Hi there, I’m Maike, and I’ve been helping to build the grassroots of the Pia Community. As James, mentioned, we’ve been locked away in meeting rooms over the last few months, talking all things Pia and grafting away on building the product.
So, I thought it was about time we came out of hiding and told you a bit about my fellow co-workers, and the advisory board backing our exciting venture. After all, AI is only as smart as the people that build it.
The Pia Team
Lex (CEO) is an experienced startup founder with a track record of success in a number of different industries. Lex founded QVentures, the highly successful super angel investment network, and is a regular media commentator. He’s also our resident fountain of knowledge, earning the title of ‘Lexopedia’ in the office. Trust me, if you can bag ’60 secs with Lex’ you’re sure to learn a new factoid or two.
James (COO) has delivered change in complex organisations as well as nurturing innovative FinTech startups. Prior to joining the startup scene with Pia, James worked for Deloitte for 10 years as a management consultant, proven through his ability to turn any powerpoint presentation into a design masterpiece. Besides being a stickler for a drop shadow and a 4px radius, he’s earned his stripes as the office DJ, consistently putting Ash’s ‘Throwback Thursday’ tunes to shame!
Niamh (Editor-in-Chief) is our in-house investment expert and is responsible for creating and curating the investment output of Pia. She has over 16 years experience working in the financial industry, in the areas of money markets trading, derivatives and portfolio management. She guest lectures on investment analysis at Trinity College Dublin, and likes to keep the team in the loop on the latest happenings in the Cryptomarket.
Aisling, or Ash to most (Ops & Partnerships Manager) joins Niamh in representing the Emerald Isle on the team. As well as a BA in Politics and International Relations, Ash has an unrivalled ability to remember just the first letter of anyone’s name (I’ve gone from Lauren to Lucy and back again, but 18 months later and she’s just about nailed it). Prior to Pia, she spent time working in New York at a property development business and subsequently for the British Red Cross in London.
Igor (Developer Extraordinaire) has been with the team since day one. He is an integration and backend guru and is always on the look out for new ways to improve our tech stack. He is passionate about open source technologies and the related communities. You can often find him with a large selection of nuts and dried fruits.
We are a small but growing team and we would love for you to join us if you want to make the world of investing more accessible. Check out our open roles over at AngelList to see if there is something that you like the look of.
The Pia Board
Joining co-founders James and Lex on the Board, are Ian and Gayle. Former Head of Product, Services & Marketing at RBS, Ian Ewart, takes the seat as chairman. Whilst Gayle Schumacher, previous Global Chief Investment Officer at Coutts, joins as a Non-Exec Director. Both Gayle and Ian bring a wealth of investment experience (pardon the pun) and are passionate about simplifying investing for the masses.
The Pia Advisory Board
The role of the advisory board is to help us shape the vision and strategy for Pia. They have joined us on the journey and kept us true to our mission over a number of pretty animated sessions. Joining Gayle and Ian are the following:
Todd Ruppert is an esteemed financier and former Chief Exec of T. Rowe Price Global Investment Services, the global investment management firm.
Daniel Sauva helps us on the creative and marketing side of the business and was Head of Creativity and Buzz over at TransferWise.
Nigel Webber was the Chief Investment Officer at HSBC Private Bank and is a renowned commentator on macro-economics and the investment sector.
Dan Bricken is a corporate partnering specialist and was the head of International Mergers and Acquisition at Wells Fargo.
There are one or two other Advisory Board members that we are not able to list publicly but needless to say we are lucky to have such a great group helping us shape Pia.
If you want to join the team on their journey, head over to yourpia.com for early access to the Pia Community (we’ll be sending out our first release of invites this week, so be sure to get in early for exclusive sneak peeks).
Next up, we’ll be giving you an insight into the story behind our branding, stay tuned!
