Elwood Technologies, a leading platform that provides institutional-grade access to digital asset markets and liquidity venues, announced that Chris Lawn has been appointed CEO.
Chris brings over 30 years of global macro trading and portfolio management experience gained at hedge funds and institutions that span both traditional finance and digital assets, including Caxton Associates, One River Digital and Coinbase. He has been providing his services and expertise to Elwood since January 2023 and has been instrumental in scaling its end-to-end SaaS products covering Execution Management Systems (“EMS”) and risk representation technology, known as the Portfolio Management System (“PMS”). These comprehensive and sophisticated tools provide clients with functionality to access liquidity in digital assets, perform live position and exposure tracking, scenario analysis, and collateral monitoring.
Chris is taking over from outgoing CEO James Stickland, who led the company through its $70m Series A funding round in 2022. The round was co-led by prominent backers including one of Europe’s largest specialist B2B software investors, Dawn Capital and global investment bank, Goldman Sachs.
Chris Lawn said: “I am honoured to be appointed as the new CEO of Elwood. I am confident that we can build on our strong foundation to continue delivering a market-leading end-to-end EMS and PMS technology for institutions trading digital assets. I look forward to continuing to work with our talented team as we develop and deliver institutional-grade infrastructure for digital markets.”
Mathew McDermott, Elwood board observer and Global Head of Digital Assets at Goldman Sachs, commented: “Chris brings a wealth of experience and leadership to Elwood and the board is confident he is the right person to take the company to the next level.”
Josh Bell, Elwood Board member and General Partner at Dawn Capital, said: “Chris is taking the reins at an inflection point for Elwood, which is poised to grow rapidly alongside rising institutional demand for access to digital assets and infrastructure. Given Chris’s extensive ecosystem experience, he is a strong and seamless fit for the business. His expertise has already helped Elwood scale its SaaS offering this year, and he brings the strength of experience and deep sector knowledge to help the team deliver on the enormous opportunity ahead.”
James Stickland said: “It has been a privilege to lead Elwood through its startup phase, and I am excited to welcome Chris as the new CEO. He has already played a key role in Elwood’s evolution into a global, institutional fintech company and look forward to the firm’s next chapter.”
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