Introducing Blockdaemon's EMEA Sales Team! — Blockdaemon Blog

Introducing Blockdaemon's EMEA Sales Team!

By:

Conor Keville

Blockdaemon has expanded its global sales team with the addition of three new members in EMEA. The new team will focus on helping institutions and businesses in the region adopt blockchain technology.

Blockdaemon is scaling rapidly. From time to time, we like to take the opportunity to introduce you to some of our decentralized, and truly global, blockchain team.

Today, we are shining the spotlight on our growing EMEA sales team (Europe, Middle East and Africa):

Together, these team members have amassed decades worth of experience in international business development. They embody the culture, languages, and practices of their respective territory, combined with an intimate view of the business environment. They also hold a deep understanding of the crypto and financial landscape across EMEA. Armed with such knowledge, team EMEA is set to drive Blockdaemon’s success to new heights. Without further ado…

Introducing Luke Dorney, Head of Business Development, EMEA

Based in London, Luke has cultivated a truly international career. Over 20 years, he has garnered extensive Sales and Banking experience with the world’s leading financial institutions. Throughout this time, his primary focus has been developing strong, long-term client relationships.

Previously, Luke was Head of Sales and Partnerships for Zodia Custody out of the UK and led the commercial development of the firm from inception to launch. Zodia is an institutional-grade custody solution for crypto assets by Standard Chartered and in association with Northern Trust.

Luke spent 9+ years with J.P. Morgan in a sales capacity within the Corporate Investment Banking and Securities Clearing & collateral divisions. He also worked for BNY Mellon within their Clearing & Asset Servicing division. His wealth of experience working with financial companies, such as banks, brokers, market makers, exchanges, hedge funds, asset managers, family offices, and corporates, leads him to be perfectly placed to sell Blockdaemon’s institutional-grade products and services.

Luke sees the immense potential of blockchain technology within these client bases. Realizing the rapidly growing asset classes and use cases for crypto, Luke is now ready to apply his skills in bringing Blockdaemon’s blockchain tech stack to institutions. The changing regulatory landscape means that institutions will need to adapt quickly and rely on market-leading service providers, like Blockdaemon, more than ever.

Now, Luke brings his considerable skill set to lead-up Blockdaemon’s EMEA Business Development and Sales efforts.

Stefan Schmitt, Sales Director

Stefan is Blockdaemon’s Sales Director in the DACH and EMEA regions. He was born in Germany and has a deep knowledge of the German market. He has a background in economics, having studied economics and finance in university. Previously, he worked for the Frankfurt School Blockchain Center, the leading blockchain research lab in the German-speaking area, led by Professor Philipp Sandner.

During his time in the Frankfurt School Blockchain Center, the bulk of the research was focused on practical blockchain applications. Today, Stefan supports customers with our blockchain nodes and "staking-as-a-service," whose services are primarily used by financial institutions, crypto startups, and custodians. Stefan is passionate about clients utilizing Blockdaemon’s technology to build practical blockchain applications.

He helps them understand the potential of Blockdaemon’s total ‘node stack’. Stefan believes that Blockdaemon is well-positioned as a fully-compliant, regulated entity in the German and EMEA markets.

Introducing Macarena Linaza, Business Development Director

Macarena Linaza joins Blockdaemon from a rich and varied career background. Her experience spans the realms of finance, tax, law, and, of course, crypto. Originally from Madrid, Macarena has lived in Spain, Malta, Luxembourg, and, currently, Portugal. She gained a Master’s Degree in International Taxation & Corporate law from the Pontifical University of Madrid (ICADE), becoming an International Lawyer by trade.

In 2017, Macarena helped pioneer KPMG Malta's early blockchain & crypto initiatives and contributed to the Maltese regulatory initiative by drafting the Virtual Financial Assets Act along with the KPMG team.

Her depth of experience across all these areas positions her well as an expert in EMEA. With her background, she is well placed to support her clients across this region. As Business Development Director, Macarena’s goal is to help institutional clients bridge the gap between their business and blockchains.

Adriana Kohlhofer, Relationship Manager, EMEA

Adriana was born in Venezuela and recognized the immense potential inherent in crypto as a secure, alternative store of value. Today, Adriana is committed to nurturing Blockdaemon’s relationship with institutional clients in the EMEA region. Before joining us, Adriana worked in Private Wealth Management at Goldman Sachs.

As Relationship Manager, Adriana helps institutions maximize their potential in the crypto sphere. In this role, Adriana helps clients shape their blockchain strategy on a long-term basis.

Wrap-up

At Blockdaemon, we’re continuously looking for the best people to serve the markets we cater to. We are proud to onboard Luke, Macarena, and Adriana as we continue to strategically expand our operations and talent in exciting new regions.