DirectBooks has assembled a best-in-class management team from the Fintech sector with a common goal of optimizing global financing markets.
RICHARD KERSCHNER
CEO
I am a versatile global executive and board member, with expertise in strategy, execution discipline, and complex stakeholder management. I have a passion for growth stories that change their industries.
I have led, and been a part of, great teams that guided companies through historic industry changes in:
- Fintech (market leaders and challengers)
- Fixed Income and FX Trading Venues
- Exchanges and Market Utilities, and
- Mobile Telecom and Data
I have a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a Juris Doctor from the Georgetown University Law Center. I was born in Argentina and am fluent in Spanish.
I spend my free time not working out enough, eating too much, and trying to keep up with my three teenagers and Newfoundland puppy.
YVONNE WANG
COO
After beginning my career as an engineer at HP, I worked at top companies across different industries. With backing from CS and Palantir Technologies, I co-founded Signac, a company specializing in algorithmic fraud detection. Three start-ups in, I remain passionate about fintech, building new solutions that continue to transform financial services.
With 20 years of experience in new product development and innovation across multiple industries, and deep expertise in finance, analytics and business transformation, I am passionate about the promise of utilizing data to solve complex industry problems, with rigorous focus on invention around leading edge data and analytics products and platforms. I like to build teams and love managing and coaching and developing individuals, having developed training programs used by thousands of employees and senior executives in data driven decision making.
I earned a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from Cornell University. I try to spend a lot of time outdoors hiking and climbing with my family and speak Chinese.
CHRIS RODRIGUEZ
Global Head of Platform Engagement
I started my career in wireless technology and moved into software development ahead of joining the financial sector. I have spent time in a few exchanges and start-ups before joining the DirectBooks team to grow the user community of underwriters and investors. Prior to joining DirectBooks, I was the Head of Sales and Account Management in the Americas and Global Head of Workflow for Symphony.
Previously, I was a partner at Eris Exchange, holding multiple leadership positions. I also held executive positions with CME Group, NYMEX, and derivatives roles at Mizuho and ABN AMRO.
I earned an MBA from Columbia Business School and both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from Rutgers University. When I am not working, I like to spend time with my kids playing soccer, camping with the Scouts and rowing. I also serve my community as a member of the borough council in Fair Haven, New Jersey.
SCOTT EISENBERG
Head of Legal & Business Affairs
This is my fourth in-house counsel role and third in the General Counsel position at a start-up. Graduating from Columbia Law School in 2004, I began my career in New York City at the law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP. After starting my own e-commerce company, I spent five years as senior counsel at inter-dealer broker ICAP. I then served for five years as the General Counsel of Symphony Communications, a Fintech consortium messaging platform.
I have established and managed multiple legal departments covering globe-spanning operations, and in doing so, my philosophy is to look at the big picture in facilitating business operations, while ensuring a detail-oriented approach to managing risk.
I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and earned a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School. I enjoy reading, tennis and cycling in my down time. I also serve on the Board of a non-profit called the New York Milk Bank.
