CFI Financial Group has appointed Martin Kiuru as Chief Technology Officer. The firm announced the move on Wednesday. Kiuru has more than two decades of experience in financial technology and digital transformation. He will lead the group’s global technology strategy.

The appointment comes as the firm continues to expand in the Middle East. In October, it opened an office in Bahrain and appointed Yaseen Alsamerrai to lead the operation. The Bahrain unit received an investment business license from the Central Bank of Bahrain in July.

The group now operates across several Middle East and North Africa cities, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Beirut, Amman, and Cairo.

CFI CTO to Oversee Trading Platforms

At CFI, Kiuru will oversee digital infrastructure and trading platforms. His focus will include system scalability, automation, data capabilities, and platform performance. The firm said the goal is to deliver “faster and more reliable services” to clients.

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Ziad Melhem, chief executive of CFI Financial Group, said Kiuru’s experience in “technology innovation” and his “strategic mindset” will support the firm’s platform development.

Kiuru Brings Fintech Leadership Experience

Before joining CFI, Kiuru worked as a fractional and interim CTO and technology advisor at Make IT Work OÜ, where he supported fintech, brokerage, crypto, and SaaS firms on product delivery, cloud modernization, data platforms, and security. He also co-founded CoinCoach, a consumer personal finance app focused on budgeting and account aggregation under Open Banking.

Earlier, he served as Chief Technology Officer at Libertex Group, where he led technology strategy for a regulated multi-asset brokerage, and previously directed global IT delivery and operations at the same group. He also co-founded Jingle Pay, a neobanking and payments startup in the Middle East.

On his new appointment, Kiuru said he is “honored to join CFI” and described technology as “a catalyst for empowerment for both clients and teams.”