Sygnum Expands Board With Industry Heavyweights to Drive Global Expansion

Sygnum, a global digital asset banking group, today announces the expansion of its  board of directorsii to support the next stage of its growth and globalisation strategy. New members include Pia  Tischhauser, Swiss Re Supervisory Board member and former BCG Executive Committee member, and Vinod Kumar,  Vice-Chairman of private equity group Everstone and former Vodafone Business CEO and Tata Communications CEO and  MD. Gabriela Maria Payer, Chairwoman acting ad interim since September 2024, is formally appointed Chairwoman. 

The Sygnum board expansion reflects the firm’s commitment to bridging traditional finance with innovative digital asset infrastructure.

Pia Tischhauser, Swiss Re Supervisory Board member and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Senior Partner Emeritus, brings  over two decades of global leadership in financial services strategy, transformation and growth to Sygnum. Formerly BCG’s Global Insurance Practice Leader and Executive Committee member, Pia possesses deep expertise in driving client-centric  innovation and scaling businesses in highly regulated-international markets. “Joining the Sygnum board is a unique  opportunity to contribute to an organisation with a compelling vision, industry-shaping ambitions and strong forward  momentum. I look forward to working with my fellow board members to continue Sygnum’s growth trajectory, and to playing my part in shaping Future Finance with Sygnum,” says Pia Tischhauser. The Sygnum board expansion reinforces its long-term vision for digital finance leadership.

Vinod Kumar is the Vice-Chairman of private equity group Everstone and a UST Global board member. He was formerly the  CEO and Managing Director of Tata Communications. Leveraging his 30 years of experience, which included his role as CEO  of Vodafone Business, includes scaling global technology enterprises, entering new international markets and cultivating organisational cultures built on values, passion and teamwork. His expertise will be valuable in navigating dynamic tech driven ecosystems and driving transformational change to capture Sygnum’s next-stage partnerships. Vinod Kumar says “I  have been involved with Sygnum since its early days and share a close alignment with the team in terms of purpose, ambition and integrity. I am delighted to join the Sygnum board and help champion the next wave of innovation for our clients.” 

Gabriela Maria Payer, Chairwoman ad interim since Luka Muller who had to take a medical leave of absence since September  2024, has been appointed Chairwoman. An original Sygnum board member, Gabriela has actively contributed to a range of  governance boards, committees and strategic working groups since 2018. Previous to Sygnum, she held global roles at UBS, including Founder of UBS e-banking, Global Head of Human Resources and Member of the Group Managing Board. Gabriela  has a PhD from the University of Zurich and holds board positions at Helvetia Group and Sphaira Innovation. With the Sygnum board expansion, the company brings deep regulatory and fintech expertise to the table—vital for scaling in complex global markets.

Gabriela Maria Payer, Sygnum Chairwoman, says “I am honoured to continue my service at Sygnum in the role of Chairwoman and to have Pia and Vinod join the board; each bring the experiences and skillsets essential for the group’s next  stage of growth. My priorities, values, and mission have not changed since I became a founding external board member in  2018. I remain deeply committed to continually enhancing our organisational resilience and sustainability – but most of all, to connecting people and empowering them to create real value for our clients.”

Luka Muller, Sygnum Co-Founder and former Chairman, will be welcomed back to continue his board service as Director. Some of the other Sygnum board members include Peter Wuffli, former UBS Group CEO, Thomas Buess, ex Swiss Life CFO, and Kim Leng who was Special Advisor (Financial Supervision) of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). The ongoing Sygnum board expansion will likely influence how other crypto-banks scale governance globally.

In January, Sygnum completed its oversubscribed USD 58m multi-stage Strategic Growth Round and, with its new 1 billion  valuation, achieved Unicorn status. 2024 accelerating business momentum and group operational profitability was driven by  core business growth across its European, Asian and Middle East hubs, as well as by Sygnum Protect, the group’s off exchange custody platform launched with Binance. Last year, Sygnum’s gross revenues increased by 40%, annual trades surged by over 1000% YoY, the loan book grew by almost 200%, and total assets expanded to USD 4.5 billion. Sygnum now  provides access to regulated digital asset services for over a third of the Swiss population via its 20+ strong network of B2B  banking partners including PostFinance, Zuger and Luzerner Kantonalbanks, Bordier & Cie, and VP Depotbank. 

In May, Former U.S. CFTC Chair J. Christopher “Chris” Giancarlo also recently joined Sygnum as Senior Policy Advisor. A new  member of Sygnum’s Advisory Council, Giancarlo is leveraging his regulatory expertise and extensive public-private network  to support Sygnum’s global strategy and evaluate ongoing U.S. regulatory developments. This Sygnum board expansion positions the company to lead confidently into new jurisdictions while upholding its Swiss and Singaporean regulatory standards.