Decentralized finance technology services provider AllianceBlock has announced eight new C-level hires. The company’s new Zug-based office plans to create 20 to 30 new jobs by the end of 2021.
AllianceBlock’s open-source technology provides regulated financial entities around the globe with the infrastructure and tools they need to access the world of decentralized finance. This will allow them to tap into innovative DeFi products and protocols while facilitating more efficient processes and reduced costs.
New chief sales officer Meryem Yacoubi Soussane previously worked at Deutsche Bank, Lehman Brothers, Nomura Bank, and Societe Generale. Chief marketing officer and ecosystem head Anders Christensen was formerly with Avaloq Accenture Strategy, BBVA Wealth Barclays, and Deloitte.
Houman Falakshahi, chief research officer has experience at Barclays Capital, a family office in Geneva, Lloyds Bank, Societe Generale and Finance Concepts.
The remaining hires are Gerben van den Bergh (CIO), Andrei Platonov, (chief business development officer), Christen Oesterbye (COO), Matthieu Mariapragassam (head of Quantitative Analytics), and Ed Newey, (chief human resources officer).
“AllianceBlock’s aim is to take the best parts of traditional and institutional finance and to merge them through underlying technologies and products allowing both worlds to seamlessly interact,” AllianceBlock co-founder and CEO Rachid Ajaja said. “This wave of institutional executives joining our team is a real, tangible example that proves that the merger of the two financial worlds is happening, and that DeFi is legitimate and here to stay. To have grown from a team of three to over 80 in such a short space of time is testament to our hard work and commitment. However, above all, it is testament to the real market demand for a gateway that will make DeFi technology compliant and compatible with traditional finance. This is just the beginning.”
“The strategic opening of our new office in Crypto Valley, alongside our existing office in Utrecht, will strengthen our position at the vanguard of finance within the burgeoning global blockchain industry,” co-founder and CTO Matthijs de Vries said. “We are proud to be contributing to the Crypto Valley ecosystem and to be part of its continued growth and success.”
AllianceBlock has announced partnerships and collaborations with Chainlink, Ocean Protocol, CertiK, Injective Protocol, and Hedera Hashgraph, as well as having joined the London Stock Exchange Group’s Partner Platform. They recently celebrated the mainnet launch of the AllianceBridge, a blockchain-agnostic and fully decentralized interoperability solution.
A company is only as good as its people, Ajaja added, noting they have to hire the right people and foster an environment that nourishes them.
“We are delighted to have onboarded a high number of C-Level executives from valuable backgrounds. They will leverage their experience and networks to help move the needle in areas such as research and development, business development, human resources, marketing, ecosystem and much more. We look forward to seeing AllianceBlock and its world class talent take our ongoing mission to redefine the world of finance to the next level.”