Sharegain Deputy CEO Keren Halperin Re-elected to ISLA Board of Directors

Keren Halperin, Deputy CEO of Sharegain, has been re-elected to the Board of Directors of the International Securities Lending Association (ISLA) for a second consecutive term. For fintech professionals, this appointment signals the continued influence of digital-first platforms within the traditional securities financing ecosystem as the industry grapples with retail participation and tokenization.

What was announced

The re-election of Keren Halperin to the ISLA Board of Directors marks a continuation of her role in shaping the strategic direction of the securities lending market. Halperin, who also serves as Chief of Staff at Sharegain, brings a career spanning over two decades in capital markets. Her professional background includes experience as a trader at an algorithmic trading firm and a regulatory role within the legal department of a major stock exchange, alongside a ten-year tenure at Sharegain.

ISLA is the primary trade association for the securities financing industry, representing more than 280 global member firms across 35 jurisdictions. The membership base is broad, encompassing beneficial owners, institutional investors, asset managers, custodians, lenders, and prime brokers. The association is governed by a board of fifteen Officers and Directors who represent a geographically and functionally diverse cross-section of the industry. This board works with ISLA’s senior management to coordinate with global regulators and policy-makers, aiming to establish best practices and regulatory clarity.

The re-appointment comes at a time when the association is focusing on the evolution of collateral movement. Halperin’s role on the board involves representing the interests of new market participants, specifically the growing segment of neo-brokers and digital trading platforms that are increasingly integrating securities lending into their retail offerings.

"Securities lending is experiencing exceptional growth, driven by factors including new sources of supply, developing markets and increased retail participation – with digital assets and tokenization reshaping how securities and collateral move. I will continue to champion this growth, bringing the voice of new participants and the next generation of beneficial owners from the neo-brokers and trading platforms I work with every day."

Keren Halperin, Deputy CEO of Sharegain

The companies involved

Sharegain is a London-headquartered fintech focused on democratizing the securities lending market. The company provides a platform that enables investors—ranging from large institutions to individual retail traders via neo-brokers—to lend their stocks, bonds, and ETFs in exchange for a share of the lending revenue. By automating the complex legal and operational requirements of securities financing, Sharegain has positioned itself as a bridge between traditional capital markets and the modern digital wealth management sector.

The International Securities Lending Association (ISLA) functions as the leading industry body for the EMEA region, though its influence and membership are global. It provides the standard legal frameworks, such as the Global Master Securities Lending Agreement (GMSLA), which underpin the majority of transactions in the sector. ISLA’s role has expanded in recent years to address the impact of the Securities Financing Transactions Regulation (SFTR) and the shift toward digital collateral management, ensuring that the infrastructure of the $2.5 trillion securities lending market remains robust amid technological shifts.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has closely tracked Sharegain’s efforts to bring institutional-grade lending capabilities to the retail market. In 2026, the publication reported on how Velox Clearing Partners with Sharegain to Launch Fully Paid Securities Lending Program, a move that expanded the fintech's reach into the US clearing space. Earlier that year, Sharegain Data Reveals Retail Investors Unlocking 50%+ Yields via Securities Lending highlighted the significant revenue potential for individual investors using these platforms.

The company has also been active in bolstering its leadership and technological capabilities. FF News covered when Sharegain Names Ronny Maate CPO and Promotes Ben Smith to CAIO, focusing on their "AI-native" approach to the sector. Additionally, the appointment of Nicholas Hay as Global Head of Demand Coverage in 2025 signaled the firm's intent to deepen its relationships with institutional borrowers.

What this means

The re-election of a fintech executive to the ISLA board confirms that the "democratization" of securities lending is no longer a fringe trend but a core component of the industry's future. Traditional custodians and prime brokers are under increasing pressure to modernize their legacy systems as retail-driven supply enters the market. Halperin’s presence on the board ensures that as ISLA sets the standards for tokenization and digital assets, those standards will be compatible with the agile infrastructure of neo-brokers. The central question for the sector now is how quickly the "old guard" can adapt to a landscape where individual investors expect the same yield-generating opportunities once reserved for billion-dollar pension funds.