- Starknet Foundation’s CEO is stepping down.
- The Foundation’s head of growth will be stepping up into a newly created role.
- The Foundation’s new leadership boasts years of experience in traditional finance and crypto.
Over the past few years, several crypto projects have announced structural and leadership changes to deal with changing market conditions or signal a new direction.
In the latest instance, the Starknet Foundation, the non-profit dedicated to supporting the development of prominent Ethereum Layer 2 Starknet, has announced a leadership change to focus on growth and adoption.
Starknet CEO Bows Out
The Starknet Foundation is set to undergo a major leadership overhaul. On Tuesday, the Foundation announced that CEO Diego Oliva would be stepping down after nearly one and a half years at the helm.
Sponsored
Explaining the rationale for the move, the Starknet Foundation suggested that Oliva, who was brought on for his ability to run and scale businesses, had accomplished his task, citing the team’s increased headcount, successful projects like DeFi Spring, and programs like Basecamp. Against this backdrop, the Foundation suggested it was time to shift gears.
Following Oliva’s exit, the Starknet Foundation will swap the CEO role for an Executive Director. James Strudwick, who has served as the Starknet Foundation’s head of ecosystem growth for the past eight months, will step into the new role.
What You Need To Know About Starknet’s New Executive Director
The Starknet Foundation’s new Executive Director, James Strudwick, boasts an educational background in management and business administration, as shown on his LinkedIn page. With this background, he has ventured into several roles in traditional finance and crypto over the past decade, including founding a crypto trading desk called Paradigm Securities in 2016 and leading business development for a little-known Tezos-facing project called TQ.
Just before joining the Starknet Foundation, Strudwick spent two years, from 2022 to 2024, at the Mina Foundation, the non-profit behind the popular lightweight ZK-powered Mina Protocol designed to allow users to prove “anything.” During this period, he served as head of business development for a year before assuming the role of vice president of growth.
At the Starknet Foundation, the team claims Strudwick “has proven to be an adept and creative leader, an energetic community builder, and a deeply knowledgeable and thoughtful ecosystem expert.”
Strudwick has announced his promotion on LinkedIn and expressed excitement about the new role.
"I'm thrilled to announce my promotion to Executive Director at Starknet Foundation! I am incredibly excited about leading this innovative company and collaborating with the amazing team here as we embark on the next phase of our journey," he wrote.
On the Flipside
- Starknet’s Diego Oliva is expected to stay on for one month to ensure a smooth transition process.
Why This Matters
The Starknet Foundation offers critical support for the Starknet protocol. Strudwick’s leadership could play a significant role in the network’s growth and direction.
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