Zug, January 7, 2022 – Bitcoin Suisse announced today that Dr. Dirk Klee, currently CEO Wealth Management & Investments of Barclays UK, will take over as Chief Executive Officer of Bitcoin Suisse as of April 1, 2022. Dr. Arthur Vayloyan will step down from his current role as Chief Executive Officer on March 31, 2022 and will remain a member of the Board of Directors of Bitcoin Suisse.

Luzius Meisser, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bitcoin Suisse, said: «Under the leadership of Arthur Vayloyan since November 2017, Bitcoin Suisse has evolved from a 20-person crypto startup to the leading crypto-financial services provider in Switzerland today, with over 300 employees. Arthur Vayloyan has professionalized Bitcoin Suisse and built up a strong leadership team with in-depth experience in both the fast-growing crypto market and the traditional financial sector. He was instrumental in the successful and fully subscribed capital increase in 2020. The valuation of the company has multiplied from CHF 30 million to several hundred million under his leadership. He will hand over the company to a successor with an outstanding track record. I am very pleased that Arthur Vayloyan will continue to shape the further development of our company as a significant shareholder and member of the Board of Directors of Bitcoin Suisse and that we will continue to benefit from his extensive expertise and great leadership experience.»

Regarding the appointment of Dr. Dirk Klee, Luzius Meisser added: «Bitcoin Suisse is a major contributor to the crypto ecosystem in Switzerland. We partner with some of the most important crypto institutions as well as leading traditional financial service providers and international technology companies. Aligning business model, strategy and regulation are critical to our next growth step, as well as international expansion and institutionalization of crypto-financial services. We expect the institutional client segment to generate the greatest growth over the next few years. Dirk Klee has an impressive track record where all these success factors are concerned. This makes him the ideal next Chief Executive Officer for Bitcoin Suisse.»

Dr. Arthur Vayloyan, Chief Executive Officer of Bitcoin Suisse said: «When we developed the growth strategy of Bitcoin Suisse in 2018, during the «crypto winter», and started with its implementation, we were driven by the same conviction that drives us today: crypto-financial services and digital assets will become one of the essential foundations of the global economy and future prosperity. With Bitcoin Suisse, we have been able to make a decisive contribution to this at an early stage, especially in Switzerland. This is something that I am very proud of.»
Arthur Vayloyan added: «Our current plans for the future development of Bitcoin Suisse are just as groundbreaking as 2018’s decision to invest and grow. I am therefore very pleased that Dirk Klee will further develop these ambitious plans as my successor. He has the necessary experience, expertise, and network to successfully develop our strategy, and he shares our ambition to be an institutional and international leader with Bitcoin Suisse. I wish him fulfillment in the task and great success. At the same time, I am very happy to stay connected with Bitcoin Suisse as a member of the Board of Directors and shareholder and to contribute further to the company’s successful development. It has been a great privilege to lead this unique company with its great team.»

Dr. Dirk Klee, designated Chief Executive Officer of Bitcoin Suisse, said: «In the coming years, the growth of crypto-financial services will continue to accelerate in Europe and globally. We anticipate key shifts in regulation, client expectations, and technology. This requires thoughtful alignment of business model and strategy, as well as the ability to effectively implement new innovations. As a pioneer, Bitcoin Suisse is about constantly exploring new avenues and providing reliable solutions and services to our clients – as we have always done since the company was founded in 2013. Bitcoin Suisse’s ambition must be to create clear value and drive the institutionalization of crypto-financial services and digital assets through innovation and our contribution to the international regulatory debate. In the coming years, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity awaits Bitcoin Suisse, our clients, investors, and employees. I am honored to have been appointed and very much look forward to helping shape the future.»

About Dr. Dirk Klee
Dr. Dirk Klee has an extensive track record in developing financial services companies, especially in growth phases, and in implementing innovations in financial products and underlying technologies. In his career to date, he has demonstrated this experience in several leading global organizations.

With a doctorate in law from the University of Mainz and a Master of Laws from the London School of Economics, Dirk Klee started his career at the law firm Freshfields, where he advised international companies in the areas of M&A and capital markets. In 1998, Dirk Klee joined Allianz Global Investors/PIMCO, where he held various positions up to Head of Distribution for Germany and Austria, building the leading fixed income manager in the region for institutional and private clients.

In his subsequent role as CEO of BlackRock Germany, Austria, and Eastern Europe, Dirk Klee reached double-digit annual growth through innovative products such as iShares. From BlackRock, he moved to UBS as Chief Operating Officer Wealth Management, where he was responsible for the operations of the world’s largest wealth manager. Under his leadership, among others the first global wealth management platform was designed and implemented. Currently, Dr. Dirk Klee is CEO Wealth Management & Investments at Barclays in the UK, where he drove the transformation to an integrated digital business model with many innovative services for clients, including external fintech partners.