We are a team of entrepreneurs and experts working hard to create the capital markets infrastructure of tomorrow.
Collectively we regroup deep engineering, financial services, and regulatory expertise , to leverage blockchain and distributed ledger technologies where it makes sense. Our experience is diverse and complementary: we have designed and run critically acclaimed financial services platforms, restructured companies, developed algorithms that are currently used by your mobile phones, and contributed to defining the regulatory standards of tomorrow. Our people come from leading institutions in their field: Brevan Howard, Google, IBM Research, Kudelski Security, McKinsey & Company, Procter & Gamble, SICPA.
Team
He previously held several C-level executive and board level positions for leading asset management firms, with strong expertise in product development, trading, IT, business development and transformation.
He worked 5 years at Syz Asset Management as Chief Operating Officer, Member of the Executive Committee and Board Member of several regulated entities.
Previously, Sébastien spent 3 years at Brevan Howard, the largest European hedge fund, as Managing Director and head of the Swiss office. Sébastien Dessimoz also worked at Lombard Odier, notably as Head of Hedge Fund business development and investment manager. Sébastien spent 5 years as a senior management consultant at McKinsey & Company. Sébastien started his career as an engineer in the Silicon Valley for 3Com Corporation.
Sébastien holds a MSc in Communication Systems Engineering from EPFL and MBA from INSEAD. Sébastien is also CFA charter holder.
Prior to co-founding Taurus SA, Lamine was previously Deputy-COO, Chief Digital Officer of Lombard Odier’s wealth management unit as well as General Secretary of the Group.
In his capacity as Chief Digital Officer, he spearheaded the design and development of Lombard Odier’s wealth management digital strategy leading to several critically acclaimed platforms in particular in relation to investment advisory.
He also pushed the first real blockchain prototype to be tested in a private bank (clearing and settlements of structured products with the Swiss Stock Exchange and Swiss Fintech Innovations).
Between 2016 and 2018, he represented the Swiss Private Banks at the Fintech Commission of the Swiss Bankers Association and was a founding member and Board member of Swiss Fintech Innovations. He started his career as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company.
Lamine holds an MSc in Communication Systems Engineering from EPFL, an MBA with distinction from INSEAD, and is also CFA charterholder.
Oren is a lawyer by training and a Partner at Junod, Muhlstein, Levy & Puder law firm. He worked for a number of years in Bern with the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA), including particularly as head of the investment funds department for French-speaking Switzerland. He also acted as legal adviser to the president of the Swiss Bankers Association.
Oren advises Swiss and international clients particularly on banking and financial law, corporate law and contract law. More particularly, he assists financial institutions (banks, securities dealers, fund management companies, asset managers of investment funds and pension funds, independent asset managers) and represents them before the regulatory authorities and the courts.
He is a financial services expert and specialises in the establishment of collective investment vehicles (transferable securities funds, alternative funds, real estate funds). He is a regular speaker at seminars on banking and financial law.
Oren is also the chairman of one of the largest hedge fund in Europe and member of the board of an independent Private Equity firm.
Oren is a graduate of the University of Geneva (law degree) and of Georgetown University, Washington D.C. (Master of Laws/LL.M). He was admitted to the Geneva Bar in 2003.
He is a globally recognized expert in cryptography. JP wrote the reference books Crypto Dictionary (No Starch Press, 2020), Serious Cryptography (No Starch Press, 2017) and has authored more than 60 research articles. He designed the widely used algorithms BLAKE2 and SipHash, and has performed numerous security audits for blockchain organizations such as Filecoin, IOHK, Monero, or ZCash.
A regular speaker at leading security and technology conferences, including 7 presentations at Black Hat events, JP has talked about topics such as applied cryptography, vulnerability research, post-quantum cryptography, and platform security.
He holds a PhD in Cryptography from EPFL (2009) and has previously worked more than 10 years in applied cryptography and security architecture, in academia and the Kudelski Group.
He is an experienced, hands on, software and system architect specialized in the fields of large-scale systems, cloud computing, security and technology innovation.
Prior to joining Taurus SA, Nicolas worked as an architect and lead developer in different sized companies evolving in industries such as banking, telecom and retail.
In his capacity as Lead Back-Office Architect of LeShop.ch, one of Europe’s largest online grocery stores, Nicolas has transformed and migrated a 15 years-old legacy system running 24x7x365 into a collection of modern cloud-native applications deployed on a fully automated infrastructure spanning several datacenters.
Nicolas has been CTO of startups developing web platform and cloud storage solutions.
He has spoken at leading database and distributed system conferences (ACM/IEEE) such as CCGRID, SC, ICDE, SOCC or CLOUD.
Nicolas holds an MSc in Computer Science from EPFL and a PhD in Distributed Systems from EPFL (2011).
