Meet Team Monex
Unmasking Team Monex USA
With everyone practicing proper social distancing and masking up, we thought we’d take this opportunity to introduce you to our people behind the masks! When you work with Monex USA, you’re on a first-name basis whether you choose to interact and transact over the phone, via email, or through our digital payments platform, Monex USA Online.
We like to think of ourselves as being an extension of your team working together to protect your bottom line and grow your profits. If you’d like to mask up Monex-style, tell us a little about yourself and your FX needs so we can reach out and mail you a ‘Cover Your FX’ mask. We’ll be adding more team members over the next few weeks!
Toral–Head of Revenue Operations
What brought you to Monex?
A part-time job.
…and what keeps you on the team?
I love the flexibility Monex affords their employees. And I have a great team of co-workers.
Share one of your Monex ‘wins‘
Bringing actionable intelligence to the table every day from detailed company-wide data analysis.
Do you have any hidden talents or hobbies?
One of my hidden talents is drawing henna tattoos. This passion started when I was very young and we used to go to weddings in India. It is customary for the families to celebrate with henna art and I used to love watching the artists draw on my hands. For my sister’s wedding in Mexico, family members applied henna tattoos to guests to replicate the celebrations in India. Since then, it has been a tradition for me to take henna to the beach and I free-hand designs on all the kids and some adults!
JP – CEO
What brought you to Monex?
A plane
…and what keeps you on the team?
First, the team; second the team; and third, the team.
Share one of your Monex ‘wins‘
It was a long summer day; the thermometer was flirting with the three-digit zone when the Monex brainiacs team sat to design a flexible FX hedging product that could be (a) operational and (b) beat other existing market offers. Enter Window Forwards with no window limit. Six years now, and competition still can’t match our level of flexibility!
What are you reading right now?
My favorite board game is “Spot It!” It’s quick, is fun, it gets all the family together, and there are several ways to play it. I often carry a set of cards when dining out with the family and always on road trips.
Andrew–Chief Strategy Officer
What brought you to Monex?
I met the Monex team on a project I did for them. Liked it so much I stuck around.
…and what keeps you on the team?
Get to work on things that touch all areas of the company with a collaborative team. An agile company where ideas can get implemented quickly. Always working on different things, no two days alike.
Share one of your Monex ‘wins‘
Building early generations of the Monex Online platform (Primus) – fun to form a vision and then implement it.
Do you have any hidden talents or hobbies?
I am a history enthusiast and involved with a prominent military art collection at my university. I recently gave a lecture on an illustrated diary of a French officer in the collection from the American Revolution to an informed audience!
Sandra–Managing Director
What brought you to Monex?
Craigslist (for real!)
…and what keeps you on the team?
The opportunity for career growth and leadership. What I love the most about our team is the diversity of people in our office. The team is fun, young-spirited and above all, we used to be in the office I would spend most of my lifetime with my coworkers than my own family, so I think it’s safe to say that our team is also our family.
Share one of your Monex ‘wins‘
Some of my Monex’ “wins” are when my clients refer me to another company, or when they take the time to leave their appreciation of the service that I provide to them on our Trustpilot page.
Who inspired you to pursue the career you have today?
Honestly, my mom. When I called her to let her know I got the job and I was not sure about it, she told me ” Go for it! give it a shot, and if you don’t like it then you can leave, but don’t turn down an opportunity without giving it a fair shot”. 13 years later, looks like my mom had it right from the get-go.
Marc–Sales Director
What brought you to Monex?
I wanted to be a part of a company that cares for their employees while doing business the right way. Whenever I came across Monex, I always felt that those two factors were always aligned!
…and what keeps you on the team?
The people!! And that’s saying something since I was onboarded virtually and have only met maybe 3 people in the business! I love the open communication and the friendly atmosphere that Monex has! Can’t wait to meet everyone (in person), whenever that may be!
