FTI Consulting has appointed blockchain and digital assets advisor Susana Esteban to head up the firm’s digital assets work in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Working from the firm’s London office, she will look to expand FTI’s Web 3.0 footprint across the region.
After rising to prominence as the technology underpinning various crypto currencies, blockchain initially made its presence felt in the financial sector. Early hype claimed blockchain boasted a number of clear gains, however over the following years its impact remains muted at best. Among the factors holding it back, while many regarded it as an opportunity, 55% of business leaders still see it as a security risk.
Determined to prove the critics wrong, however, Susana Esteban is an expert in blockchain, digital assets, decentralised finance, non-fungible tokens, Web 3.0 and the metaverse, with extensive experience in advising organisations in finance, retail, supply chain, healthcare, insurance and real estate industries. She provides clients with strategic guidance for how to design, implement, maintain and assess projects involving digital assets and develops practical solutions that can be operationalised at enterprise scale.
As FTI Consulting’s Technology brand looks to support its clients to adapt to the rapidly changing landscape which spans cryptocurrency, metaverse, Web 3.0, enterprise infrastructure and more, blockchain and digital assets, Esteban has joined as a Managing Director. She will now support growth and momentum for FTI’s Blockchain & Digital Assets practice in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
Steven S. McNew, a Senior Managing Director and Global Head of Blockchain and Digital Assets within FTI Technology, commented, “There are risks and uncertainties that organisations need to assess and build resilience around as they look to launch projects or enter the space via new partnerships, M&A and pilot programmes. Our practice offers the foremost expertise in understanding and responding to the wide array of risks, strategic opportunities and technical complexities surrounding this disruptive technology. Susana is an important and valuable addition to our growing global team, and we welcome her leadership and expertise.”
Prior to joining FTI Technology, Esteban founded and led an independent advisory firm specialising in blockchain and digital assets. She is also a founding member of the International Association of Trusted Blockchain Applications and the Oxford Blockchain Foundation.
Esteban added, “This is an industry that hasn’t stopped moving or evolving from day one. Keeping up with the pace of change and deeply understanding the technical, strategic and market issues at play is critical to making sound decisions around blockchain and digital assets projects. FTI Technology has built the most robust and experienced team of global consultants in this space. They have a keen sense of the business opportunities and risks our clients may encounter as they embark on their blockchain journeys, and I’m looking forward to collaborating to grow our offerings across EMEA.”
