Cointelegraph has appointed Wes Kaplan, the company’s thriving chief business development officer, as the new CEO of Cointelegraph. He takes over leadership from award-winning journalist Jay Cassano, who has served as CEO since September 2020 after joining as editor-in-chief in mid-2019.

“I’m thankful for the opportunity to take the largest crypto news agency in the world to new heights, collaborating with an inimitable editorial team and some of the most creative minds working in the field today,” Kaplan said, adding: “It is a rare joy to take the helm of a company that I’ve long admired, building on the exceptional work of Jay Cassano and expanding the ethos of Cointelegraph.”

Prior to joining Cointelegraph, Kaplan shook up the crypto world as marketing lead at trading exchange AscendEX. Kaplan has extensive experience in operations, brand development, marketing and business management, lending leadership and expertise to a range of companies, including Tradewind Markets, BNY Mellon and JPMorgan Chase.

Looking forward

Over the last year, Kaplan has helped transform business development at Cointelegraph, amplifying existing financial verticals and paving the way for new ventures.

Kaplan outlined: “As a marketer, strategist and crypto enthusiast, upholding the tenets of trusted journalism, broadening Cointelegraph’s business operations and reimagining how we communicate with crypto communities from Lagos to Miami is a vision I’m profoundly dedicated to safeguarding.”

“We are going to build on what’s worked in the past, carve out new pathways to stay on the cutting edge and continue to optimize the company across sectors.”

The relationship continues

While Cassano has stepped down as CEO, he will remain in the Cointelegraph ecosystem as a member of the advisory board, focusing on strategic initiatives.

“I’m immensely proud of what the team here has accomplished over the past three years, both in editorial and on the business side,” Cassano shared. “We have launched new verticals such as Markets and Magazine, inaugurated the annual Top 100 list, and created new products and services such as Markets Pro, CT Studio and the Cointelegraph Innovation Circle.”

“When I brought Wes in to join our team at the start of the year, I knew it was a special moment for the company and the start of something truly meaningful. With Wes at the helm as CEO, I feel confident that Cointelegraph will only continue to impress and excite our readers and ever-growing community.”