About
Thomas Jeegers, MMSc., MBA, CFA, FRM
I’m the CFO & COO at Relai, Europe’s largest Bitcoin-only exchange, serving 100k+ users and licensed under MiCA in the EU and in Switzerland. I head Finance, Operations, Compliance, Legal, and HR, and led Relai’s MiCA license application until securing it in October 2025.
I’m the author of Understanding Crypto Fundamentals, published by Springer Nature, and a contributor to Bitcoin Magazine. I’m a frequent keynote speaker at leading universities and Bitcoin conferences across Europe, including INSEAD, CFA Institute, BTC Prague, University of Vienna, TU Wien, WU Executive Academy, Bitcoin Ireland, the Hayek Institute, DLT Austria, and more.
Experience
Relai – CFO & COO (Jul 2024 – present) Manages full P&L (8m CHF revenue; 100%+ CAGR) and leads 14 managers and specialists across Finance, Operations, Compliance, Legal, and HR.
GSK – Austria Country Head of Finance & Commercial Lead (Jan 2020 – Jun 2024) Member of the country leadership team, managing full P&L for a EUR 125+ mn market. Launched 8 new products and grew national revenue by 10% CAGR over 4 years. Elected “Employee of the Year 2022.”
ING – Regulatory Risk Manager (Feb 2013 – Jun 2017) Managed credit risk across a EUR 100+ bn portfolio, developed risk appetite frameworks, coordinated ECB inspections, and was appointed local expert on blockchain technology and corresponding risks.
Education
- MBA – INSEAD (Singapore / France), Class of July 2018
- M.Sc. Economics – Catholic University of Louvain, magna cum laude, ING Thesis Award for best master’s thesis in Belgium in finance
- M.Sc. International Economic Studies – Maastricht University, cum laude, Top 3% Award
- B.Sc. Economics & Management – Catholic University of Louvain, cum laude, with minors in computer science and political science
Certifications
- Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
- Financial Risk Manager (FRM)
- Blockchain certifications from INSEAD and Oxford University
Personal
- Belgian
- French (native), English (fluent), German (fluent), Dutch (business), Italian (basic)
- Ironman European Championship 2017 finisher
- Lives in Vienna, Austria