Meet the team

We have a multinational team of Aussies, Kiwis, South Africans, Poles and even the odd Brit. Our dedicated brokers in the UK and South Africa work across multiple times zones and are always happy to assist you with any query you may have.

We can talk high level forex, but can put it in layman’s terms if you need us to. We’re passionate about what we do and we put our clients at the heart of our business.

Find out a little more about the brokers and client liaisons you’ll have the pleasure of getting to know when you use our service.

 

Our global forex team

  • Andrew-Rissik
    Andrew Rissik
    Group International Director
  • Saskia Johnston
    Service Delivery Director
  • Gemma Blommaert
    Gemma Blommaert
    Forex Global Manager
  • Sebastian_Steyn
    Sebastian Steyn
    Forex Risk and Hedging Specialist
  • Carey Kolver
    Carey Goaté
    Business Development and Client Relations Consultant
  • Justin Fortuin - Forex Broker
    Justin Fortuin
    Forex Broker
  • nicholas_freel
    Nicholas Freel
    Senior Forex Broker
  • Andrew Rissik
    Group International Director

    Andrew grew up in South Africa, where he was schooled at Michaelhouse after which he completed his education at the University of Stellenbosch.

    He served as an officer in the South African Navy before completing his management training with the McCarthy Group.

    He established a company that facilitated the investment of UK client money into the emerging South African property market. He successfully sold his interests before being appointed to head up Sable International's forex team.

    Andrew is a keen sailor who has competed internationally and spends many weekends away either sailing or enjoying the outdoors with his wife and two children.

  • Saskia Johnston
    Service Delivery Director

    Saskia has over 10 years of experience within the Sable International Team. Saskia graduated from the University of Cape Town with a B. Sc. (Masters) in finance and a sub-major in economics. She has a keen interest in financial services and immigration which made her the perfect candidate to help drive our Business Immigration team forward. Saskia has a passion for exceptional customer service and is now responsible for the Business Immigration team’s service delivery.

    A confident, enthusiastic individual with a great attitude and a keen motivation to learn. Saskia has spent the last decade growing a very strong and powerful professional business development network in London. Her growth and strategic approach to relationship-led new business has produced some fantastic results and she has enjoyed implementing these successful sales strategies with her team in London. She has extensive experience in all aspects of foreign exchange and business immigration and can apply her high-level, target-driven sales and account management approach to the success of her role.

    Outside of work, Saskia loves experiencing new cultures and travel is at the top of her “spare time” list.”

  • Gemma Blommaert
    Forex Global Manager

    Gemma was raised and schooled in Cape Town, South Africa. She studied business management and computing before quickly being snapped up by Sable International.

    Gemma holds the position of Forex Global Manager at Sable International, with a keen focus on customer service which she believes is what “separates us from the rest". She brings an outstanding enthusiasm, dedication and knowledge of the company to the role.

    Gemma is happily stationed at Sable International’s Cape Town office with her team who take care in moving money around the world for their clients.

    Outside of the office she enjoys travelling, spending time with family and wining and dining at Stellenbosch’s wine estates.

  • Sebastian Steyn
    Forex Risk and Hedging Specialist

    Sebastian completed his BComm (Hons) degree in Financial Risk Management at Stellenbosch University. With a keen interest in trading, he joined the forex team at Sable International.

    Sebastian’s ambitious nature saw him climb the ranks from Broker to Senior Broker and later as a Global Team Leader. He has since shifted his focus to risk management, with a personal interest in the technological development in the crypto sphere.

    In 2019, he obtained the FRM certification from the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP). He then moved into a Risk and Hedging Specialist role at Sable International.

    Sebastian is passionate about hiking, trail running and photography. He often spends weekends exploring the expansive mountain ranges in and around the Cape Peninsula.

  • Carey Goaté
    Business Development and Client Relations Consultant

    Carey grew up in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. It was while managing two warehouses for Behr Hella, an international automotive company, that Carey took a keen interest in logistics. She went on to study logistics and procurement at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.

    During this time, she realised her passion for people and took an about-turn into marketing and sales, where she excelled.

    Now living in London, Carey joined Sable International in 2013 and specialises in saving both individuals and companies money on their international money transfers.

    In her free time, Carey frequents the gym, enjoys travelling and loves being outdoors.

