CEO of Telecoms Giant Swisscom’s Blockchain Unit Steps Down

Published at: Jan. 31, 2019

The CEO of the blockchain advisory unit of Swiss state-owned telecommunications company Swisscom has unexpectedly left the firm, according to a press release on Swisscom’s website, Jan. 30.

As major local news outlet Swissinfo reported the same day, news of Daniel Haudenschild’s reportedly sudden departure from Swisscom Blockchain came just a day before the executive accepted the position of president of the Crypto Valley Association. Speaking in comments to Swissinfo, Haudenschild said the two moves were unconnected.

The CEO declined to comment further on his decision to leave Swisscom, only mentioning that he would still remain a shareholder in Swisscom Blockchain. When asked about his future plans, Haudenschild declined to give details, telling Swissinfo:

“It is my fundamental belief that blockchain can fix things that are currently broken, such as financial inclusion and proof of provenance.”

Swisscom’s current CDO and head of digital business, Roger Wüthrich-Hasenböhler, is set to take over as acting CEO of the company’s blockchain unit, the press release reports.

According to Wüthrich-Hasenböhler, Haudenschild had played a key role in the establishment of Swisscom Blockchain in 2017, noting in the press release “he made blockchain-based solutions accessible to other companies.”

As Cointelegraph previously reported, Swisscom recently partnered with the Zurich University of Applied Sciences to create a certified e-signature for legally authenticating blockchain-based smart-contracts.

Haudenschild is not the only CEO in the blockchain industry to recently leave their post. Earlier this month, Cointelegraph reported that the CEO of blockchain media firm Po.et, Jarrod Dicker, had also stepped down from his position. Dicker left the firm to become vice president of commercial technology and development at the Washington Post, where he previously served as its vice president of innovation and commercial strategy.

Tags
Blockchain
Switzerland
Swisscom
Crypto Valley
Related Posts
New President of Crypto Valley Association: “We Need to Bring the Capital Back Into the Valley”
It was rumbling in the beginning of February in Swiss Zug. The Crypto Valley Association (CVA) was undergoing a major reorganization. On Thursday, Jan. 31, the General Assembly of the Association elected former Swisscom manager Daniel Haudenschild as president of the CVA and the successor to Oliver Bussmann. The former CVA’s president, Oliver Bussmann, had announced last November — together with the members Vasily Suvorov, René Hüsler and Nicolas Schobinger — not to run for reelection at the General Assembly. The former SAP and UBS manager, who runs a consulting firm in Zug, had been controversial, according to media reports. …
Blockchain / April 10, 2019
Safe Space: A Guide to Special Economic Zones for Crypto, From China to Switzerland
Last week, Russian officials revealed plans to build a major financial center on an island in the Far East, which would cater to cryptocurrencies, among other things. Notably, the creation of special economic zones for crypto has been an enduring idea both in Russia — similar proposals have been previously made in regard to Crimea, a territory that is claimed by Russia — and the rest of the world. Here’s the list of countries that have been establishing special hubs for cryptocurrencies and blockchain on their soil. Bolshoi Ussuriyskiy offshore crypto zone and similar concepts in Russia The news that …
Blockchain / June 14, 2019
Swisscom Blockchain AG Onboards New Chief Executive Officer
Blockchain-focused company Swisscom Blockchain AG has onboarded Ethereum (ETH) engineer Lukas Hohl as its new chief executive officer, Cointelegraph auf Deutsch reported on April 15. Hohl, who previously served at various IT and finance companies, including Blockchain’s parent company Swisscom, business consulting firm BearingPoint, consultancy group Sofgen, and management consulting company Synpulse, will now lead the firm’s blockchain strategy and facilitate the further development of the company. Roger Wüthrich-Hasenböhler, chief digital officer at Swisscom, commented on Hohl’s appointment, saying that "in the past, Lukas Hohl has built and managed companies, managed complex large-scale projects, is well networked in Switzerland and …
Blockchain / April 15, 2019
Crypto Valley Assoc. Pres.: Switzerland Must Be ‘Open and Easy’ for Blockchain Investors
The recently elected president of the Swiss Crypto Valley Association (CVA), Daniel Haudenschild, declared that the crypto bear market has damaged Switzerland’s position as a global blockchain hub. Haudenschild made his comments in an interview with major local media outlet Swissinfo, Feb. 4. Haudenschild officially took office as the president of the CVA on Jan. 31, stating in the interview that he intends to “heal divisions to prevent Switzerland losing any more ground to other countries” in attracting blockchain projects. According to SwissInfo, his election “followed a period of unrest that saw claims of profiteering and sharp practices.” Haudenschild told …
Blockchain / Feb. 4, 2019
Crypto Valley’s Zug to Run Switzerland’s First Blockchain-Based Municipal Vote
The Swiss city of Zug will conduct a blockchain-powered trial municipal vote this summer, local media outlet Swissinfo.ch reported June 8. The event, which is scheduled to take place between June 25 and July 1, will reportedly be Switzerland’s first municipal vote using blockchain. According to the report, the upcoming trial vote will implement the city’s digital ID (eID) system that was launched in November 2017. The system will allow citizens to vote via their mobile devices. Apart from voting on minor municipal matters, citizens will also be asked if blockchain-based eID system should be used for referendum votes in …
Blockchain / June 9, 2018