XS.com Appoints Mariana Higa as LATAM Regional Marketing Director
Mariana Higa joins XS.com from Vantage Markets as LATAM Regional Marketing Director. Here is what the appointment covers and what it could mean for traders in Latin America.
Mariana Higa has been appointed LATAM Regional Marketing Director at XS.com, the Dubai-based retail FX and CFD broker. The company announced the hire on October 20, 2026. Based in Peru, Higa will lead regional marketing programs designed to strengthen XS.com's position and support its business goals across Latin America.
The appointment is a regional role, not a global one. It focuses on how XS.com communicates with, sponsors and engages audiences in Latin American markets, which differ in language, media habits and expectations from one country to another. Below we explain what the role involves, Higa's professional background, what XS.com has said about her priorities and what the move may mean for traders in the region.
What the LATAM Regional Marketing Director Role Covers
According to the company's announcement, Mariana Higa's responsibilities span several areas of regional marketing. The role combines planning, execution and measurement, so it touches many parts of the business.
- Campaigns: Overseeing regional marketing campaigns and their delivery.
- Sponsorships and industry events: Managing sponsorship activity and participation in events relevant to the region.
- Marketing materials: Overseeing the creation of materials adapted to local markets.
- Performance and budget: Assessing campaign results and managing marketing spending.
- Partnerships: Building connections with industry organizations and media partners.
- Cross-team coordination: Working with Sales, Marketing and Compliance so that activities stay relevant locally and consistent with regulatory requirements.
The last point deserves attention. In financial services, marketing that is creative but not reviewed for compliance can create problems for a brokerage. Stating that Compliance is part of the working process signals that regional campaigns are expected to meet regulatory standards from the start rather than being checked afterward.
In practice, a regional marketing role usually follows a cycle: set objectives for each market, plan campaigns and sponsorships, test creative, measure results and adjust spending. Each step benefits from input from other teams, so that promotions stay accurate about risks and product features.
Mariana Higa's Professional Background
Mariana Higa brings more than 10 years of experience in regional marketing, business development and strategic partnerships. Her most recent position was CR Growth Regional Manager at Vantage Markets, where she led campaigns, sponsorships and industry events across Latin America. That role also included budget planning, vendor negotiations, performance reviews and coordination with other internal teams.
Before Vantage Markets, Higa held business development and account management positions at HFM and Exness. In those roles she focused on partner acquisition, client relationships and business growth across the LATAM region. Taken together, this background combines hands-on campaign execution with commercial and partnership work, which is the mix the new role requires.
Experience at a Glance
The table below summarizes the key details of the appointment and the career history reported in the announcement.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| New role at XS.com | LATAM Regional Marketing Director |
| Based in | Peru |
| Most recent role | CR Growth Regional Manager, Vantage Markets |
| Earlier roles | Business development and account management, HFM and Exness |
| Experience | More than 10 years in regional marketing, business development and strategic partnerships |
| Announced | October 20, 2026 |
This mix of campaign work and partner-facing business experience helps explain why the company emphasizes both creativity and commercial results in its description of the role.
What Mariana Higa Has Said About Her Plans
Mariana Higa said she plans to combine local market knowledge with creative marketing and meaningful industry engagement. She pointed to XS.com's international presence as a platform for developing initiatives tailored to the needs of Latin American markets. She also said she looks forward to working with the team on campaigns and partnerships.
Maria Pesca, LATAM Regional Director at XS.com, commented on the appointment. She said the company's marketing approach needs to account for differences between markets and for varying audience expectations. She noted Higa's experience in campaign delivery, sponsorships and regional operations in financial services, and said her background will help shape a marketing strategy with stronger local relevance.
Taken together, the two comments point to two themes: local knowledge and marketing that is aware of regulatory expectations.
How the Appointment May Affect Traders in Latin America
The appointment of Mariana Higa does not change a broker's trading conditions, products or account terms on its own. Its effect is indirect and shows up over time in how a broker communicates and what it promotes. Traders in the region may notice a few things if the regional strategy develops as described:
- More locally relevant content: Marketing that reflects local market conditions and language is likely to be a stated priority.
- Changes in events and sponsorships: Industry events and media partnerships may become a bigger part of how the broker engages the region.
- Clearer compliance expectations: Joint work with Compliance should mean promotional material is reviewed against regulatory requirements.
Readers should judge any broker on its own merits. Before opening an account, check the broker's regulatory status in your country, the costs of trading, the platforms offered, withdrawal terms and how the broker handles complaints. Our broker reviews are a useful starting point for comparison. You can read our XM Group review or our JustMarkets review to see how other brokers active in the region are assessed.
For a broader view of how we cover senior appointments across the industry, see our report on Will Hardy Joins Eightcap UK as Executive Director. Leadership changes are useful news, but they should be read alongside a broker's actual terms and regulatory record.
Trading involves risk, and leveraged products such as CFDs and forex can lose money quickly. Marketing messages, whether from XS.com or any other broker, should never replace your own research.
What to Check Before Trading With Any Broker
Whatever you read in a press release, a simple checklist can help you compare brokers in a structured way:
- Regulation: Confirm which regulator oversees the entity that would hold your account in your country.
- Costs: Compare spreads, commissions, overnight financing and any inactivity or withdrawal fees.
- Platforms and tools: Test the trading platform on a demo account before committing funds.
- Withdrawals: Read the terms on processing times, methods and any verification requirements.
- Complaints: Find out how disputes are handled and which external dispute resolution options exist.
If you are new to derivatives, it helps to understand the product itself. Background on how these instruments track price movements without ownership of the underlying asset is available in Contract for difference (Wikipedia).
About XS.com
XS Group operates under the XS and XS.com brands and is a global multi-asset broker offering access to a range of financial products. The company was founded in Australia in 2010 and is now headquartered in the UAE. XS.com and its subsidiaries hold licences in several jurisdictions, including Australia, Cyprus, South Africa, the UAE, Malaysia, Mauritius and Seychelles. The company is led by Dubai-based CEO Mohamad Ibrahim.
Licence coverage varies by entity and by jurisdiction, so traders should confirm which entity serves their country and what protections apply to that entity before depositing funds.
Key Takeaways on the LATAM Appointment
Mariana Higa's appointment places a regional marketing leader with campaign, sponsorship and partnership experience in charge of XS.com's Latin American activities. For traders, the practical impact will show up gradually in communication and promotion rather than in account terms.
The hire of Mariana Higa is worth following, but the most useful step for any trader is still to verify regulation, costs and terms directly with the broker before making a decision.
