Uphold serves 184+ countries, across 30+ currencies (traditional and crypto) and commodities with frictionless foreign exchange and cross-border remittance for members around the world. Since our launch in 2015, Uphold has powered more than US$4+ billion in transactions.

Uphold combines a platform app model with payment connectivity to offer financial services to a global market. Uphold empowers innovation in financial services through a platform approach where app developers and fintech partners can leverage Uphold’s reach through licensed relationships with banks and financial services partners around the world. Built on a core of proprietary technologies and e-money apps, Uphold embraces a future where people and businesses around the world have access to safe, transparent, fair and affordable financial services.

About Uphold - Uphold

J.P. Thieriot has founded and co-founded a number of companies in the real estate, agriculture and technology sectors, including Uphold. Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, J.P. worked for nine years at the technology investment bank Hambrecht & Quist, where he was responsible for the formation and management of the firm’s Latin American activities.

J.P Thieriot

Robin O'Connell leads Growth and Partnerships at Uphold, globally. Robin is a seasoned business development executive with experience growing business for both payment start-ups as well as large global payment providers. Most recently, Robin was the Vice President, Business Development for Worldpay’s eCommerce Group in North America. Prior to Worldpay, Robin served as the Vice President of Business Development at Better Finance, Inc. (formerly BillFloat, Inc.). Robin was responsible for building BillFloat’s customer and partnership base, as well as expanding relationships with leading service providers and bill payment companies. He served as Vice President of Business Development for Billeo, Inc. where he developed key partnerships with leading financial institutions. At Visa USA, he served as the Director of Product Development, managing the Visa Bill Payment Initiative.

Robin has a B.A. from the University of Virginia and an M.B.A. from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.

Robin O'Connell

Simon McLoughlin is our President & Chief Operating Officer, responsible for overseeing the company's day-to-day operations and executing strategy. Prior to Uphold, he was a managing director of Institutional Investor based in New York and before that, Head of Corporate Development for LexisNexis UK in London. Simon started the Institutional Investor Network, an online cap intro platform for QIBs, which has placed approximately $13 billion. The manager search service, now known as ManagerMatch, won Euromoney's Innovation Award in 2014. 

Simon is an early investor in, and strategic advisor to, Future Planet Capital, a venture capital firm based in London. He holds a Masters Degree from Cambridge University. Outside work, Simon restores classic cars and has played for New York City Badminton Club.

Simon McLoughlin

Lee Hansen is our Chief Financial Officer, overseeing all fundraising, investor relations, treasury and financial/accounting operations of the company. As part of the executive team he participates in setting the strategic direction of the company and managing corporate development activities.

Lee has 25+ years of experience working with both early-stage businesses and large multi-national public companies. He was previously a Partner with Meriturn Partners which took active advisory and investment positions in companies. He was COO & CFO of Dwell Media, CFO of Decorist and sat on the boards of over 10 other businesses. Prior to Meriturn, he was President & CFO of Net Value Holdings and held a number of roles at Bank of America, including Head of Corporate Development for the Corporate & Investment Banking division and was a member of the Office of the Chairman. His early career started in investment banking with Bankers Trust and Bank of America.

Lee has an MBA from Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management and received his BS in Business Administration from Bucknell University.

​Lee Hansen

Cem Miralay is our Chief Product & Experience Officer, responsible for our product and customer service strategy. Prior to Uphold, Cem has over two decades of product and operational leadership experience across diverse industries and organisations such as Microsoft, AOL, Centrica and Betsson. Cem has a BS in Computer Engineering from Syracuse University and an MBA from Wharton.

Cem Miralay

As the co-Chief Technology Officer at Uphold, Tiago is responsible for solving mission-critical problems and designing scalable systems while following best engineering practices. Before becoming part of Uphold’s founding team in 2014, Tiago was Lead Engineer at Seegno, a digital media company focused on combining great design with technology that he co-founded in 2008.

Tiago earned a Masters Degree in Computer Science from Universidade do Minho, PT. In his spare time, Tiago dedicates as much time as possible to his love for photography.

Tiago Ribeiro

In 2014, Rui joined the founding team at Uphold building on the discovery of the blockchain. Later, after heading the Core Engineering and R&D groups at Uphold, he became co-Chief Technology Officer where he currently drives innovation and is responsible for developing systems for the next million-user milestone.

Prior to that, while still at university, Rui co-founded Seegno, a successful product innovation company that used cutting-edge technologies to deliver pioneering digital products.

Rui has made extensive and noteworthy contributions to the open-source community and published an online book on security. While not at the computer, he spends his time on microelectronics, home automation, and traveling.

Rui holds a Masters Degree in Biomedical Engineering from Universidade do Minho, Portugal.

Rui Marinho

Chris is a seasoned entrepreneur and technologist with over 20 year’s industry experience providing effective solutions to business across many sectors.

As Chief Technology Officer, Head of Data Privacy, and Director of Information Security for a variety of global Fintech companies, Chris has deployed global solutions for leading investment banks including Bank of America, Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, Barclays Capital, and HBOS and Foreign Exchange companies including Caxtonfx.

Prior to joining Uphold, Chris served as the Director of Data Privacy and Information Security Officer for Ipreo Holdings LLC, a company owned by Blackstone and Goldman Sachs. Certified by the British Standards Institution as a Lead Implementer (ISO_27001) and The International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM), Chris was responsible for the development and coordination of an organization-wide privacy risk management and regulatory compliance framework.

Chris Adjei-Ampofo

Mark G. Anderson (CIPP/US) is Head of Legal & Regulatory Affairs and has worked at the intersection of law, technology and privacy for more than 15 years.

Prior to joining Uphold, Mark held senior legal roles at major corporations, including Ipsos and News Corp. He has negotiated long-term commercial contracts, on both the supplier and client side with Fortune 500 companies, that represent more a billion dollars in annual revenues. Mark has advised leadership teams in many countries on legal, regulatory and compliance matters. Prior to going in-house, Mark worked at a boutique law firm in New York that represented clients at the leading edge of technology and media. Mark earned his JD from Fordham University School of Law and graduated with honors with a BA from Queen's University.

Mark G. Anderson

As Chief People Officer, Jo directs the continuing development of HR strategies and infrastructure to support Uphold's growth and international expansion, while strengthening its culture of innovation and collaboration.

Jo is a Stevie Award-winning human resources executive, professional coach and brings more than 20 years of progressively responsible managerial and operational experience in companies ranging from small to Fortune 500 companies. Jo has led these companies through start-up, survival, turnaround, and high-growth modes, serving companies as a change agent in organizational restructures, builds, and M&As. 

Outside of work she runs a successful artisan food blog and is a teacher and practitioner of Prana Vinyasa yoga.

Uphold is changing the way people access money.

Our Leadership Team