critical to maximizing our potential,” said Mandelzis. “I’m thrilled to welcome Okan, someone I know and trust, who brings exceptional experience and a proven track record of delivering at scale in global financial services with the highest level of professionalism. I am confident about our future and excited about the opportunity to continue to deepen strategic client relationships, drive further product innovation, and advance our long-term growth.”
“I am honored to join Capitolis as president at this pivotal moment and believe we are building a truly consequential global company that will have a lasting, meaningful impact on the financial services industry,” said Okan. “Having worked with this talented team over the years, I’m eager to get started and look forward to partnering with Gil to scale the business by driving excellence and expanding our platform as we continue to innovate.”
“The directors and senior management of Capitolis have gotten to know Okan from his distinguished service on our board,” said Tom Glocer, executive chairman and co-founder of Capitolis. “We are excited that, among many options, he has now chosen to join us as president and are confident that Okan is the right leader to propel Capitolis into its next stage of growth.”