Empire FX Hires Second Pepperstone Executive in One Week

Empire FX has appointed Linda Nkatha Muriuki as its new Head of Sales, the company announced Monday. This marks the second senior hire the Kenya-licensed broker has made from rival Pepperstone in less than a week.

Muriuki previously worked at Pepperstone, where she managed major client accounts and supported regional commercial efforts. She will report to Sahil Patel, who joined Empire FX as Chief Operating Officer last Thursday – also from Pepperstone, where he led the firm’s Africa operations for over six years.

Patel said Muriuki “brings a deep understanding of client behaviour, particularly in African markets,” adding that her combination of relationship-driven sales and a data-led approach was key to the hire.

Muriuki will lead Empire FX’s global sales, focusing on client acquisition, conversion and retention as the broker seeks to expand beyond its Kenyan base.

The moves come as competition heats up in Kenya’s licensed forex market, which hosts over 100,000 active retail traders. Recent entrants include Capital.com, XM, FP Markets and IC Markets, joining established players like Pepperstone, Exness, FXPesa and Scope Markets.

Empire FX is betting that two experienced executives from Pepperstone can help it scale across Africa and other priority regions.