Giacomo Bertoldi, Walliance, Italy and France, was named Chair of the Non-Executive Board at EUROCROWD during our General Assembly on 17 June 2022, and will serve in this role until the next board election in June 2023. Giacomo has significant cross border experience, with Walliance already active in two major European markets and in the process to adapt to ECSPR. Giacomo has been a member of this board since 2021 and is familiar with the ongoing challenges.

“We are living through truly historical times. While we are suffering from a seemingly endless global pandemic, a genuine “black swan” event, on the one hand, we are helpless spectators to a ruthless conflict in Eastern Europe that involves and affects all our daily lives on the other”, says Giacomo Bertoldi of Walliance. “Yet, having the opportunity to help the most important, independent industry network for crowdfunding in Europe - with the new ECSP Regulation just around the corner – it is not only an honour, but a great responsibility to assume the role of Chair at EUROCROWD. I am sure, that together with EUROCROWD, we – the crowdfunding industry – will be able to bring to the entire sector a new breath of innovation within an increasingly consolidated market. I would like to thank Christin for her passion, she has been truly invaluable to Eurocrowd and I am happy that she remains among our honoured members.”

The period Giacomo will serve as the Chair of the Non-Executive Board will be shaped by the implementation of ECSPR, with licensing for many actors being the main task in the near future and then the roll out of their adapted business across Europe. He will lead the market with the support of the EUROCROWD team and the Non-Executive Board into an exciting challenge that will fundamentally change access to finance for small- and medium sized enterprises across the EU. He will be the second Chair of the Non-Executive Board only so far.

Francesca Passeri, Deputy Director at EUROCROWD explains: “We are excited to have Giacomo assume the Chairmanship. He is a highly experienced professional that has embraced the challenges of our sector under ECSPR early on. His strong involvement in the two major European markets in which we expect to see significant competition is very important as we are going to help European policy makers to monitor market developments.”

After five years at the helm of the Non-Executive Board of EUROCROWD, Christin Friedrich of Innovestment, Germany, has stepped down from her role during the General Assembly on 17 June 2022 in Bilbao. Christin quoted personal reasons and thanked the members of EUROCROWD for their support and dedication to the organisation and their support to her work as a Chair during a time of changing political. She has been driving the involvement of the Non-Executive Board since its creation in 2017 and relentlessly invested her own time into our vision of a profession pan-European Crowdfunding sector.

“Crowdfunding is not just a financing instrument. It is a mindset: Together we are stronger. Its spirit is collaboration and co-creation” knows Christin Friedrich, outgoing Chair at EUROCROWD and founder of Innovestment. “Enabled by technology everybody can find their crowd and become an investor. Crowdfunding is only a decade old and already has proven its huge value multiple times for the citizens of Europe and beyond. Enabling thousands of entrepreneurs, innovators and change-makers to finance themselves through their community. By today already many billions of EUR have been invested into young ideas and businesses by millions of people! Crowdfunding platforms, both financial and non-financial, make this all possible.”

Christin continues, “I am very happy and grateful that Giacomo Bertoldi of Walliance, an experienced and passionate crowdfunding platform provider and friend, is giving his time as Chair or EUROCROWD to help guide our beloved European crowdfunding industry through the next phase of its professional development.”

Christin has been a strong and inspiring force within the industry leading political actions in Europe, especially where national actors failed to proactively deliver results. She has been a motivating and forceful supporter of European crowdfunding and helped guide the sector to completion of the preparation phase for ECSPR. The members at the General Assembly, Board and EUROCROWD team thanks Christin for her energy, positive attitude and drive in leading the sector to professional maturity.

Over the years, EUROCROWD has delivered the relevant guidance to its members, the crowdfunding sector and policy makers to help establish a ground breaking financial services law for crowdfunding, ECSPR. “Our work and our success is depending on the trust we can build among our members and policy makers, and Christin Friedrich has been wonderful and focused voice in our sector. We grateful for all the positive inputs she has given and thank her for all her efforts”, says EUROCROWD Executive Director, Oliver Gajda. “The work of our members in our board is often not visible to the outside, but without the perseverance of our Chair during the past five years, we would not have been able to deliver the results we brought to the sector.”

Christin Friedrich will be a welcome advisor to the EUROCROWD Board going forward and will be named Honourable Member, to join Alex Raguet, the founder of Lumo and founding Board Member of EUROCROWD, who has been instrumental in building EUROCROWD and the political vision within the industry from 2013 to 2020.” Both have early on understood the opportunity of pan-European Crowdfunding and were relentless ambassadors toward policy and industry.

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