Jalal Harake, Director & CEO.

Jalal Harake has extensive knowledge in the international financial services sector, with his career spanning over 20 years. His experience includes working at top investment banks, such as Merrill Lynch London. In 1990 he formed his own successful Wealth Management and Brokerage firm in the Middle East, Smart Trading. Jalal has since seen London as the most suitable location for a Global Financial Services company so has migrated his contacts and expertise to GDI Markets, a UK FSA regulated company he founded in 2007. Jalal acts as GDI Markets’ Chief Executive Officer and is leading the Board of Directors in delivering an aggressive growth plan, offering world class products and technology to clients in the Middle East and throughout Europe. GDI Markets is backed by a middle eastern shareholder with net worth over $1.2 bn.

Rob Whittaker, Director.

Rob Whittaker has over 20 years of experience in financial services and sales. His career has included over 15 years working at senior sales management level within Commercial and Corporate Finance in the UK Clearing Bank market. In 2003 he formed his own consultancy business (Real World Associates Ltd) advising large corporates on sales improvement initiatives – his client list has included Lloyds TSB, Tenon PLC, HBOS Group and GE Group. Rob is also the owner and CEO of an FSA regulated mortgage broking business in the UK and is a regular speaker at business conferences on financial sales improvement.

Ramiro Penaherrera, Director.

Ramiro Penaherrera spent over 38 years with Merrill Lynch in Milan, Paris, Beirut and London including more than two decades as Managing Director of their London operation. In recent years, he has acted in various independent roles for Merrill Lynch and Deutsche Bank. Before joining Merrill Lynch, Ramiro worked at the World Bank in Washington D.C and at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.

Michael Andrew, Director.

With over 30 years’ experience in the City of London, Michael started at Merrill Lynch where he became the Sales Manager of the London office. In 1986 he created the private client business of Salomon Brothers before heading the US equity department. In 1996 he was appointed Managing Director of Furman Selz in London, which was eventually purchased by ING Barings in 2001. Since that time he has been the Managing Director of FBR International, a Washington DC-based institutional equity research house. Michael has also served for a number of years as the Chairman of the Association of New York Stock Exchange Companies in London.