👩🎤👨🎤 People
Our most important assets and the ones who we would never digitize
Last updated
Our most important assets and the ones who we would never digitize
Last updated
The team structure is as follows:
3 co-founders Anthony Jaoui, Anthony Touboul and Pierre-Adrien Vibert.
9 team members and advisors' groups have a combination of both traditional finance and cryptocurrency experience.
The team members and advisors of SMAT are composed of people with successful start-up track records, key industry players, technological experts, etc..
The team has different backgrounds: Consultant, Engineer, banker, community manager, lawyer, cryptographer, digital marketer, etc.
Anthony is a French citizen, living in Switzerland for more than a decade. After obtaining his master degree in economy and management in Lyon, France, he was hired by Ernst & Young in Geneva where he started his professional career. He was on the advisory service line where he specialized in multinationals advisory on different topics such as global mobility, remuneration strategy, business digitization etc.
Since 2016, he has strongly focused on business digitalization and more especially the use of the blockchain technology and the role it can have globally. He is a co-founder and managing partner of SMAT and he is leading the operations with a focus on the construction of the offer, the team gathering and corporate finance. He will directly oversee our technology manager and together will form the bridge between our business model and technology. Also, Anthony created 3 companies before SMAT. His first one was a start up in the music industry in France when he was 22 years old and created 2 other ones in Switzerland with one in the cloth shop industry and made an exit in 2020.
On another note, Anthony has also co-founded Tzeva, an association that was focused on education by creating a unique link between young professionals and children from 8 to 12 years old as he believes education is the key for a bright future.
Anthony is a French-Swiss citizen, married with two children, he has been living in Geneva for over 12 years. He holds a master's degree in business law and taxation, a diploma in corporate law (DJCE) from the University Jean Moulin Lyon III (France) and a L.L.M in tax law from the University of Geneva.
Anthony started his professional career in 2008 at Ernst & Young in Geneva and joined the Schellenberg Wittmer law firm in 2012. He specialized in Swiss and international taxation and had the opportunity to advise a large client base of individuals and companies (including many independent wealth managers, family offices, private banks, real asset owners and financial advisors) on their tax or wealth planning issues. Anthony then joined Julius Baer Private Bank in 2017 as Director of Wealth Planning where he advised on a daily basis (i) private investors who are clients of the bank and (ii) numerous independent wealth managers who hold accounts for their clients within the bank, on tax, financial and wealth aspects.
He is co-founder and general Relationship Manager of SMAT and is in charge of creating and managing strategic partnerships as well as creating new development opportunities. Anthony is bringing his extensive network and knowledge of the private banking, family office and wealth management communities.
Pierre-Adrien is a French citizen, in a couple and father of two children, he has been living in Paris for more than 10 years. He holds a Master degree in private law from the University of Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne, the Certificate of Aptitude for the Legal Profession (CAPA) and is a graduate of the Lyon School of Management (EM Lyon, Msc in Management, Grande Ecole program).
Pierre-Adrien practiced for 10 years in the Real Estate Transactions and Financing Department of the French law firm Gide Loyrette Nouel in Paris, where he was promoted to Counsel in January 2019. Pierre-Adrien's practice focused mainly on M&A, financial and real estate transactions of listed and unlisted players in the European real estate market. He has regularly advised institutional investors, real estate companies, real estate investment funds, developers and hotel operators. He has also been involved in structuring professional real estate investment funds (OPCI, SCPI) as well as in real estate financing transactions (advising borrowers in the setting up of senior and mezzanine debt).
He is co-founder and general counsel of SMAT, he is in charge of the regulatory analysis and the strategy of approaching the different regulators (FINMA, AMF). He will develop the sourcing strategy for real assets projects and coordinate the intervention of SMAT's legal advisors in their structuring.
Born in China, Jiahua (Java) Xu is a global citizen with formative tertiary education that spans Asia, North America, Continental Europe and the UK. Java holds a Ph.D. from the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland, a Master of Science from the University of Mannheim in Germany, and a Bachelor’s degree from Fudan University in China. During her academic years, she has also visited Harvard University, Imperial College London, Vienna University of Economics and Business, McGill University and the University of Texas in Austin.
Java is the Programme Director of the MSc. Emerging Digital Technologies and a Lecturer in Financial Computing at UCL Computer Science Department, where she teaches blockchain technologies, machine learning and digital finance. Java is also an award-winning researcher affiliated with the UCL Centre for Blockchain Technologies, and sits on the Crypto Valley Scientific Committee for the Economic and Financial Track. She conducts interdisciplinary research that covers distributed ledger technologies, data science, behavioural finance and insurance economics. Java’s work has been published in top journals and conference proceedings, and is widely cited by scholars, industrial practitioners and the media. She is a sought-after speaker internationally on financial technology.
Java has gained practical experience, among others, at KPMG, Siemens, Continental and Bank of China. Since 2015, she has been working pro bono at a not-for-profit organization Development International e.V. with the goal to combat human trafficking and modern slavery.
Java now serves as the CTO of SMAT where she is responsible for the technological design of the company. She holds dear the company’s vision of creating a secure, reliable, efficient and user-friendly investment platform, and believes that the fast-developing ledger technology can be used as the cornerstone of this new digital ecosystem.
Ludovic is a Swiss citizen living in the canton of Vaud. He holds a federal diploma in finance and accounting and is in the process of obtaining a federal diploma in human resources. He has also followed various training courses in internal audit, management and financial control.
