Kraken, one of the world’s longest-standing and “most secure” crypto platforms, announced it is further strengthening its leadership team with two key appointments that will help position the company for continued growth amid evolving regulatory environments globally.
With the appointment of Gilles BianRosa as Chief Operating and Produacct Officer (COO/CPO) and Marcus Hughes as its Global Head of Regulatory Strategy, Kraken is gearing up “to double down in its core markets, increase product innovation, and further diversify its global footprint.”
David Ripley, CEO of Kraken, said:
“As we get ready for the next phase of growth in crypto markets, we need to ensure we can quickly adapt to rapidly changing market trends while navigating an increasingly complex and divergent regulatory landscape. We will be innovating, launching new products, entering new markets and continuously improving our offering, all while ensuring compliance with applicable regulatory requirements across the many markets we operate in.”
With more than two decades of entrepreneurship and product leadership experience, Gilles brings “a deep understanding of product development and operational excellence to Kraken.”
Most recently, Gilles was CPO “at European neobank N26, where he was responsible for defining, leading and implementing the global product strategy. He also launched crypto trading in the neobank’s core markets.”
Prior to N26, Gilles was “the CPO of SoundCloud and led Samsung Electronics’ content and services division. Gilles reports to David Ripley, CEO of Kraken.”
David Ripley added:
“I couldn’t be more excited to welcome Gilles to the Kraken team during a pivotal moment of growth for our company. Gilles has a proven track record of delivering innovative products across global organizations with velocity. Combined with his strategic insight this will enable us to continue carrying out our mission of making crypto accessible to the next billion people through Kraken’s leading products and services.”
Gilles will lead Kraken’s strategy, global business operations, product and design, “to drive the next generation of crypto products and services that will enable clients to seamlessly transact in crypto.”
With Marcus, Kraken gains “a seasoned professional that brings a wealth of legal, commercial and regulatory expertise across traditional finance and crypto. Marcus was previously Managing Director of Coinbase’s European business and General Counsel for its international operations.”
With nearly a decade of traditional finance experience at Morgan Stanley before that, he is well positioned “to drive Kraken’s regulatory strategy and expansion efforts around the globe.”
In his role, Marcus will collaborate “with Kraken’s leadership to craft a strategy that takes into account the complex global nature of operating in crypto today. He will lead a team of legal regulatory experts across the markets Kraken operates in.”
He will work closely “with the company’s government affairs team to inform our advocacy efforts and work with leaders across the organization to ensure the ongoing compliance of Kraken’s offering.”
Marcus reports to Marco Santori, Chief Legal Officer at Kraken.