Who We Are - NKB Group

Rules are not necessarily sacred, principles are

Franklin D. Roosevelt

While the financial industry is undergoing a tectonic shift, we believe that there are principles for financial services firms which are universal. These principles are integrity, intellectual and analytical rigour, uncompromising commitment to clients’ needs, and strict adherence to the best practices and the highest ethical standards. Intelligent regulation should enforce these principles, but responsible financial service players also adhere to them in unregulated environments.

NKB believes that the financial industry needs to embrace and integrate both new technology and the principles of traditional finance

Our firm

NKB has built an investment and advisory platform which can professionally intermediate the capital flows in the space and enable digital assets to enter the financial mainstream – thus further accelerating the market growth.

To deliver this, NKB’s team blends the core DNA of successful innovative technology experts and seasoned investment bankers.

Our ambition is to be the trusted partner of choice for our clients, helping them to navigate through the uncertainty and capture the opportunity that crypto assets and blockchain technology represent.

Group Management

CHRIS BAXTER

Co-founder

Chris has more than 30 years of investment banking and investment management experience. Chris has more than 30 years of investment banking and investment management experience. He has held senior management positions at leading international institutions for over 15 years, including: Head of Investment Banking and CEO of Principal Investments at Renaissance Capital, an emerging markets investment bank; and Head of the eastern hemisphere Energy and Power sector team in Merrill Lynch, London. Chris is also a long term member of the Supervisory Board of an emerging market venture capital firm Buran VC. Chris graduated in engineering from Imperial College and received a number of awards for his outstanding academic results including an honorary Fellowship of the Royal Society of Arts Manufactures and Commerce (FRSA).

BORIS ZELENY

Co-founder

Boris is a serial entrepreneur and investor, active in the technology space for more than 20 years.Boris is a serial entrepreneur and investor, active in the technology space for more than 20 years. He was a core investor and a key member of the team behind the success of AVG, a central European company which developed into one of the global leaders in cyber security. He is a member of several investment committees and holds Board positions in numerous technology companies. Boris is also active in philanthropy and is the founder and Chairman of the non-profit organization Green Foundation.

CARNEGIE SMYTH

Non-executive Director

Carnegie is a CEO of Signia Wealth, a London-based wealth management firm. Carnegie is a CEO of Signia Wealth, a London-based wealth management firm. His areas of expertise include investment management, hedge funds and opportunistic investments in private equity. He previously advised ultra-high net worth individuals, sports and media clients on tax and corporate advisory issues.

ROBERT COHEN

Senior Advisor

Robert has 25 years of experience in investment management and investment banking. Robert has 25 years of experience in investment management and investment banking. He is the Managing Partner of Benson Oak, a highly successful central European investment firm which he joined in 1996. Robert served on the Boards of several investee companies, including AVG, one of the global leaders in cyber security, where he handled strategic financing issues for the company and executed its first corporate acquisitions. He has previously managed Benson Oak’s corporate finance advisory business with a broad range of responsibilities including leading M&A advisory, private-equity financings, domestic and international capital market fund-raising and general management advisory.

LUKAS HARUSTIAK

Chief Operating Officer

Lukas has 10 years of experience in investment banking and investment management.Lukas has 10 years of experience in investment banking and investment management. His most recent role was the Head of Corporate Finance at MODE, an emerging markets FinTech company. Prior to that, he held a position of Investment Director at Valiance, a London-based investment firm focused on growth capital. Lukas spent several years in M&A and capital structure advisory with RBS/ABN Amro in London. He graduated with Félicitations du Jury from ESCP Europe in Paris.

DAVID SCHERHAUFER

Chief Financial Officer

David has an extensive experience in finance, spending more than a decade at finance director roles of various companies.David has an extensive experience in finance, spending more than a decade at finance director roles of various companies. He currently serves as the CFO of a family office in Slovakia. He has previously held the positions of Finance Director and Group Controller at Araver, a Slovak car retailer, and Finance and Operations Director at Olympus in Slovakia and Hungary. David has started his career in audit at KPMG.

RADOSLAV TOTH

General Counsel

Radoslav has pursued a career in law with a focus on compliance and international transactions. Radoslav has pursued a career in law with a focus on compliance and international transactions. In his practice he has developed a particular expertise in AML requirements and regulation. Radoslav studied law at Comenius University in Bratislava and London School of Economics. He is also a former Vice-Chairman of the Slovak Competition Authority.

MIROSLAV PIKUS

Chief Technology Officer

Miro has a rich experience in working in IT for over two decades. He started in the 90s as a part of the emerging community focused on the internet technologies and later moved into corporate roles. Miro has a rich experience in working in IT for over two decades. He started in the 90s as a part of the emerging community focused on the internet technologies and later moved into corporate roles. He developed his specific expertise at leading technology companies including ESET, Deutsche Telekom and Sun Microsystems. He writes regularly about IT trends and innovation, including blockchain technology.

MICHAL BLAHA

Marketing Partner

Michal's areas of experience range from brand development & management to consumer insights & behaviour as well as strategic consultancy.Michal's areas of experience range from brand development & management to consumer insights & behaviour as well as strategic consultancy. He has been providing marketing and communication services for many successful clients for the past 25 years.

SAM SHRAGER

Digital Marketing Officer

With over 20 years of experience in marketing and advertising, Sam has an extensive knowledge of digital marketing and communicationsWith over 20 years of experience in marketing and advertising, Sam has an extensive knowledge of digital marketing and communications blended with a good grounding in the more traditional media of newspapers, radio and outdoor, from her roles at Associated Newspapers and Clear Channel Communications. More recently she has managed digital projects for companies in the oil and energy sector, as well as brand building and development for a global content and cryptocurrency app.

MIROSLAV SKOVAJSA

Advisor

Miro’s experience spans across investment banking, investment management and entrepreneurship. Miro’s experience spans across investment banking, investment management and entrepreneurship. He spent 10 years in JP Morgan in New York in Credit Strategy as a Research Analyst in the #1 ranked team in High Grade Strategy and Credit Derivatives. He later served as a COO and CFO of a health-tech start-up before moving to an investment management role as a Director in a family office in Slovakia. Miro has a degree in Computer Science from Amherst College.

The only thing that is constant is change