Share one of your Monex ‘wins‘
A number of our clients come to us for various reasons but one of the biggest reasons they stay with us is due to some of the long-term hedging strategies we customize for them. By doing exactly that, we were able to save one of my clients from 3% currency movement out of their favor, resulting in a savings of at least $15,000 in the span of two weeks!!
What’s your favorite place you’ve ever visited?
Hoi An, Vietnam is and always will be one of my favorite places I’ve visited! Full of culture, amazing people and titled as the food capital of Vietnam – It’s a must-visit!
John–VP, Trading & Dealing
What brought you to Monex?
Family culture and the chance to help make a start-up into a full-fledged company.
…and what keeps you on the team?
The people. We are a diverse group of interesting, fun-loving, and trustworthy people. Sometimes, I spend more time with my co-workers than my family, so I better enjoy them!
Share one of your Monex ‘wins‘
I think getting through 2020 safely and profitably is a great win! I thought working remotely would create difficult challenges but everyone stepped up! We are thriving and in some respects, the team is even closer, more connected now.
Who inspired you to pursue the career you have today?
Greg Salvaggio, one of the original founders of Monex. Greg taught me all I know about foreign exchange and trading and always pushed me to learn more. He also taught me a few things about fine wine!
Juan–Senior FX Trader & Strategist
What brought you to Monex?
I always wanted to be involved in international relations one way or the other but doing this combined it with my appreciation for markets and interacting with a lot of people. FX is as global as it gets!
…and what keeps you on the team?
We are a unified front in the DC office while holding family-like bonds with the rest of our American presence. Every year has been one of growth for me at Monex and I realize how lucky I am to be in the frontlines of what affects international business.
Share one of your Monex ‘wins‘
There have been a lot of small and big victories at Monex throughout my time, but I am particularly happy for our opportunity to be involved in FX forecasting and to be able to say we have been ranked as most accurate globally by Bloomberg. Our analysis and insights aim to help our clients be more aware, better prepared, and expertly well-served.
What’s your favorite place you’ve ever visited?
It’s a wonder of the world: The Iguazu Falls where Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay meet. My description or feelings can do it no justice.
John, Chief Economist
What brought you to Monex?
A consulting role
…and what keeps you on the team?
Teamwork!
Share one of your Monex ‘wins‘
Managing the risk ‘marlin fishing’ expedition
What’s your favorite thing to do on the weekends?
Squash and wine
Matt, Dealer
What brought you to Monex?
Fellow William and Mary alumni, Greg Kimball, the co-founder of Monex.
…and what keeps you on the team?
Great team to work with and the company has always supported my career as an artist.
Share one of your Monex ‘wins‘
Was able to recognize a client’s email had been compromised and prevented a 50K wire from being sent to a fraudulent bank account thanks to calling the client to re-confirm new banking information.
What are you reading right now?
The Nude: A Study In Ideal Form by Kenneth Clark
Nikola, Operation Specialist
What brought you to Monex?
I heard there was an opportunity available and applied.
…and what keeps you on the team?
Job security, people in my team, and our company’s culture
Share one of your Monex ‘wins‘
Fast responses to my fellow employees with their questions and concerns.
What’s your favorite place you’ve ever visited?
My favorite place I have visited is Honolulu, Hawaii.
Will, Director of Operations
What brought you to Monex?
Headhunter poached me from a similar company. What I had to offer and what Monex was looking for was a perfect match.
…and what keeps you on the team?
The work hard, play hard environment. When we win, we win together and Monex knows how to celebrate.
Share one of your Monex ‘wins‘
Few years back Monex switched banking partners which was a critical, positive change for the business. Internal teams were impacted as well as the entire client base. I oversaw the transition and it couldn’t have gone smoother. I was still somewhat new to the organization and felt like I officially earned my stripes.
What are your favorite video/board games and why?
I’ve loved card and board games since I was a kid and I am still a kid in that sense. I’m always down for a game night. Monopoly, Catan, and Stratego are a few of my favorites. We need to revive our backgammon and chess lunchbreaks at Monex.
Peter, Director, Dealing & Hedging Specialist
What brought you to Monex?
