Polymarket Strengthens Institutional Push with Former Goldman Partner Lisa Mantil

Polymarket hired Lisa Mantil to lead its commercial strategy towards institutional investors, according to a company announcement published on September 29, 2026. Mantil was appointed head of institutional growth on Tuesday after 27 years at Goldman Sachs, where she achieved partner status in 2018 and most recently led the ETF Accelerator. Her role at Polymarket will encompass relationships with investment managers, trading firms, corporations, and banks, as well as working on infrastructure, liquidity, and other options targeted at those clients.

Polymarket is boosting its institutional business with financial hires

Polymarket has prioritized attracting financial professionals accustomed to higher levels of liquidity and established market infrastructure. The company explained that Mantil will work on both building commercial relationships and tailoring products and providing liquidity for institutional accounts.

The hiring brings specific credentials. Mantil spent 27 years at Goldman Sachs and was named partner in 2018. In her last position at the financial entity, she led the ETF Accelerator, a program designed to help institutional clients launch, list, and manage exchange-traded funds. Polymarket hopes to apply that experience to the transition of prediction contracts for professional and risk management uses.

"The opportunity to join Polymarket is a rare chance to help shape an exploding asset class at a turning point in its development," said Mantil in the announcement.

What types of institutions does Polymarket want to attract?

Polymarket seeks relationships with asset managers, trading firms, corporations, and banks. The company wants these counterparts to use contracts tied to events that can affect portfolios: elections, interest rate decisions, regulatory resolutions, and geopolitical developments.

The operational logic differs from that of traditional assets. Conventional investors often manage risk through assets expected to move alongside an event; prediction contracts provide direct exposure to a specified outcome. Polymarket aims to offer that exposure with the liquidity, custody, and documentation that professional clients require.

How Mantil's experience aligns with the institutional goal

Mantil will bring relationships and know-how to move new products from development to adoption by professional investors. Her track record at Goldman Sachs and the ETF Accelerator implies practical experience in: product design, regulatory interaction implicit in listings and market structures, and the service chain that institutional investors need.

In her public statement, Mantil added, "I have spent my career guiding institutions as they adopt new products and enter new markets, and I look forward to bringing that experience to Polymarket as we build the institutional business and expand the role that prediction markets can play in investment and risk management strategies." This phrase reproduces her description of goals and expectations exactly.

Recent appointments and Polymarket's financial structure

Mantil's hiring follows another senior appointment in September. Polymarket appointed Warren Jenson as its first chief financial officer on September 10, 2026. Jenson previously held similar financial roles at Amazon, Electronic Arts, Delta Air Lines, NBC, and Nielsen. At Polymarket, Jenson oversees the financial organization, capital strategy, and long-term financial planning as the company expands its operations in the U.S.

Polymarket has also recruited talent with experience outside institutional banking. In February, the company hired Ari Borod as president of sports business development; Borod came from Fanatics, where he was chief business officer during that company's expansion into sports betting and online gaming. This hiring brought direct sportsbook experience to Polymarket, a relevant piece for capturing sports trading volume.

Sector movement: Kalshi and the professionalization of prediction markets

Polymarket is not the only operator strengthening teams with professionals from traditional finance and sports. Kalshi has made similar hires in recent months: in July, it brought on Dillon Borgida as head of private client sales and services; Borgida spent nearly three years at Underdog, where he managed VIP and player experience. In August, Kalshi appointed Jeff Bandman as CEO of Kalshi Prime, its brokerage and intermediation arm for the futures business; Bandman held senior positions at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and was involved in Kalshi's initial regulatory strategy.

The hiring pattern shows two converging vectors: executives from sportsbooks bring customer acquisition and high-value player management experience; executives from traditional finance bring institutional relationships, risk management, and understanding of regulated infrastructure. Polymarket has aligned its hires specifically to cater to the next group of clients: professional investors seeking greater liquidity, established infrastructures, and products designed to be integrated into portfolio management.

Practical implications for platforms and market participants

For institutions to operate in prediction markets, several pieces are required: access to deep liquidity, market connectivity compatible with institutional practices, clear contractual documentation, and, in some cases, custody and compliance solutions that meet internal and regulatory requirements. Polymarket has indicated that Mantil will work on infrastructure and liquidity options aimed at those clients without detailing timelines or specific products in the announcement.

The arrival of executives with experience in ETFs, regulated markets, and large technology companies suggests that Polymarket will prioritize structures that allow managers and banks to integrate prediction contracts into investment and risk management processes. To follow these developments, technology providers and custodians will need to adapt offerings to institutional demands.

"I hope to bring that experience to Polymarket as we build the institutional business," concluded Mantil.

The note first appeared in NEXTPredict.