Trading 212 Names Ricardo Soares as Portugal Country Manager

Trading 212 has named Ricardo Soares as its country manager for Portugal, a leadership role overseeing the company's business in the country. Soares joins from Revolut, where he worked in regulatory affairs in Lisbon, and he brings more than a decade of experience in financial regulation, supervision and risk management. For traders in Portugal, the appointment puts a local leader with a regulator-side background in charge of the company's market presence.

A country manager role is one of the most visible local positions in a broker's structure. This article explains who Soares is, how his career fits together and what the change may mean for traders. It also includes a practical checklist for anyone reviewing a broker, plus a related leadership story from another region: MENA Business Development Manager Nour Ghossoub Joins The Trading Pit.

Who is Ricardo Soares?

Soares has spent most of his career in financial institutions and supervisory bodies in Portugal. His roles, as described in the announcement, cover regulatory work at a fintech, risk management at a central bank and market supervision at the national securities regulator.

Looking at the sequence of roles together, Soares's path runs from financial analysis into central banking and then into securities supervision, before moving to a consumer fintech. That mix covers several sides of the same system: the firms that are regulated, the institutions that assess system-wide risk and the body that monitors markets.

Revolut: senior regulatory affairs manager

Soares spent nearly three years at Revolut as a senior regulatory affairs manager in Lisbon, from November 2023 to August 2026. In that role, he worked on the regulatory side of a large consumer financial services business, which involves dealing with compliance obligations and maintaining a working relationship with supervisors.

Banco de Portugal: risk management advisor

Before Revolut, Soares worked for more than four years as a risk management advisor at Banco de Portugal, the country's central bank. Risk management at a central bank focuses on identifying and assessing financial risks across the system, a perspective that is useful when running a regulated business.

CMVM: economist and supervision team leader

Soares also spent almost five years at Portugal's securities regulator, the CMVM. He began as an economist in the Trading Analysis and Enforcement Department and later became team leader of the real-time supervision unit in the Market Supervision Department. Real-time supervision is the work of monitoring market activity as it happens, so this experience sits close to the day-to-day issues that traders and brokers face.

Earlier career: Capital Criativo

Earlier in his career, Soares worked for four years as a financial analyst at Capital Criativo. This was his first role in the sequence described in the announcement and gave him a grounding in financial analysis before he moved into regulation and supervision.

Career timeline at a glance

The table lists roles in career order, with the Trading 212 row showing the current appointment. Several entries have no exact start or end dates in the announcement, so the table shows only the periods that were stated. Treat it as a summary, not a precise employment history.

Qualifications and credentials

Soares holds CFA, Financial Risk Manager (FRM) and Certified ESG Analyst credentials. The CFA and FRM designations are widely recognised in investment and risk roles, while the ESG analyst credential reflects work on environmental, social and governance factors in finance. He earned a master's degree in finance and a bachelor's degree in management from Iscte - Instituto Universitário de Lisboa.

Professional credentials are one signal among many. They show a commitment to study and a grounding in specific areas, but they do not by themselves describe how a company treats its clients. When you read a leadership profile, compare the credentials with the responsibilities actually described.

What the appointment means for traders in Portugal

A country manager does not set a broker's trading conditions on their own, but the role shapes how a company communicates with local clients, regulators and partners. The announcement does not describe any changes to products, pricing or account terms, so traders should not assume any. Based on the background described, the appointment is most relevant to traders who care about:

• Regulatory conduct: Soares's time at the CMVM and Revolut's regulatory team points to a focus on compliance and supervisory expectations.
• Market supervision: His work in real-time supervision is relevant to how unusual trading activity is monitored.
• Risk awareness: A risk management background is relevant to how a broker communicates leverage, margin and client risk.
• Local presence: A named country lead gives Portuguese clients a clear point of contact for the business in their market.

For Trading 212 clients in Portugal, the practical question is whether the change affects service, not whether it changes the basic rules. Account opening, support and platform access are set by the company and its legal entities, so check current documents rather than relying on a personnel announcement.

Regulation sets the framework brokers must work within, and it is a useful lens for reading any appointment. For background, see Financial regulation (Wikipedia).

Before drawing conclusions, note what the announcement does not say. It does not promise new services, and it does not describe how responsibilities will be divided with other staff. Those details are better confirmed through official channels.

How to check a broker's local credentials

Leadership announcements are one signal among many. If you are assessing any broker, including Trading 212, use a short checklist:

1. Find the regulator and licence entity named in the broker's legal documents, not just in its marketing.
2. Check that the entity serving Portuguese clients is the one covered by that regulation.
3. Read the product terms, fee schedule and margin rules before funding an account.
4. Compare the broker against independent reviews. For example, our XM Group review shows how we assess a broker's terms and disclosures.
5. Start small and test withdrawals, support and platform behaviour before committing larger sums.

Work through the list before opening an account and keep notes. A broker that is clear about its regulator, legal entity and costs is easier to assess than one that uses vague language about who serves your country.

Trading involves risk, and you can lose more than you invest with leveraged products. Only trade with money you can afford to lose, and make sure you understand how your chosen broker is regulated.

About Trading 212

Trading 212 is an online trading provider. For details on its products, regulation, fees and client terms, readers should refer to the company's own website and legal documentation, as these were not part of the material used for this article.

The 212 clients and prospective clients should compare the company's disclosures with those of other providers. Look at the risk warnings, fee schedule, available markets and complaint procedures, and confirm which terms apply in your country of residence.

Frequently asked questions about Trading 212 and this appointment

The questions below cover the appointment and the background described in the announcement. Answers are based only on the information provided.

Who is the new country manager for Portugal?

According to the announcement, Ricardo Soares has been named country manager for Portugal. The role oversees the company's business in the country.

Does the appointment change Trading 212's terms?

The announcement does not describe any changes to products, pricing or account terms. Check the current product terms and fee schedule directly with the company before making any decisions.

Where should I verify regulation?

Refer to the company's own website and legal documentation for details on its regulation, fees and client terms. Those sources were not part of the material used for this article.