Two announcements recently for C-level positions in the GCC region, showcased how blockchain is helping to fast track appointments up the corporate ladder. The first announcement was that of The Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX), the Arab world's second-largest bourse by market value, who appointed Abdulla Al Nuaimi as its new chief executive. Al Nuaimi had previously held the position of COO at ADX. In the announcement it stated, “ Al Nuaimi played a key role in the development of the ADX's trading platform, helping establish the first application of blockchain technology in the UAE's financial sector.” He will seek to further accelerate the range of products and services at the ADX, the statement added. His appointment comes at a time of heightened market activity on the ADX. The exchange has experienced a rush of initial public offerings (IPOs) in recent years. Companies that listed on the bourse last year include Borouge, the Abu Dhabi Ports Group, Abu Dha...

  On the LinkedIn page of Henson Orser, it states that he is the CEO (Chief executive Officer) of Dubai’s virtual asset regulatory authority better known as VARA as of January 2023. This comes as VARA reveals its final crypto framework in the next few weeks.   Previously Orser had held the position of President and Acting CEO of Komainu and was the Co Head of Global markets for Japanese digital bank Nomura. As most know, VARA was created in March 2022 to regulate the virtual assets ecosystem and grant blockchain and crypto licenses in Dubai. A graduate of Princeton University, Orser is VARA’s first CEO.   Orser is well versed on digital assets, and custody solutions given his former role at Komainu. It is noteworthy that Komainu is one of the few Blockchain enabled DeFi custodians with a presence in Dubai that has been granted an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) license. The only other one is HEX Trust. While VARA's website has yet to note the new appointment, in an inter...

Born in the USA and raised in Beirut Lebanon until she was a teenager, Nadine Chakar, a US national of Lebanese origin, later attended university in the US. Her parent are both doctors yet Nadine is a well renowned financial and technology executive and is recognized as one of the most powerful women in finance. She has been a vocal champion for using tech to revolutionize financial services.  Nadine Chakar will be joining Securrency, a leading developer of institutional-grade, blockchain-based financial and regulatory technology, as Chief Executive Officer effective January 9th, 2023. Ms. Chakar brings over 30 years of experience in global wealth and asset management to Securrency. Most recently, she served as Executive Vice President and Head of State Street Digital, where she built and led the team that is helping State Street, institutional investors, and regulators successfully navigate the bank's transition into a modern digital economy. Ms. Chakar also led State Street Globa...