Zodia appoints former Bitstamp chief and Starling Bank co-founder as new CEO
Crypto asset service provider Zodia Custody has appointed Julian Sawyer as its Chief Executive Officer.
After developing its new ‘proof-of-ownership’ technology and becoming one of the first crypto asset custodians registered in Ireland, Zodia Custody is moving quickly to expand in 2023 by bringing Sawyer on board.
His experience in scaling up financial services companies could prove invaluable to the subsidiary of Standard Chartered.
He joins Zodia Custody from his previous position as CEO at the cryptocurrency exchange Bitstamp, where he helped to expand its global footprint by building and leading a new executive team, and creating a high-performance company culture.
In 2015 Sawyer co-founded Starling Bank, acting as its Chief Operating Officer for four years as the start-up progressed to one of the UK’s most well-known challenger banks. His goal with Starling Bank was to revolutionise retail banking with a mobile-first approach.
His crypto asset journey began as Gemini’s Managing Director for Europe, where he became familiar with and passionate about regulation and compliance in crypto assets.
“I am excited to begin working with Zodia Custody,” said the new CEO.
“I look forward to taking the business to the next level and scaling Zodia Custody to become the default choice for institutions. As CEO, I am delighted to step into such a high calibre team and to work with them to ensure Zodia Custody continues to stay ahead of the competition.”