Fuze Appoints Fintech Veteran Serena Sebastiani as Chief Strategy Officer

Fuze has brought in a heavyweight to steer its long-term vision, naming Serena Sebastiani as its new Group Chief Strategy and Venture Officer. Her name has been floating around the region’s fintech circles for years — she previously led PwC Middle East’s Virtual Assets Consulting practice and currently holds roles with both the MENA Fintech Association and the Association for Women in Cryptocurrency. If you’ve followed the rise of the UAE’s digital‑assets ecosystem, you’ve probably come across her work without even realising it.

Sebastiani said the move felt like a natural next step after watching the UAE evolve into a global hub for digital assets. She explained that she’d spent years advising on policies and helping shape early frameworks, and now wanted to step directly into building something she believes in. And believe it or not, that kind of shift from consultancy to hands-on scaling happens more often than people think; I remember chatting with a founder at an Arageek meetup who said he only understood the “real grind” once he left advisory work behind. Different world entirely.

Fuze’s co-founder and CEO, Mo Ali Yusuf, didn’t hold back in his praise, saying that hiring Sebastiani was almost like bringing in “three world-class experts in one”. Spot on or a bit of a stretch? I reckon it’s fair enough, given her rather deep regulatory and institutional background — something many fast-growing fintechs tend to scramble for later when it’s already a bit of a faff.

Across Europe and the Middle East, Sebastiani has spent about 15 years advising investment banks, wealth managers, and even regulators. One standout milestone from her track record is contributing to the establishment of the first Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority, which, on the flip side, shows just how early she was in shaping the region’s digital‑asset policies. She’s also supported governments drafting fintech frameworks and guided banks entering new markets — not exactly light work.

At Fuze, she’ll be leading efforts to scale the company sustainably across its main infrastructure pillars: the institutional over‑the‑counter desk, its digital‑assets‑as‑a‑service platform, and payments. These building blocks are what allow banks and enterprises to integrate digital‑asset services through APIs — something Fuze has been pushing hard to do across MENA. The responsibilities she’s taking on are no walk in the park… I mean, driving long-term strategy in a sector that moves this fast is tricky even for seasoned operators.

Fuze itself was founded by leaders from fintech, TradFi, and DeFi, including Yusuf alongside COO Arpit Mehta and CTO Srijan Shetty. Their platform offers digital‑asset infrastructure for banks and fintechs, plus OTC services for institutions and high‑net‑worth clients who prefer large trades handled discreetly and efficiently. Having watched how startups in the region grapple with regulatory clarity, I’m chuffed to bits whenever I see teams actively strengthening that bridge — even if the industry is, well, definately still evolving.

In the end, Sebastiani’s appointment feels like another signal that digital‑asset infrastructure in MENA is maturing. And for readers following the space through Arageek, it’s yet another reminder of how quickly the landscape is shifting under our feet.

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