After starting his career with Ernst & Young in Geneva, he was able to perfect his experience at the international level with large multinationals present in Switzerland, mainly in management roles.
Ludovic joined SMAT SA in September 2021 to bring his expertise in finance as well as his administrative support and knowledge in social networks. He supports the founding team in the development of the company and works with his colleagues to make it reach a national and international reputation.
Ludovic is also very involved in the political life of the canton of Vaud, holding roles in the municipal council, as an inter-communal and regional councilor for the Nyon region. Also active in the charity and association field, he brings the full extent of his professional and private network to the development of society.
Lucas is an enthusiastic 32 years old Argentinean who loves to travel, discover hidden places and meet new people. Curious by nature, he was amazed when first heard about Blockchain technology and how it helps improve people's lives bringing transparency, accountability, permissionlessness, and thus empowering them in the process.
Professionally, He depicts himself as a servant leader with a background in transportation, education & TI. Lucas has a Bachelor's degree in Hotel Management and after graduation, he led for 7 years an Airport Passenger Service team at LATAM Airlines where he was also responsible for procedures & training. There, He was recognized with a country award for his leadership & service.
While on the COVID-19 pandemic he pursued an MBA on AGILE methodologies and shifted his career integrating software development teams adding a customer-centric view to the development process.
At SMAT, Lucas applies his knowledge on boosting the development team, contributing as QA, UX/UI lead & developer.
Lucas also has a passion for teaching & helping grow people's capabilities, so while in his free time he teaches at a local university where he shares his experience with students.
Tilman Schneider...
Adela Pohancanikova, the business analyst at our fintech startup, brings a diverse skill set, international perspective, and a dedicated commitment to the team. Originating from Slovakia and raised in Geneva, Switzerland, Adela holds a BBA in International Business from the University of Toronto, Canada.
Adela’s recent foray into the private market has kindled a profound appreciation because of its uniqueness and variety. With a strong knowledge in blockchain technology, Adela’s commitment to Digital Assets made her well-equipped to navigate the dynamic landscape of the fintech industry, notably within the domain of digital assets.
Mergen Haljanov, an Investment Analyst at Smat, brings a unique blend of international perspective and financial expertise to our team. Originating from Turkmenistan and raised in Geneva, Switzerland, Mergen holds a BBA with a specialisation in Corporate Finance from ESCE Paris.
He is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Investment and Risk Finance at the University of Westminster in London. His passion for Alternative Assets, particularly Digital Assets, demonstrates his forward-thinking approach to finance. Mergen's prior roles in startups within the Tech and consumer goods sectors have honed his analytical skills and strategic mindset, making him well-equipped to navigate the dynamic landscape of the fintech industry.
Mergen is also a firm believer in the potential of fostering a collaborative approach between traditional finance (TradFi) and innovative decentralised finance (DeFi)l technologies. His commitment to harmonising these realms aligns perfectly with our startup's vision for the future of finance.
Livien is a Swiss citizen, currently living in Dubai. He holds a master's degree in economics from the University of Fribourg. He has previously worked as Portfolio Manager for two Swiss banks. He was one of the driving forces behind the first inclusion of Bitcoin in the allocation of a discretionary mandate of a Swiss bank. Early adopter of cryptocurrencies and passionate about blockchain and quantitative finance, he founded and currently manages Quotebojo, an investment fund specialized in digital assets and decentralized finance. As Decentralized Finance and Coin Manager, he will be in charge of managing and developing the blockchain and cryptocurrency aspect part of the project.
Yimika is a Nigerian with a love for start-ups, art and technology. He holds a master's degree in Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship from Loughborough University and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Emerging Digital Technology at University College London (UCL). With an intense passion for technological innovation and problem-solving, he worked for two years as a Data Scientist with two Non-Profit Organizations focused on economic policy and marginalized groups. He’s also recently worked as a Blockchain Consultant for a metaverse start-up, called Astra.
His voyage into Blockchain Technology began solely out of curiosity, after trading cryptocurrencies and building knowledge over a period of time reading white papers on DeFi projects.
For SMAT, he works on the technical research aspects of the white paper.
Tania is an Argentinean citizen with a degree in Political Science who was awarded for her excellent academic score on the provincial honour roll.
While studying, she spent more than six years working in the aviation industry, where she had the opportunity to play leadership and coordination roles. After graduating, Tania worked as a legislative consultant for a year, developing her research and writing skills, and volunteered with an energy-related youth group as a community manager. In addition, she has experience working as a copywriter for a real estate development company in Argentina.
She is passionate about environmental issues and believes that sustainability should guide decisions we make toward the future; even more, she obtained a Diploma in Democratic Innovation and another in Sustainable Development.
Tania enjoys travelling, painting and writing poems, and being a curious and enthusiastic person, she loves new challenges. She recently embarked on a journey to learn about cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology while participating in crypto communities.
At Smat, she will focus on finding new talents for Smat and assisting teams.
Born in Argentina, Ignacio served the army as a volunteer soldier until he was 28 years old, after which he joined Swissport, an Air transport handling company, performing customer service functions.
When the pandemic started, he decided to change his life, becoming a full stack developer working for companies like Lyracons and then Valtech, in high-exposure accounts like Carrefour or Arcor. Ignacio loves sports, tango and travel.
