WEF appoints BitPesa founder as Co-Chair of the Global Council on Blockchain

Elizabeth Rossiello, CEO and Founder of BitPesa, has been selected by the World Economic Forum to be one of two co-chairs of the Global Blockchain Council. At the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2019, Rossiello will work with industry advisors to prepare the first agenda and main priorities of the council in advance of the official start in San Francisco this May.

The 30 members of the Council include ministers and heads of regulatory agencies, chief executive officers, and leading technical and civil society experts. The Council was formed to give balanced and holistic advisory to the projects in the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Network (C4IR). The World Economic Forum is now able to tap into the resources and expertise of a larger network.

“2019 will be a critical year for the blockchain industry, so I am very excited to be selected to co-chair this council, said Rossiello. “The World Economic Forum has always been instrumental in multi-stakeholder engagement, which is important for blockchain, especially in regard to regulation and policy. We have made some progress in education, consumer adoption and pilot use cases that have proven scale. The creation and implementation of policy has been fragmented globally and is still underway trailing the innovation in the space. A council like this, with experts from all sides of the industry, is a strong advocacy tool for ensuring innovation can continue alongside policy that supports its continued progress,” she stated.

“We chose Elizabeth as one of the co-chairs for this committee, not only for her diverse background in this space, from technical expertise as well as regulatory, but also for her ability to bring together members of this often-fragmented ecosystem. We are very excited for the cross-pollination and results such a meticulously selected council will bring,” said Sheila Warren, Head of Blockchain at the World Economic Forum.

In 2017, WEF created two new Centers based in San Francisco focused on the Fourth Industrial Revolution and Cybersecurity. Inside the first Center, The Global Council on Blockchain is one of six councils chaired by industry experts. The aim is to help shape the global technology policy and corporate governance agenda by providing a unique place in the international system where policy dialogue, practical learning and international agenda setting can take place across stakeholders and regions on an ongoing basis.

After this initial meeting of the leaders of the Council at Davos, the full council will convene in San Francisco in Q2 of this year, where they will initiate their work advising the World Economic Forum.