Polymarket Hired Former Goldman Sachs Partner
The prediction market platform appointed Lisa Mantil to lead its institutional growth strategy.
Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Investing
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Polymarket has appointed Lisa Mantil, a former partner at Goldman Sachs, as its new head of institutional growth. The move is designed to shift the platform from a retail focus toward institutional investment and risk-management strategies.
Why it matters
By recruiting veterans from traditional finance, Polymarket aims to secure the liquidity required for large-scale block trades. This expansion into institutional markets signals a significant evolution in the prediction market landscape.
Lisa Mantil joins the firm following a 30-year tenure at Goldman Sachs, where she previously served as the global head of the company's ETF accelerator.
The players
Lisa Mantil
She is the newly appointed head of institutional growth at Polymarket and a veteran with 30 years of experience at Goldman Sachs.
Polymarket
It is a prediction market platform that recently launched a U.S. exchange and is actively seeking to expand its institutional liquidity.
Goldman Sachs
This global investment bank is a major traditional financial institution where Lisa Mantil formerly served as a partner.
Warren Jenson
He was hired as the chief financial officer of Polymarket in September 2026 to support the firm's strategic expansion.
Kalshi
This is a prediction market competitor that completed a block trade in April 2026.
The details
The platform is prioritizing the development of privately negotiated block trades to attract professional participants. This recruitment follows the earlier addition of Warren Jenson as chief financial officer in September 2026.
Timeline
April 2026: Kalshi completed its first block trade.
May 2026: Polymarket launched its U.S. exchange.
May 2026: Polymarket international platform conducted its first block trade.
September 2026: Polymarket hired Lisa Mantil and Warren Jenson.
Market Landscape
Polymarket is actively mimicking the operational structures of legacy exchanges to compete with emerging prediction platforms. This move follows the trend of the integration of traditional financial market structures into decentralized prediction platforms.
Retail users may see an increase in platform liquidity and the availability of more complex, high-value trading instruments. These institutional-grade features aim to provide a more stable and professionalized trading environment for all participants.
The takeaway
The pivot toward institutional growth suggests that prediction markets are maturing into serious tools for professional risk management. Investors should watch how these firms balance high-volume block trading with the needs of their existing retail user base.
Further reading
For more on the changing landscape of digital asset markets, explore the Investing section.
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