About Us

42Markets Group

Better markets for a better world


“The wind and the waves are always on the side of the ablest navigators.” Edward Gibbon

42Markets Group was founded on the principle of exponential growth.

The technology tsunami which has been changing the world over the past century is most succinctly expressed by Moore’s Law: “The computing power available doubles roughly every two years”.

The 42Markets Group has taken this universal law on board and have broken it down further. In order to double every two time periods, a growth rate of 42% per period needs to be achieved as:

1,42^2 = 2.

For 42Markets Group companies, 42 is not an accounting objective, it is a mission statement!

The Group measures its subsidiaries on whether they can double regularly, repeatably and predictably.

With cumulative decades of experience in Financial and Capital markets, the 42Markets Group Executive team has a unique perspective on global markets – one that understands the rules of the game and why that game has become ever more challenging.

42Markets has invested in companies with specialist expertise and a very deep understanding of how Financial and Capital markets operate.

It is a Group of highly focused companies, connected through a deeply embedded purpose:

to make markets simpler, smarter, and more accessible.

To achieve this goal, the 42Markets Group has founded and invested in businesses that have the ability to challenge and exponentially improve the status quo for Financial and Capital Markets, with a core belief that better markets make a better world.

While Investment Banking and Capital Markets business models are under pressure to change and do so rapidly, many of the disruptive business models currently making waves in the market, either tackle narrow verticals within the retail investor experience, or fall more squarely into the conventional impact investing territory.

There are few businesses challenging and addressing the underlying mechanics that support a stronger Capital Markets system.

42Markets is a technology-driven Group, that incubates and invests in businesses with deep Financial and Capital markets expertise, to unlock value and generate exponential growth from disruptive yet sustainable product, platform, and ecosystem innovation.
42Markets Group

Leadership Team

The Group has constructed a leadership team that is diverse in its thinking and multi-disciplinary in its core skillset.

Andries Brink

Group Chief Executive Officer

Andries is a trained computer scientist with over 24 years’ experience in Fintech. As such, he has a solid understanding of the mechanics of major asset classes, including fixed income, commodities, equities and foreign exchange.

He has worked in numerous international markets with highlights being the successful ignition of the IBJ / Nomura joint venture in Tokyo, as well as his time as a member of the Global Professional Services team with Sungard in London.

Andries currently serves as the Founder and Group CEO of the 42Markets Group, as well a Director of Sakeliga. In addition, he serves as a Trustee of Khula Trust, an organisation facilitating investment into the upliftment of the Homeless, as well as a Director at Helpmekaar Kollege, a leading private school.

Andries is an innovator at heart, understanding intuitively the opportunities for transformation in the context of changing market trends.

Neil Retief

Group Chief Information Officer

As the Group CIO for 42Markets, Neil leads and oversees all new product development, Group IT Infrastructure functions and business decision support for each of the Group’s subsidiary companies. He is accountable for the overall strategy and operational responsibility for the architecture development, integration, performance and choice of technology solutions across the 42Markets Group.

Neil is a trained computer scientist with over 20 years’ experience within the Financial and Capital markets, with a
thorough and practical understanding of both the technical and functional spheres of the industry.

His expertise in financial technology spans from legacy infrastructure to public cloud, information and cybersecurity, digital platforms and newer technologies including blockchain.

He has a keen interest in change and strategic management and plays a leading role in aligning teams to the overall objectives of the individual subsidiaries.

Neels Claassen

Group Chief Operations Officer

Neels has been involved in strategy and business growth initiatives throughout his career, with an emphasis on professionalising a business through its growth phases.

He has broad experience across corporates, mid-sized enterprises and family run businesses in various industries. He addresses the adaptive challenges of deep change in organisations with an understanding that there is no organisational change without personal change.

He adopts a transparent approach that seeks to build, grow, and encourage leaders, whilst mobilising people and teams through values-based connections to the compelling vision of the Group. He thrives on establishing trust within the business by creating a safe space for people to shine. Blending a humble approach to people, with the need to focus them on accomplishing goals.

Twenty five years experience with legal, governance and compliance matters in a business context. Salted commercial and legal negotiator, with a focus on international partnerships and deal closure.

Neels has a BA (Law), LL.B, M.Com and M.Sc qualifications.

Pieter Kelbrick

Group CFO & Managing Director: Andile

Pieter is an experienced senior manager and a qualified CA (SA) with a wealth of experience in business analysis and development over various industries, deal creation, direct client interaction and successfully leading dynamic teams.

He has extensive experience in identifying strategic value in new business initiatives, building successful business cases and growing successful businesses.

Pieter initially joined the Group to focus on growing its Andile business, and now fulfils the dual roles of Andile Managing Director and Group Chief Financial Officer.

Connie Bloem

Co-Founder & Managing Director: Mesh

Prior to joining 42Markets and spearheading the development of its potential unicorn business Mesh, Connie was a Consultant with Accenture, focusing on the Banking sector.

She has a passion for transforming capital markets and the financial industry through the use of technology driven solutions.

Her experience includes implementing world leading treasury systems at tier one banks and direct project exposure to the development of Foreign Exchange Trading and Digital Banking applications.

She is also fuelled by her personal interests in the development of crypto and fiat trading algorithms.

Connie has used this experience, along with her educational background in Industrial Engineering and Financial Engineering, together with methodologies such as lean startup, design thinking and agile product development, to bring the vision of Mesh to realisation.

Adri Zaayman

Managing Director:
FX Flow

Adri is an accomplished, diversified and qualified executive with over 20 years experience in the financial services industry.

Adri started her career as a Consumer Credit Risk specialist for the largest Banking group in Africa, with emphasis on portfolio management through predictive modelling and data-driven strategies.

She advanced to the position of Credit Executive for lending portfolios exceeding R20bn.

Adri then diversified into Technology and Large Programme management, with roles spanning Business Lead and Design, to Business Release Executive for the multi billion Rand Core Banking programme releases.

Adri is a Lean Innovation expert with a proven track record of rolling out Business Model Design, Customer Development and Agile Engineering in both Banking and Fintech environments.