Empire FX, a licensed retail forex and CFD broker based in Kenya, has announced the appointment of Sahil Patel as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO). Patel will be stationed in Nairobi and will oversee the company’s global operations as it plans to expand across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. This move marks a significant step for Empire FX as it aims to strengthen its presence in emerging markets and build a more scalable and sophisticated trading platform.
Sahil Patel brings over six years of experience from his previous role at Pepperstone, an Australian forex broker where he served as Head of Africa. During his tenure, Patel was instrumental in growing Pepperstone’s business throughout the African continent, including leading its Kenya operations since 2020. Before Pepperstone, he held senior positions at IG Group, further enriching his expertise in the global trading industry.
Peter Onyango, CEO of Empire FX, emphasized the importance of Patel’s hire, stating that it represents a pivotal moment for the company’s growth strategy. Onyango highlighted that Empire FX is not only expanding geographically but is also focused on developing a robust operational framework capable of supporting long-term sustainable growth. He praised Patel’s rare blend of strategic vision and operational discipline, which will help enhance the company’s internal infrastructure and improve client experience across multiple regions.
In his new role, Patel aims to build a reliable operational system that ensures efficiency without sacrificing quality or trust. He stressed the importance of delivering transparency, consistency, and reliability to clients in today’s competitive forex market. With over 100,000 active retail forex traders in Kenya alone, the market has become increasingly competitive with several international brokers obtaining licenses under Kenya’s Capital Markets Authority (CMA) regulatory framework.
Empire FX operates under CMA regulations and offers leveraged forex and CFD trading products to retail clients. The broker has been actively expanding its footprint internationally by focusing on localized strategies tailored to emerging markets. Recent years have seen increased competition in Kenya’s forex market with new entrants such as Capital.com, XM, Exness, IC Markets, FP Markets, Equiti’s FXPesa unit, and INGOT Africa joining the regulated space.
Patel’s appointment comes amid a broader wave of executive reshuffling within the retail forex brokerage industry as firms seek leaders with deep knowledge of emerging markets. This trend reflects the shifting dynamics where European and Australian retail trading volumes have plateaued while demand grows strongly in regions like Africa and Asia.
With Sahil Patel leading global operations from Nairobi, Empire FX is positioned to enhance its technological infrastructure and client offerings. The company aims to provide a secure and transparent trading environment supported by timely execution and responsive local support. As part of its growth plan, Empire FX is committed to delivering educational resources designed to support traders at all levels while maintaining regulatory compliance and operational excellence.