  • Justin Fortuin
    Forex Broker

    Justin studied at Stellenbosch University; attaining a BA in Geo Environmental studies and a Bcom Hons in Public Development Management.

    Before joining Sable International, Justin worked as a junior development economist specialising in market research focusing on property and agriculture. 

    He is currently a member of the global forex team, assisting clients with all their forex needs as a broker

    In his personal life, Justin enjoys spending time with family and friends, swimming and a good book.

  • Nicholas Freel
    Senior Forex Broker

    Nicholas was born and raised in Kimberley, South Africa. He moved to Bloemfontein where he completed his Bachelor of Commerce degree with specialisation in investment management and banking at the University of the Free State. He is extremely interested in forex and the financial world. His hard work and fervent interest in forex and the financial realm have earned him the position as a Senior Forex Broker at Sable.

    Beyond the trading desk, Nicholas's adventurous spirit shines through his love for spearfishing and freediving. Nicholas has also proudly represented his country in two barefoot water-skiing World Championships.

 

Our South African forex team

  • James Edward: Director
    James Edward
    Business Director: Forex SA
  • Tim Powell: Director
    Tim Powell
    Director: Forex SA
  • Shawn Maidwell: Operations Manager
    Shawn Maidwell
    Operations Manager: Forex SA
  • Charlene Windvogel
    Charlene Windvogel
    Forex Broker
  • Brenda Simpkins
    Brenda Simpkins
    Forex Broker
  • Gary Davies
    Gary Davies
    Business Development Executive
  • Teri-Anne Hermans
    Teri-Anne Hermans
    Forex Broker
  • Charmaine Thompson
    Charmaine Thomson
    Forex Broker
  • Lynn Ӧz
    Lynn Creighton
    Client Relations – Policy Encashment
  • Anita Huyser
    Anita Huyser
    Business Development Executive
  • shelly_naude
    Shelley Naudé
    Compliance Officer
  • James Edward
    Business Director: Forex SA

    James has 35 years of banking experience, 15 of these intimately involved in international trade finance, including eight years as head of Capital Equipment Imports and Trade Finance, Nedbank Corporate (previously BoE Corporate Bank).

    He previously headed up the Durban office of Reichmann’s Trade Finance, part of Investec Bank. James has a BComm degree majoring in Economics and Business Finance, a Banker’s Diploma and has completed an Advanced International Finance course at the University of Cape Town. In his spare time, James enjoys surfing and has a very active family that love the outdoors.

  • Tim Powell
    Director: Forex SA

    Tim has 25 years of work experience, including at the likes of Price Waterhouse Coopers, Combined Motor Holdings, BoE, Ernst & Young, JD Edwards in South Africa, Deutsche Bank and 1st Contact Forex in London.

    He started an online forex business in London before returning to South Africa. He then joined FX Capital, growing the business to annual trade in excess of R4 billion per annum.

    In 2017, FX Capital merged with Sable International and Tim is now the director of Sable International’s South African forex business.

    On weekends, Tim enjoys climbing mountains with his wife and two sons.

  • Shawn Maidwell
    Operations Manager: Forex SA

    Shawn hails from windy Fish Hoek, Cape Town. After qualifying with a BComm in Marketing and Economics from Unisa, he spent seven years in sunny Scotland before returning to South Africa to begin working with FX Capital.

    He joined Sable International in November 2017 as part of a merger with FX Capital. Shawn has over four years’ experience in foreign exchange, exchange control and cross-border payments. He is currently the Operations Manager for our South Africa forex division and deals mainly with private clients, corporates, estates and transfers into South Africa.

    He enjoys playing sport, hiking and spending time with friends.

  • Charlene Windvogel
    Forex Broker

    Charlene has 23 years’ experience in the banking industry and has spent the last 12 years working in corporate and investment banking.

    She joined Sable International in 2018 and is currently employed as a Forex Broker, managing corporate and private client portfolios at the Cape Town office.

    Charlene enjoys spending time with her family and being outdoors.

  • Brenda Simpkins
    Forex Broker

    Brenda has been a Forex Consultant in the Durban Office since March 2016. She has 25 years’ experience in project management and business management, in the event organising and office design industries. She completed her Bachelor of Social Science in Economics and Industrial Psychology at UKZN.