Prior to joining Taurus SA, Victor worked more than 8 years in Procter and Gamble in the marketing department with experiences across different business units, regions (Europe, Asia) and roles (design, operations). He has strong expertise in brand strategy and architecture, product marketing, and data-driven demand generation.
In his capacity as Brand Director Greater China located in Guangzhou, Victor led new product development for a leading P&G brand, its go-to-market strategy, as well as brand communication accelerating top and bottom-line growth across channels, and customers. Previously, as Brand Manager in Europe, he designed and launched disruptive innovations (IoT connected device with AI), piloted new business models (direct-to-consumer), defined and executed e-business strategies (data acquisition, performance marketing, e-commerce).
Victor holds a Master in Management from HEC Paris with Digital Business specialisation in partnership with Telecom ParisTech.
He is a cyber-security expert with hands-on experience on distributed cloud architecture and large-scale deployment of hybrid infrastructure. He is responsible of building a highly scalable, distributed, and resilient infrastructure for Taurus.
Previously, Sébastien was CTO of several high-profile projects at ELCA where he built teams and designed a distributed open-source Swiss CASB Solution. He also held the role of Security and Infrastructure Lead Architect at LeShop.ch, one of Europe’s largest e-commerce stores. In this capacity, he has helped transform and migrate a 15 year-old legacy system running 24x7x365 into modern, cloud-native applications deployed on a fully automated infrastructure spanning several datacenters. Sébastien is also regularly consulted as a security architect with a focus on improving legacy software and on advanced DevOps issues.
Sébastien has delivered several keynote speeches at multiple open-source, Security, DevOps conferences and regularly gives lectures at Swiss universities.
Passionate about contemporary art, Sébastien is also a fervent traveler deeply interested in cultural diversity and politics.
Sébastien holds an MSc in Computer Security from HES-SO and multiple professional Network and Security certifications.
She has experience in HR strategy, work environment, recruitment and HR operations. Prior to joining Taurus, she worked for the Department of Education of the State of Geneva as a senior HR business partner for 6 years.
Previously, Stéphanie was deputy of head human resources, vice director of Swissquote Bank where she co-developed the HR department and accompanied the growth of this company for 9 years.
Stéphanie has a commercial professional maturity. She holds a federal diploma of HR specialist and a diploma of advanced studies in management, HR and careers from the University of Geneva.
He has a background as an expert auditor, having worked several years for a big four company, and has strong expertise in Swiss financial regulation and in finance. He worked 5 years at Group SYZ, a Swiss Private Bank, as Chief of Staff of the Group CEO, leading group transformation programs, and as Head of Finance; and 1 year for a consulting firm specialized in transformation.
Previously, François spent 12 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers, mostly in the Banking & Capital Markets division at Geneva and London offices.
François holds a MSc in Economics from HEC Lausanne. François is also CPA charter holder.
With a disruptive and innovative mindset, Virginia has a deep understanding of consumer touchpoint marketing and consumer digital journeys, with a particular focus on web, CRM, social, and DTC channels. She has a keen eye for opportunities and always focus on business value and return on investment, while acting proactively on possible risks and threats.
Throughout her career, Virginia has demonstrated a strong track record in audience definition and audience tool management, campaign management and activation for key brands, web production and optimizations. She also has extensive exposure to performance marketing and consumer data privacy.
With experience in global/multi-country deployment and implementation and as a proven leader, Virginia has demonstrated experience in strategy, product, and service lifecycle, from ideation to deployment and running. She has held senior leadership roles and have a track record of effective people management and team management. Virginia also has extensive budget management experience, including forecasting and control.
Prior to joining Taurus SA, Vassili worked as CEO of a startup based in Zürich specialized in tax data on financial instruments. There, he led the transformation and migration of a legacy solution into a modern cloud-native application. Vassili was also involved in the build-up of the first digital asset bank in Switzerland, managing the digital asset custody offerings and leading discussions with the financial regulator on obtaining the banking license.
Previously, Vassili spent 5 years in management consulting, mostly in the Private Banking & Wealth Management, where he led large voluntary disclosure transformation programs and developed a tax suitable product offering at a leading global wealth manager.
Charlotte Hullo is an experienced leader with a strong drive for digital innovation. With over 15 years of experience in worldwide leading Enterprise Software companies, Charlotte has made her mark in various roles, markets and industries.
During her 10+ years at SAP, she worked at the forefront of innovation in various departments, from software development to product management and software services. She served customers from diverse industries such as automotive, energy, telecommunication, consumer products, and retail, primarily in the EMEA markets with some mission for US and Asian customers.
In her 4+ years at DocuSign, Charlotte was one of the first members of the EMEA Customer Success team, playing a pivotal role in shaping the services delivered to key customers, including large enterprises undergoing Digital Transformation programs. Key aspects of her mission was to ensure best-in-class deployment of Electronic Signature solutions and scaling of software adoption. She served customers from various industries, such as financial services, legal, pharmaceuticals, real estate. Being trilingual in French, English, and German, Charlotte brought localized value to Europe-wide projects, building strong relationships with customers and driving their success.
