• Published on 15 March 2024
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Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation appoints new CEO

The GLEIF board of directors announced the appointment of Alexandre Kech as the CEO, effective 26 June 2024.

Kech will join GLEIF as CEO-elect on 1 May 2024. Stephan Wolf, who has served as CEO since GLEIF's inception in 2014, will work closely with Kech to enable a smooth transition before stepping down after 10 successful years in the role.

Kech brings a unique depth of experience in finance, infrastructure, blockchain, and standardisation to the GLEIF leadership position, gained through a variety of leadership positions held over the past 25 years. In his role as CEO, Kech will be pivotal in driving further adoption of the LEI and verifiable LEI (vLEI) - the only universally standardised digital legal entity identifier.

Dessa Glasser, chair of GLEIF board of directors, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Alexandre Kech as the new CEO of GLEIF. He brings a wealth of experience, leadership acumen, and an outstanding track record that makes him the ideal candidate to ensure GLEIF’s continued success and drive its growth in the digital space. Kech is a truly transformational leader who creates a culture that propels innovation, boosts productivity and performance, and allows people to thrive. Kech’s mission is clear: enable GLEIF to realise its full potential and create sustainable value for the whole Global LEI system, including partners, employees, and LEI stakeholders everywhere.”

Kech said: "The potential of the LEI to enhance private and public sector efficiencies, strengthen regulatory oversight, and expand economic inclusion increases exponentially with the integration of digital technologies. I am honoured to join the GLEIF team and lead us through this next phase of adoption, innovation, and growth. I am firmly committed to GLEIF's close collaboration with the Regulatory Oversight Committee, together with our global network of LEI issuers and other Global LEI system partners and look forward to enhancing both the reach and the impact of the LEI and vLEI."

Prior to joining GLEIF, Kech was executive board member and business head of digital securities at SDX, a SIX company, where he was instrumental in driving growth and implementing strategic initiatives that enhanced business performance. Kech has specialised in finance at BNY Mellon, payments/securities infrastructure and standards at SWIFT, blockchain and digital assets at Onchain Custodian (ONC), and, most recently, at Citi Ventures. As co-founder and CEO of ONC, Kech led a team that built a custody and prime brokerage service for crypto and other digital assets. As blockchain and digital asset director at Citi Ventures, Kech was responsible for engaging the European ecosystem with emerging use cases in blockchain technologies and digital assets.

Kech is also involved in industry and standardisation initiatives. As the convenor of the ISO TC 68 / SC8 / WG3, which produced the ISO 24165 digital token identifier, he is a member of the DTI Foundation product advisory committee. He also recently served as co-chair of the Global Digital Finance custody working group.

Paying tribute to GLEIF's outgoing CEO, Wolf, Glasser added: “On behalf of the GLEIF board of directors, I would like to sincerely thank Stephan Wolf for his 10 years of dedicated service as CEO. Under his visionary leadership, GLEIF has successfully established a global trust network that enables legal entities and their business partners to demonstrate ownership and relationships transparently. Under Stephan's guidance, GLEIF has made enormous strides while continuing to innovate fearlessly, particularly in the digital space with the introduction of the vLEI. GLEIF's strong operational performance is clear proof that Stephan leaves the organisation standing on a solid foundation. We wish him every success in his future endeavours."

Wolf concluded: “Over the last decade, it has been a great privilege to lead GLEIF through its startup phase and into the thriving organisation it is today. My decision to step down comes with a profound sense of fulfillment, pride, and confidence in the exceptional team we've built. I look forward to watching GLEIF and the whole LEI ecosystem continue to flourish, as it evolves to provide one global identity behind every business.”

Re-disseminated by The Asian Banker