The Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC), the leading association for the blockchain ecosystem, has appointed Tom Jessop, president of Fidelity Digital Assets℠ and head of Corporate Business Development at Fidelity Investments, to its board. Tom’s appointment to GBBC’s board will be formalized at the next general assembly meeting.

In his role as president of Fidelity Digital Assets℠ - Fidelity’s institutional digital asset platform -Tom is responsible for directing the company’s long-term vision to create a full-service enterprise-grade platform for digital assets to service an institutional investor client base.  He has additional responsibility as head of Corporate Business Development at Fidelity, leading an internal team focused on identifying and executing strategic opportunities including acquisitions, divestitures, strategic investments and partnerships.

Tom’s appointment will place GBBC in a stronger position to advise companies in the financial services industry on the successful incorporation and implementation of blockchain to enhance their offering and services. This is especially important following recent research from GBBC that reveals that the vast majority (69%) of professional investors believe that blockchain will have the biggest impact on financial services/banking in the next five years over other industries such as digital identity (45%) and healthcare (34%).

Prior to Fidelity, Tom was president of Chain, a leading provider of enterprise blockchain solutions to global financial institutions. He oversaw all facets of Chain’s commercial strategy including sales, marketing, and strategic business development.  He also previously served as global head of technology business development for Goldman Sachs.

The GBBC brings together innovative organizations and founding thought-leaders from over 40 countries to advance understanding of blockchain technology amongst global regulators and business leaders. Tom’s appointment to the GBBC’s Board is yet another marker of the GBBC harnessing stalwart industry expertise in order to serve as the focal point for all things blockchain.

Tomicah Tillemann, Chair of the Board of the GBBC, said: “We are delighted to welcome Tom to the board. He brings an unparalleled knowledge of the blockchain ecosystem that will help guide our operations in the years ahead. As we ramp up the GBBC's several global initiatives, we are certain that Tom’s expertise will strengthen the Council's work on behalf of the global blockchain community.”

Tom Jessop said: “GBBC has a strong reputation among the digital community for its commitment to global blockchain development. I look forward to joining the team and working across GBBC’s network to advance the understanding of blockchain technology among global regulators and business leaders.”