Who are the two energy traders hired by Capula, and where did they previously work?

Capula Investment Management hired Wouter Verdam as a portfolio manager from Freepoint Commodities and Jakob Stawiarz from Element Alpha. Verdam, who joined Capula’s Zug, Switzerland office, had worked at Freepoint for over seven years and previously at Citigroup Inc.; Stawiarz joined Capula’s Geneva office and had formerly worked at Ocean Leonid Investments.

What is Capula’s strategic motivation for hiring these traders, and what markets will they trade?

Capula is expanding into energy and commodities, driven by heightened market volatility from geopolitical and weather events—particularly the war in the Middle East—which has caused sharp increases in oil, gas, and power contract prices. Both newly hired traders will focus on trading European and US energy futures.

Hedge Fund Capula Hires Traders from Freepoint, Element Alpha in Energy Push

Aug 19, 2026

Capula Investment Management hired two energy traders from Freepoint Commodities and Element Alpha to expand its energy and commodities trading operations amid rising market volatility.

bloomberg

2026-08-19

Hedge Fund Capula Hires Traders from Freepoint, Element Alpha in Energy Push

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