Former Federal Councillor Johann Schneider-Ammann becomes a member of the Board of Directors of Crypto Valley Venture Capital CV VC. One and a half years after his resignation as Minister of Economics, he is now involved in the Zug start-up, which invests in blockchain projects.

Schneider-Ammann was already fascinated by new technologies during his term of office. His involvement in CV VC is his first and so far only business mandate outside the Ammann Group. The entrepreneur and former Finnish minister Anne-Catherine Berner is also a new member of the board of directors of the Zug-based start-up.

Former Federal Councillor Johann Schneider-Ammann is a member of the Board of Directors of Crypto Valley Venture Capital CV VC. With his entrepreneurial experience and network, the former Minister of Economics and Science is a unique support for CV VC. With his commitment, he underlines the importance of Crypto Valley for Switzerland and of Blockchain as one of the great technologies of the future; which inspired him during his eight-year term of office in the Federal Council. At the beginning of 2018, Schneider-Ammann proclaimed an internationally acclaimed goal: “Switzerland should become a Crypto Nation“.

Two former ministers and entrepreneurs as CV VC board members

Alex Wassmer, Chairman of the Board of Directors of CV VC, says:

“We are extremely pleased to have Johann Schneider-Ammann on board, an experienced and successful entrepreneur and advocate of the Crypto Valley from the very beginning. A Board of Directors needs expertise, experience, network and reputation. This makes it all the more gratifying that we have been able to recruit the globally networked entrepreneur and former Finnish Minister Anne-Catherine Berner to the CV VC Board of Directors.

Anne-Catherine Berner is the former Finnish Minister for Communications and Transport. During this time she has been actively involved in promoting start-ups and new technologies. The Finnish entrepreneur with Swiss roots ran the family business Vallila Interior. Today she is, among other things, a member of the Board of Directors of the SEB Group, a bank headquartered in Stockholm.

Crypto Valley supporter from the very beginning

Schneider-Ammann recognised the potential of block chain technology at an early stage. As head of the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs, he was committed to creating sustainable framework conditions for technology-driven start-ups and thus made a significant contribution to the success of the Crypto Valley. Together with Finance Minister Ueli Maurer, he launched the Blockchain Task Force, which became the Swiss Blockchain Federation. This is a public-private partnership, unique in the world, consisting of representatives from politics, business and science.

In 2018, the Fintech industry awarded Schneider-Ammann the title of “Fintech Influencer of the Year” for his services. It is therefore not surprising that, one and a half years after his resignation, Schneider-Ammann has decided to take up a seat on the board of an innovative start-up.

“As an ETH engineer, I am fascinated by new technologies like Blockchain. As an entrepreneurial person, I am also always interested in sustainable solutions with great economic potential that create new jobs. That’s why I am happy to get involved with CV VC and Crypto Valley with its young, promising companies” – Johann Schneider-Ammann

Mathias Ruch, founder and CEO of CV VC, recalls:

“In 2017, Johann Schneider-Ammann visited the Crypto Valley start-ups, exchanged ideas with the pioneers and wanted to know everything about the projects. I was impressed by his curiosity, his interest and fascination with blockchain technology and the founding spirit. We’ve stayed in touch ever since.”

The Corona crisis and the lockdown gave a massive boost to digitization. New digital applications are now likely to penetrate professional and everyday life even faster and change society. Major trends include distributed work, online business, cyber security, digital identity and authentication. They require innovative solutions, business models and technologies that have been developed in Crypto Valley for years.

Board member Anne-Catherine Berner explains:

“The potential of Blockchain is now unfolding before our eyes in Switzerland and elsewhere. It is precisely in such challenging times that the most diverse experiences must be brought together. I look forward to working with Johann Schneider-Ammann and CV VC“.

*Originally published in German at CVJ.ch