Enthusiastic about fintech and startup growth, Charlotte is committed to the success of Taurus customers. Charlotte holds a MSc in Communication Systems Engineering from EPFL and MBA from INSEAD.
Geoffroy De Ridder has spent his career in both Switzerland and abroad. He began his career in 1995 at the European Centre for Controlled Fusion as a research scientist. He subsequently moved to McKinsey & Company in 1999 as Associate Principal. In 2005 he joined Banque Cantonale Vaudoise where he was in charge of the strategic repositioning of some of the bank's activities, including IT.
In 2010, he joined UBS Wealth Management where he held various management positions; initially as Global Head of Strategy & Business Development, and was appointed Chief Operating Officer Wealth Management for the Asia Pacific in 2014. In 2018 he assumed responsibility for Fund Management Services for UBS Asset Management. Among his activities, Geoffroy De Ridder supervised the roll-out of UBS Switzerland's IT and digital platform in Asia.
During his career, Geoffroy De Ridder has received multiple distinctions, including COO of the year Asia Private Banking in 2017.
Geoffroy De Ridder holds a Master of Sciences in Physics from the Polytechnic Federal Institute of Lausanne (EPFL).
He worked for PwC in Switzerland for 40 years assuming client responsibilities and management roles until his retirement in 2015. He is a certified accountant and was approved by FINMA as an auditor responsible for banks, securities firms, and investment funds.
He was the auditor responsible for several private banks, cantonal banks, and investment funds registered in Switzerland. He was a member of the PwC Swiss Supervisory Board for several years and was responsible for PwC's financial audit services in Switzerland.
Rani is the holder of a Msc. in Economics and a graduate from Magistère Banque Finance from University Paris 2 Pantheon-Assas (1994). In 1995, Rani worked as a Forex and Treasury dealer at BFO London (Credit Agricole group) and joined Credit Agricole (Suisse) S.A as senior manager FX advisory in 2000.
Since 2009, he is the Head of Treasury at Arab Bank (Switzerland) Ltd. Appointed to the Executive Committee in 2014, he is now in charge of Treasury, Trading, Digital assets, Financial Institutions, and Marketing.
Sabih oversees strategy and execution across Digital Asset and Currencies topics at Deutsche Bank. He aims to develop and accelerate use cases within the bank, with key areas of interest including tokenization of assets and money, trading and custody. Sabih is based in London and has been with Deutsche Bank for 14 years.
Prior to taking on his current role, Sabih ran a multi-year global KYC/AML programme where he gained significant experience of anti-financial crime risks and controls, representing the bank in front of various regulators. He has broad experience in strategy and business development and has spent time in Asia, building out a corporate finance function.
Prior to Deutsche Bank, Sabih worked within the M&A corporate finance division of Lehman Brothers (later Nomura) in London, working on a number of buyside and sell side mandates internationally. Sabih started his career in technology with Lucent Technologies before later moving on to Accenture as part of their consulting practice. During this time, he implemented large scale technology projects and ran globally distributed development teams.
Sabih holds a BEng. in Computer Systems Engineering from the University of Manchester and a MBA with a concentration in Finance from London Business School. He is a Chartered Engineer and a member of the Institute of Engineering and Technology.
Until August 2023, Salvatore was Managing Director at Credit Suisse and has held for over 12 years various leadership positions at international level, most recently from 2018 to 2021 as Chief Operating Officer of the independent asset managers’ business and since 2022 in the Corporate Development/M&A of the Credit Suisse Group, among other things being responsible for the minority investments portfolio of the group as well as for Credit Suisse Entrepreneur Capital Ltd, the venture growth investment vehicle of Credit Suisse (Switzerland) Ltd. From 2021 to 2023, Salvatore spear-headed Credit Suisse's digital assets strategy & infrastructure setup in Switzerland, implementing issuance, custody and trading capabilities and executing several asset tokenizations for clients. Before starting with Credit Suisse as well as from 2017 to 2018, Salvatore worked at Bär & Karrer, first for 8 years as attorney-at-law in M&A, capital markets and corporate law, and then as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Digital Officer of the law firm.
Salvatore is very active in the Startup and Fintech space. He has served on the board of the Open Wealth Association as representative of Credit Suisse from 2021 until February 2023, has been the chair of the External Asset Managers’ working group of the Swiss Banking Association from 2019 to 2022, member of the Blockchain Taskforce of the Swiss Federal Council in 2018, member of the advisory board of the Kickstart Accelerator Program in Zurich in 2017 and 2018 as well as member of the FinTech Experts Group of the Swiss Banking Association from 2015 to 2017.
Salvatore holds a Master in Law from the Universities of Zurich and Geneva, an MBA from INSEAD and is admitted as attorney-at-law to the Zurich Bar (not practicing).