‘Satoshi’ joins TAAL as chief financial officer

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TAAL Distributed Information Technologies Inc. has announced another new C-level appointment as part of its expansion plans. Experienced investment advisor Satoshi Kitahama will join the firm as Chief Financial Officer, replacing Yevgeniy Meshcherekov who will remain with TAAL as Vice President of Finance.

TAAL said Kitahama’s appointment is the first of many it plans to make in an overhaul of its executive team, part of a five-year plan to deliver blockchain transaction processing services to industry worldwide.

Mr. Kitahama’s interests range from philanthropic causes to corporate finance. Since 2016 he has been director and founder of Northwood Advisors, specializing in early stage technology startups and advising on corporate finance, balance sheet optimization, and strategic financial planning.

In response to Japan’s 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster he founded the Kizuna Foundation, a non-profit to provide funding for economic development and business opportunities in Japan’s northeast, the hardest hit region. This involved repairs to existing infrastructure like schools and recreation areas, restoring vital industries such as fisheries and agriculture, and planning for longer-term economic growth. Kizuna was the successor to All Hands Volunteers, where Kitahama served as Representative Director.

Mr. Kitahama has a multi-national financial career that began at Wertheim Schroder & Co. in New York City in equity capital markets. He then moved to London in a series of roles covering debt capital markets, loan syndications, and structured, corporate and acquisition/leveraged finance with big-name institutions like Merrill Lynch International, Deutsche Bank AG London, and Credit Suisse First Boston (Europe) Limited.

From there he moved to Tokyo, working for Shinsei Bank Ltd. and building its specialty finance and M&A businesses, before taking his team to Royal Bank of Scotland plc (also in Tokyo) to head the bank’s pan-Asian leveraged finance businesses.

A management expert with broad experience across multiple sectors, he has been involved in the finance, technology, energy, media, and leisure, travel & tourism industries. He has a degree in East Asian Studies and Economics from New York’s Columbia University.

The new CFO will be in charge of all aspects of TAAL’s financial management, reporting and compliance. The existing accounting team will continue reporting to Mr. Meshcerekov with its current structure.

TAAL recently appointed new CEO Jerry Chan, a Wall Street veteran also of Tokyo and former head of the Digital Asset Solutions department at SBI Group. Chan has said the company is evolving into a blockchain services company that will provide professional-grade enterprise infrastructure platforms and solutions to businesses around the world.

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