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Alex Axentiev
Co-Founder of HedgeFlows - Former MD at Merrill Lynch, Standard Chartered - MIT Alum
Alex Axentiev is a seasoned finance professional and entrepreneur who co-founded and currently serves as the Managing Director (Co-CEO) of HedgeFlows, a fintech startup focused on simplifying international trade and financial management for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).13
With over 20 years of experience in financial markets, Alex has held leadership positions at prestigious institutions such as Standard Chartered Bank, Merrill Lynch, and Bank of America.1 He holds an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management, a Master's degree from ESSEC Business School, and an engineering degree from Rīga Technical University.4
At HedgeFlows, which he co-founded in March 2020, Alex is dedicated to empowering SMEs with tools and resources to effectively manage foreign currency exposure and compete globally.3 The company aims to provide businesses with sophisticated financial strategies and automate processes related to international payments, risk management, and accounting.2
Prior to HedgeFlows, Alex served as Managing Director for FX Options, MIFID II, and Electronic Derivatives Trading at Standard Chartered Bank from 2014 to 2020.4 He has also represented Standard Chartered on the GFMA Global Foreign Exchange Division Board and was a member of the Financial Markets Standards Board (FMSB) Advisory Council.4
Alex's entrepreneurial spirit is evident in his previous venture, Paspartu Travel, which he founded and ran from 2013 to 2017.4 His extensive experience and expertise in financial risk management, coupled with his passion for helping smaller businesses, drive his mission to revolutionize how SMEs handle international finance and trade.2
Highlights
It is another US CPI day - when the Consumer Price Index (CPI) announcement is made in the US and often moves FX markets. But why? 📊
CPI measures changes in consumer goods and services prices, providing valuable insights into inflation trends. 📈💰
Here's why it's an important economic driver for FX markets:
1️⃣ Interest Rate Differentials: Central banks aim to control inflation by raising or lowering their benchmark interest rates. A surprise CPI announcement can influence the next interest rate decision. And interest rate differentials often drive relative prices of different currencies in financial markets.
2️⃣ Currency Values: CPI impacts purchasing power in different economies, and exchange rate adjustments are how the purchasing power remains on a similar, longer-term trend.
Stay tuned to CPI announcements to navigate the FX market effectively and protect your international cashflows from surprise currency swings. 💱 🙀
#Finance #InternationalTrade #FXMarkets #CPI #Inflation #BusinessStrategy #RiskManagement
