Switzerland's telecommunications incumbent said the head of a new blockchain unit will leave the company immediately. His exit comes amid a roster of ongoing projects.
Daniel Haudenschild, CEO of Swisscom Blockchain, is leaving the company effective immediately, the Swiss telecoms firm said on Wednesday. Swisscom didn't give specific reasons for his sudden departure.
Swisscom's overall digital head Roger Wuethrich-Hasenboehler will take over. Haudenschild and a team jumped ship from consulting giant EY two years ago, in a bid by Swisscom to get in on the fast-growing blockchain sector.
Since then, the team has grown to roughly 30 people and Swisscom's blockchain arm counts banks like Raiffeisen and Falcon Private Bank among its clients. The unit is majority-owned by Swisscom, but executives including Haudenschild and other founding partners hold the remaining 30 percent.
Postal Blockchain to Crypto Share
Haudenschild's abrupt exit comes as Swisscom tackles several prestigious projects meant to raise its profile in the industry: the pilot for a private blockchain together with the Swiss post office is expected in the second quarter.
Swisscom is also working with subsidiary Daura on issuing a digital share this year. Custodigit, a joint venture of Swisscom and crypto start-up Sygnum, launched a digital asset platform aimed as financial service firms just last year.
