Blockchain Crypto Wallet Adds Former Goldman Sachs And Blackrock Exec To Lead Its Compliance Team

An official blog post published on cryptocurrency wallet firm, Blockchain.com, confirmed senior financial analyst and legal consultant on asset management, Howard Surloff joined the team on October 1. The former Blackrock and Goldman Sachs employee – two traditional finance giants – joins the company as General Counsel.

Wealth of Experience in Traditional Finance

According to his LinkedIn page, Howard has acquired extensive skills in legacy financial corporation having worked in the industry for over 25 years. The veteran financial analyst started off as an associate practicing law in financial services related to publicly traded mutual and closed end funds.

Peter Smith and Howard Surloff (right) pose for a photo (Source: Blockchain)

In 1993, Howard moved to Goldman Sachs as the senior executive managing the U.S. legal division of Goldman Sachs Asset Management. He spent over 12 and a half years at the giant financial institution before moving to Blackrock, one of the largest asset management organizations in the world.

Surloff spent 12 years at Blackrock working in different roles related to legal counsel in finance. He started off as the Managing Director and Deputy General Counsel, working the role for a decade. Since 2016, he has worked the role of Managing Director and Global Chief Operating Officer for iShares and index investments.

A Dominant Figure in Financial Legal Counsel

Having worked through the traditional finance industry, Howard is aiming to bring his wealth of experience to Blockchain.com. According to the report, he will be in charge of “advancing Blockchain’s gold standard for legal, compliance, and corporate governance”

in matters relating to crypto assets management.”

The CEO and co-founder of Blockchain.com, Peter Smith is ecstatic on the new hire and expects “greater things” from Howard. He said,

“Howard’s passion for legal, compliance, and operational excellence in new markets will be vital to executing our strategy globally. We’re excited to have Howard onboard, and I have no doubt we’ll do great things together.”