Dariush Borjian

Job title: Senior Sales Trader, Australian Market

Location: Singapore

Nationality: Australian/Persian

1. You have lived and worked across Iran, the UK, Australia and now Singapore. How has this international journey shaped your perspective, both personally and professionally?

Growing up in Iran, studying in the UK and building my career in Australia before relocating to Singapore has given me both a global perspective and a local edge. I’m comfortable operating across time zones and cultures and I’ve learned to strike a balance between flexibility in my personal life and discipline and ambition in my professional life, which are essential for trading fast-moving OTC markets. At STX, this translates into clear client communication, tight risk management and actionable ideas grounded in diverse regulatory and market contexts.

2. What inspired your transition from studying sustainable energy engineering to pursuing a career outside of traditional engineering roles?

I pursued a master’s in sustainable energy engineering because I’ve always wanted to be part of the solution to the climate crisis. Over time, I realized I’m most effective where markets and decarbonization meet: pricing risk, interpreting policy and directing capital toward real projects. At STX, we are traders of environmental progress, helping clients meet their sustainability goals while channeling liquidity into credible environmental outcomes.

3. Joining STX meant relocating to Singapore. What drew you to this opportunity and what were the biggest challenges and opportunities it brought?

Moving to Singapore, a country I had never visited before, was both exciting and daunting, but a necessary step for my career and for STX’s business objectives. The biggest challenge was rebuilding my network from scratch while learning about a new market, culture and company. The benefits have been significant: proximity to APAC counterparties, greater exposure to commodity and environmental markets and a steeper learning curve. I have also met many people I can now call friends and gained a broader perspective, both of which directly translate into better trades and client service.

4. You are now based in Singapore, working for a Dutch company and covering the Australian market. What unique insights has it given you into the flow of renewable energy markets across borders?

Working for a European company from Singapore, while covering the Australian market, has given me a clear insight into how policies, capital and certificates move across borders. I see how international policy signals and corporate sustainability targets translate into voluntary demand for Australian Large-scale Generation Certificates (LGCs), which ultimately drives further investment in renewable energy projects in Australia.

5. Your role has given you deep insight into the mechanics of the Australian market and how it connects to global voluntary trends. What shifts or patterns are you seeing in this fast-growing sector and how do you see it evolving?

Australia has one of the most mature environmental certificate markets, with deep liquidity, clear policy signals and sophisticated participants. Globally driven trends, such as RE100 and SBTi targets, 24/7 matching and granular certificates, are increasingly flowing into Australia through international corporations’ voluntary demand. I expect this momentum to continue, supported by both domestic and global policies. At STX, we are still in the early stages of expanding into Australia and we see strong opportunities to capture more of this voluntary demand as we grow our presence in the market.

6. You have worked with major banks, energy retailers and international traders. What have you learned about building long-term relationships in such a dynamic sector?

I’ve learned to be a long-term partner and relationship builder, instead of just a transactional broker. As most of what we trade is OTC, strong relationships with counterparties on the other side of the trade are essential. These relationships sharpen market intel, tighten execution and, over time, open the door for larger and more complex structures.