(CMR) Karen Kersey, a change management professional with a proven background in strategic and operational leadership, has been appointed Cartan Group‘s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). She is the first Caymanian at the helm since its inception.
Co-founders Brian Tang and Brandon Caruana will remain in guidance roles as board directors, providing support to the new leadership team.
Cartan Group is an established management consulting firm that provides advisory services for strategy, finance, governance, and technological solutions to institutional clients specializing in blockchain-related technology.
Kersey is poised to lead the Cartan Group into a new era of innovation and growth. Her expertise and experience are expected to ensure that Cartan continues to be the most innovative foundation administration company in the market, building on its legacy as the inventor of this business model in the Cayman Islands.
Caruana expressed his confidence in the new CEO to carry his and Tang’s vision forward.
“For more than 15 years, we have worked with Karen, one of the most capable and dynamic leaders with whom we have had the pleasure of collaborating. We are confident in Karen’s demonstrable ability and extensive experience to elevate Cartan to the next level and continue scaling the foundation companies Cartan supports,” he stated.
Kersey is excited to take on her new role and to build on the foundation established by the former heads.
“I am excited to start this new role at Cartan Group, building upon the legacy Brian and Brandon have meticulously created. We know the strategic value we bring to our institutional clients in assisting them in assessing situations, navigating challenges and executing plans to achieve the desired results,” said Kersey.
“Cartan recognizes the importance of having the right people in place and empowering them in their roles. This shared value is the basis of our work as a team. We know the people are critical to support the Web3 movement and that understanding is central to every client we assist,” she added.
Reflecting on Cartan’s role in the startup tech industry over the last five years, Tang noted, “We predicted and invented an entirely new business model focussed on foundation company administration and management. No one in the Cayman Islands was operating this type of company at the time, and we are proud that we were able to provide an example for others to follow.”
Caruana and Tang’s collective operational focus has shifted to other projects, including Tenet Bank, a revolutionary Cayman-based bank dedicated to the global innovation economy.
“We are engineering our proprietary banking platform, TenetOS, setting new standards in the financial sector. As trusted leaders in the Cayman tech ecosystem, we are committed to fostering a thriving tech-focussed community. Tenet Bank is growing faster than anticipated, reaffirming our knack for identifying and executing successful business models,” said Tang.
As co-founders and directors, Tang and Caruana also continue to support Code (Cayman), a non-for-profit community organization that provides open learning opportunities aimed at strengthening the local knowledge base, ensuring coding and entrepreneurial skills are accessible to all residents.
The change in Cartan’s leadership is seen as a positive step for the Cayman community.
“At Cartan, every project receives our focus and resources until it is in a sustainable and thriving position, and we believe the new leadership team will continue to foster this ethos of dedication and excellence. For us, it’s a key part of the mission to elevate the Cayman Islands in the global tech landscape,” said Caruana.
“We believe this jurisdiction has the potential to become the ultimate destination for the international tech community and that every resident should benefit as a result, establishing what we call Innovation Island,” he added.