Team
Meet the team leading Ubyx and its advisors
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Team
Tony McLaughlin
Founder & CEO
30 years experience at the forefront of payments innovation with Citi, Barclays, ABN AMRO and HSBC. Originator of numerous high-profile digital currency projects with the world’s largest public and private financial institutions.
Darko Pilav
Chief Technical Officer
Nearly two decades at the cutting edge of financial technology. Former Director of CBDC and Payments Technology at Digital Asset, pioneering DLT and digital currency solutions for major global financial institutions.
Thomas Otendal
Chief Financial Officer
Experienced treasurer, CFO, and institutional digital asset strategist with over 20 years in finance, notably serving as Saxo Bank’s Group Treasurer during a rapid scaling phase where, he significantly grew treasury profits, managed funds across 170 jurisdictions, and led the group’s digital asset strategy.
John Whelan
Chief Legal Officer
Prior to joining Ubyx, John was General Counsel for a leading digital asset liquidity provider. Before making the switch to digital assets, he was Managing Director and Head Counsel for an asset manager, amongst other senior legal and executive roles in banking and finance.
Nicole Sandler
Chief Policy Officer and Head of External Engagement
An award-winning digital policy expert with 19+ years shaping financial regulation in FinTech, AI, and digital assets; formerly Head of Digital Policy at Barclays; and Head of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs at CFIT.
Kene Ezeji-Okoye
Blockchain Strategy
12 years in startups and scale-ups, 7 years in digital assets and digital currencies, leading solutions design at the intersection of traditional finance and blockchain, and engagements with some of the world’s largest public and private financial institutions.
Advisors
David Chaum
Cryptography pioneer on breakthroughs including digital blind signatures and multiparty computation. Widely recognized as the inventor of digital cash. Founder, xx network. PhD, UC Berkeley.
Scott Galit
Formerly CEO, Payoneer; SVP, Mastercard.
Rod Garratt
Professor of Economics, UCSB. Formerly Senior Adviser, Bank for International Settlements; Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank of New York; Research Adviser, Bank of England.
Bianca Lopes
Technology entrepreneur, Digital Identity expert and global thought leader, Member of UNESCO Board for AI and ESG and founder of Finance of Tomorrow.
Tim Massad
Research Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School. Formerly Chairman, Commodity Futures Trading Commission; Assistant Secretary for Financial Stability, U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Ireti Samuel-Ogbu
Africa Finance Corporation, Board Chair. Formerly, CEO & Country Officer for Nigeria & Ghana, Citi.
Jason Thompson
Jason Thompson is a seasoned fintech executive and investor with over 20 years of experience scaling financial services across Asia, EMEA, and global markets. He was a founding executive at Grab Financial Group, led OVO in Indonesia, and now focuses on fintech infrastructure, blockchain, and early-stage investments.