    She specifically deals with the private individual clients and particularly enjoys the more challenging situations where the client is struggling to find a realistic solution to their offshore transfer requirements. Brenda also deals with inheritance payments, financial emigration and SARS tax clearances.

    Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her three children.

  • Gary Davies
    Business Development Executive

    Gary was born and raised in Johannesburg and has also lived in Somerset West in Cape Town and Los Angeles in the USA. He has 23 years’ work experience within local and international banks focussing on international corporate and individual banking and investment platforms.

    Outside of work, Gary enjoys cycling and has successfully completed twelve 947 Cycle Challenges and eight Cape Town Cycle Tours in support of The Reach for a Dream Foundation. When not cycling, he takes educational outdoor trips with his two children and three foster children.

  • Teri-Anne Hermans
    Forex Broker

    Teri-Anne has 18 years of work experience.

    She has previously worked at ABSA and at an immigration firm where she held the position of Key Account manager for private and corporate clients and ran the operations for the Namibian branch.

    Before moving into the Forex broker role, she was a client relations consultant in the same forex team.

    Teri-Anne enjoys spending quality time with her husband and two children. 

  • Charmaine Thomson
    Forex Broker

    Charmaine has 20 years’ banking experience, where she specialised in foreign exchange, international banking and trade finance. She is currently employed as a Forex Broker, and she manages the forex requirements of a portfolio of corporate clients, private individuals and brokers.

    Charmaine has a National Diploma NQF6 in Financial Markets and Instruments (Academy of Financial Markets), a Diploma in Treasury Management and Trade Finance (Institute of Bankers), and a Certificate in Marketing (RAU University).

    She enjoys spending time with her family and friends and travelling. She also plays social golf and enjoys swimming the Midmar Mile with her husband and teenage daughter.

  • Lynn Creighton
    Client Relations – Policy Encashment

    Lynn was born and bred in George along the beautiful Garden Route. She has travelled extensively and has lived in Israel, the United Kingdom and Turkey. After she obtained a Certificate in Banking with Milpark Business School, she gained 18 years of banking experience at FNB George, Knysna and Tokai.

    Lynn loves travelling, hiking, going to the gym and spending time with her family, especially her grown-up son. She joined Sable International from FX Capital as part of the merger between the two companies. She is currently employed in Client Relations for Policy Encashment in Sable International's South African Forex department.

  • Anita Huyser
    Business Development Executive

    Anita has a BComm degree and over 20 years work experience, 14 years of which she spent in the finance industry and eight years in foreign exchange, exchange control and cross-border payments. She has worked and travelled throughout Europe.

    Anita successfully summited Mt Kilimanjaro and completed her first Cape Town Argus Cycle Tour in 2014.

  • Shelley Naudé
    Compliance Officer

    Shelley matriculated in Johannesburg and attended UNISA where she studied English and history of art and obtained a diploma in photo journalism.

    After spending two years living and working in London, she joined Standard Bank in South Africa where she worked for over 20 years in various roles in global financial institutions and correspondent banking.

    Shelley is the compliance officer at Sable International and is responsible for the implementation of anti-money laundering measures.

    She loves belly dancing, hiking, swimming in the ocean and exploring the countryside.

 

How it all began

Forex services were traditionally provided by the high street banks and larger money transfer agents, but we knew that we could do better. Money transfer services are just one of the many hundreds of services that banks offer and let’s be honest, it’s impossible to master them all.

We were right. For more than 20 years, first as 1st Contact Forex and now as Sable International, we’ve built a business out of refining and mastering the money transfer service. To date we have over 60,000 registered clients and do over 140,000 transactions per year.

Our goal was, and is, to give clients the ability to transfer money internationally, from anywhere and at any time.

Whether you want to transfer your savings home, bring your savings back, send money to loved ones, pay off debt  or invest offshore with expert advice, we can help.

We also help small and medium-sized businesses transfer funds internationally.

Whatever your foreign exchange needs are, we’ve got you covered.

We’re accredited across the world

The security of our clients’ funds is especially important to us. We’re registered with HM Customs & Excise in the UK as a money services business (registration number 12148630).

We meet all the required capital and liquidity requirements and stand under the financial controls and “know your customer” policies and procedures of our corporate bankers. All client funds are held in designated client money bank accounts with our corporate bankers.