Very good questions. I guess after 12 years in FX I needed a change.
…and what keeps you on the team?
It’s a very down-to-earth group of people. Everyone has the goal of a happy client in mind and we all work towards giving the best possible service. This limits my frustrations.
Share one of your Monex ‘wins‘
My favorite success stories are when we confirm with our clients any changes or new banking for a vendor. Sometimes a client’s emails are hacked and it is always such a relief to our clients when I verbally confirm each change and push them to confirm with their vendor as well that the banking change is indeed legit. Sometimes they find it was not and we can prevent them from sending thousands of dollars. The largest such wire I have stopped was just over $150,000!
What’s your favorite place you’ve ever visited?
That’s a hard one but it is between Angkor Wat Cambodia and Rome Italy. I love old historic cities!
Audra – Head of Marketing
What brought you to Monex?
The opportunity to start the ‘official’ Marketing department and work with such a diverse team of experts
…and what keeps you on the team?
I love the fact that even remotely I get to work with nearly everyone across the organization whether it’s for an internal or external project and I enjoy getting to know the individuals.
Share one of your Monex ‘wins‘
This year we’ve started rolling out more Monex content relative to FX, the economy, and general business. We’ve had all this expertise bottled up and it’s amazing to finally get it flowing into the hands of our prospects and clients.
Do you have any hidden talents or hobbies?
One of my hidden talents is face painting which I do on a volunteer basis and to raise money for charity, I’m better with face paint than makeup 😉
Jessica–Head of Sales Operations
What brought you to Monex?
Would you believe me if I said stability? Seems kinda crazy considering this business works in the realm of market volatility. But when it comes to work-life balance you definitely don’t want volatility. My husband is an Army Officer and we have bounced around over the United States the last few years before a longer posting in the DC area. That combined with my long hours in start-up businesses had me mentally burnt out and looking for a place to plant roots and do what I do best, improve processes to increase revenue. I love the challenge of the forex market and enjoy the people I work with. And I definitely enjoy that I can have dinner with my family at a reasonable hour with the laptop off.
…and what keeps you on the team?
Sales Operations has the perk of being in a position to work directly on some project or another with almost every member of the Monex team. I think what I really enjoy is the fact that every member of the team feels comfortable speaking freely and share thoughts or opinions on a topic. Ultimately, the conversation always comes back to the prospect or client’s experience. And the team never takes shortcuts on the quality they expect from the brand or an individual’s experience with a member of the team. Also, the overall team is wicked smart! Probably for the best we don’t have any more company trivia challenges because everyone across the company is pretty competitive.
Share one of your Monex ‘wins‘
I think I have to plead the 5th on this question. But I can say that it was a big focus of mine when I joined Monex to improve the data quality and efficiency in the CRM for the team. Quality data always leads to better and more meaningful conversations for all parties involved. This also allowed us to implement changes in how we market Monex via online demand gen.
Who inspired you to pursue the career you have today?
I had this really great set of bosses with who I won the lottery within my early start-up days in California. Ted, a VP of Marketing was the perfect combination of mentor, leader, charismatic, and direct with his questions/explanations. And Bill was very much the classic ‘suit’ COO businessman with calm, quiet demeanor, but open to alternative opinions. Some might say they were personality opposites of one another, but that’s what made the ‘team’ so dynamic. It was through the support of both that I was able to grow my career, take risks, and build my marketing and business operations skills.
Ready to work with Team Monex to optimize your FX?
Toral, Head of Revenue Operations
Toral, Head of Revenue Operations
For over 7 years in our DC office, Toral has managed revenue operations and data analysis to help Monex make informed and strategic business decisions. Get to know Toral behind the mask...
Meet Team Monex USA
Say hello to the new Monex USA App
Say hello to the new Monex USA App
Transact anywhere, anytime from your mobile device with the Monex USA App. Manage all your payments and FX products at your fingertips with end-to-end transaction tracking as well as instant quotes with the ability to buy in a few clicks.
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