Former Swiss President Johann Schneider-Ammann has become a member of the Board of Directors of Crypto Valley Venture Capital CV VC. One and a half years after his resignation as Minister of Economics, he is now actively involved in the Zug-based start-up, which invests in blockchain projects.
Schneider-Ammann was already fascinated by new technologies during his term of office. His engagement with CV VC is his first, and to date, his only business mandate outside the Ammann Group. He joins Anna-Catherine Berner, an entrepreneur and former Finnish government minister who is also a new member of CV VC’s Board of Directors.
Former Swiss President and Federal Councillor Johann Schneider Ammann has joined the Board of Directors of Crypto Valley Venture Capital CV VC. With his entrepreneurial experience and his network, the former Minister of Economics and Science brings unique support to CV VC. His commitment underscores the importance of Crypto Valley for Switzerland. It also heralds blockchain as one of the great technologies of the future, which inspired him during his eight years in the Federal Council. At the beginning of 2018, then-Federal Councillor Schneider-Ammann proclaimed an internationally acclaimed goal: “Switzerland should become a crypto nation”.
Two former ministers and entrepreneurs as CV VC board members
Alex Wassmer, Chairman of CV VC, says:
“We are extremely pleased to have Johann Schneider-Ammann on board, an experienced and successful entrepreneur who has been an advocate of Crypto Valley from the very beginning. A Board of Directors needs expertise, experience, network and reputation. This makes it all the more gratifying that we have also been able to recruit the globally-networked entrepreneur and former Finnish Minister AnneCatherine Berner to the CV VC Board of Directors.”
Anne-Catherine Berner is the former Finnish Minister for Communications and Transport. During that time, she was actively involved in promoting start-ups and new technologies. The Finnish entrepreneur with Swiss roots ran the family business Vallila Interior. Today she is a member of the Board of Directors of the SEB Group, a bank headquartered in Stockholm.
Crypto Valley supporter from the very beginning
Schneider-Ammann recognised the potential of blockchain technology at an early stage. As head of the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs, he was committed to creating sustainable framework conditions for technology-driven start-ups and thus made a significant contribution to the success of Crypto Valley. Together with Finance Minister Ueli Maurer, he launched the Blockchain Taskforce, which became the Swiss Blockchain Federation. This is a public-private partnership, unique in the world, consisting of representatives from politics, business, and science.
The Fintech industry awarded Schneider-Ammann the title of "Fintech Influencer of the Year" in 2018 for his achievements. It is therefore not surprising that, one and a half years after his resignation from government, Schneider-Ammann has decided to take up a seat on the board of an innovative start-up.
“As an ETH engineer, I am fascinated by new technologies like blockchain. As an entrepreneurial thinker, I am also always interested in sustainable solutions with great economic potential that create new jobs. That's why I am happy to be involved with CV VC and Crypto Valley with its young, promising companies” - Johann Schneider Ammann.
Mathias Ruch, founder and CEO of CV VC, recalls: “In 2017, Johann Schneider-Ammann visited the Crypto Valley start-ups, exchanged ideas with the pioneers and wanted to know everything about the projects. I was impressed by his curiosity, his interest and fascination with blockchain technology and the founding spirit. We've stayed in touch ever since."
The corona crisis and the lockdown have given a massive boost to digitization. New digital applications should now penetrate our professional and everyday lives and change our society even more quickly. Major trends include decentralized work, online business, cyber security, digital identity, and authentication. They require innovative solutions, business models and technologies that have been developed in Crypto Valley for years. Board member Anne-Catherine Berner explains: “The potential of blockchain is now unfolding before our eyes in Switzerland and elsewhere. It is especially in such challenging times that the most diverse experiences must be brought together. I am looking forward to working with Johann Schneider-Ammann and CV VC.”
