RecruitBlock

RecruitBlock is a founder-led executive search firm established in 2018, advising founders, CEOs and boards on senior, non-technical leadership appointments across crypto, Web3 and digital assets. Headquartered in London with an office in Gibraltar, RecruitBlock operates at the intersection of capital, governance and leadership, supporting organisations navigating scale, regulation and increasing institutional scrutiny.

Core Services

RecruitBlock focuses exclusively on senior, non-technical executive search across the digital asset sector. Their work spans board, C-suite and Director-level appointments, covering functions including finance, legal, compliance, risk, operations, people and commercial leadership. They operate a selective, partner-led engagement model advising on a limited number of board and senior leadership searches at any one time.

Key service areas include:

• Executive Search for Digital Assets – Board, C-suite and senior leadership across crypto exchanges, digital asset financial services, market infrastructure providers and Web3 organisations
• Legal & Compliance Search – Chief Legal Officers, General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officers, MLROs and senior compliance professionals across DeFi, digital payments, blockchain infrastructure and tokenised assets
• Finance Leadership Search – CFOs, Finance Directors, VPs of Finance, Treasury leads and senior finance professionals within capital-backed digital asset organisations
• Institutional Leadership – Senior appointments for organisations operating alongside hedge funds, alternative investment funds and regulated digital asset investment managers

Key Strengths

RecruitBlock brings a structured, advisory-led approach to executive search. Their process begins with remit definition and stakeholder alignment before moving to market engagement and interview-led shortlisting. The firm's methodology emphasises governance context, capital structure and institutional readiness, ensuring appointments align with organisational maturity and strategic direction.

Founder Paul Owen (FCA, Fellow ICAEW, Oxford University FinTech Programme) and Director Penny Sommerfeld (MCIPD) bring deep domain expertise in finance, governance and organisational effectiveness respectively.

Notable Clients and Placements

RecruitBlock has advised some of the most prominent names in digital assets, including Gate.io (CFO and CCO appointments), Xapo Bank (Legal Counsel), eToro (MLRO), Gnosis (Finance Manager), Pudgy Penguins (VP of Finance), OKX, LMAX, GTN and Autonomous. Their work spans the UK, Europe, US and global remote mandates.

Why Choose RecruitBlock

RecruitBlock operates a focused, niche model – exclusively serving the digital assets and Web3 sector at senior leadership level. Their founder-led approach ensures direct partner engagement on every mandate. The firm is regularly featured in BlockTelegraph, The Times, Decrypt, Coinbound and other leading publications, underscoring their authority and visibility within the sector.