BlockFi Adds Four

Cryptocurrency wealth management firm BlockFi has added four staffers to its roster in the US, US and Asia.

Giles Colwell has been named head of North America and Latam institutional distribution, while Samia Bayou joins as the global head of private clients, Rafael Weber  as the director of APAC private clients, and Paul Howard as institutional sales director for APAC.

In his role Colwell is responsible for overseeing the Americas distribution team and delivering BlockFi’s cryptocurrency products and services to clients. He joins from Bank of America, where he was a managing director in the senior relationship management team, he has also worked at JP Morgan and US in global banking.

Bayou joins BlockFi after nearly five years as a senior investment advisor at a private family office in London, managing assets and investments. Previously, she served in senior roles with more than 12 years of experience at UBS, Merrill Lynch, Citi, and Societe Generale.

Weber has more than 12 years of experience in private banking, working with multi-family offices, external asset managers, and fund managers in Asia and Europe. Most recently, he worked for UBS in Singapore and Hong Kong as a senior client advisor and business developer.

Howard brings more than a decade of institutional sales and coverage experience in Asia with Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley.

“As we continue to expand relationships with institutional investors around the world, we’re honoured to welcome these top-notch professionals who will play an integral role in liaising with clients and external partners,” says David Olsson, head of institutional distribution at BlockFi. “We’re highly committed to institutional business growth and Giles and team will be an instrumental part of this plan. The proven leadership and expertise of each individual will aid our institutional clients as they continue to gain exposure to digital assets.”