World Class Team

The Team.
Be part of our growth.

At BigBamboo Global Holdings (BBGH), we assemble talent with an eye toward historical expertise and success, disciplined execution.

Our teams are an international network of highly accomplished executives, operators, and advisors drawn from finance, technology, sustainability, and government.

BBGH brings together capital markets architects, regulatory strategists, engineers, brand builders, and sovereign-level relationship leaders who have launched exchanges, scaled platforms to millions of users, and structured complex cross-border transactions.

We value complementary strengths, cultural fluency, and shared ethics; every leader adds a measurable edge — deal flow, risk management, product velocity, or market credibility.

The outcome is a cohesive, global bench that moves with precision, anticipates change, and delivers institutional-grade outcomes for partners and portfolio companies alike.

Together, we turn vision into investable reality, from thesis origination to regulatory approval, launch, and scale — globally and sustainably.

"Building a world-class team is like assembling a complex puzzle: every piece must be intentional, complementary, and precisely placed. When talent, values, and timing interlock, the full picture emerges — clarity, momentum, and results that no single piece could achieve alone."
— Stephen Meade, Founder & CEO, BigBamboo Global Holdings

Executive Team

Leadership.

Stephen Meade

Founder

Stephen Meade is a global entrepreneur, fintech pioneer, and regulatory strategist with 30+ years of experience building companies and shaping financial innovation. He took VirtualSellers.com public in 1999, a platform that anticipated features later adopted by PayPal and Shopify. As founder of BigBamboo Global Holdings, he has launched 25+ ventures, created three public OTC companies, and delivered first-to-market solutions worldwide. Stephen works with regulators in Bermuda, Malta, and Dubai on landmark digital asset frameworks and advises sovereign leaders and central banks. A frequent keynote speaker at Davos, TED, and Milken, he's known for turning complex ideas into simple, actionable strategies that drive global impact.

The BullsEye Guy ↗

Igor Barash

Chief Operating Officer

Mr. Barash is an experienced Technology and Operations Executive who co-founded CyberDefender Corporation, an Internet security software company where he served as Chief Operating Officer. He assisted the company in growing from a startup to over $60 million in revenue and nearly 700 employees and contractors. Most recently, Mr. Barash has been a consultant, advisor and acting COO for companies such as Spiral Toys, M-Theory, and others.

Internal Advisors

Strategic counsel.

Peter Knez

Chief Executive Officer — Knez Ventures

Peter Knez is a former Chief Investment Officer at BlackRock, following its acquisition of Barclays Global Investors ("BGI") where he was Global Chief Investment Officer for fixed income. In BGI, Peter grew AUM from $5 billion to $40 billion in the U.S., doubled AUM to $80 billion globally, and achieved 28% revenue growth year over year. Prior to that, Peter held positions with Lincoln Capital Management and Goldman Sachs, where he led quantitative research and fixed income. Prior to Goldman Sachs, Peter held professorship positions at Kellogg School of Management, University of Wisconsin and University of Chicago. Peter completed his PhD work at The Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania and post-doctoral work at the University of Chicago, with a research focus on term structure models and asset allocation.

Stephen Ball

Chairman and Board of Trustees — Queens Commonwealth Trust

Stephen has served as CEO, Vice Chairman, and Member of the Boards of Directors of Global Financial Institutions, Multinational Companies, and leading Professional Services Firms. He practiced law in the UK and the USA with Slaughter, May, and Linklaters before moving into Investment Banking in Asia-Pacific, the GCC and Europe. He has been awarded The Freedom of the City of London; Euromoney rated him as one of 'The World's Leading Banking Lawyers'; The Lawyer ranked him as one of The Hot 100 Lawyers in the UK, describing his strategy as 'making legal history'. Stephen attends The United Nations, advises on The UN Sustainable Development Goals, The World Economic Forum in Davos, and The Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo.

Zulfiquar Ghadiyali

Executive Director — Private Office of HH Sheikh Tahnoon bin Saeed bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan

H.E. Mr. Zulfiquar Ghadiyali continues to forge right alliances and partnerships for sustainable development and ethical Investment along with his Partners and stakeholders. H.E. Mr. Ghadiyali is a Fifth Generation family office based out of Mumbai and Dubai worth over 9 billion USD in the fields of Real Estate, Steel, General Trading and Technology. H.E. is on board several companies across sectors. As an MBA from Cornell University in Finance and international business, he is also a United Nations Global Peace Ambassador at the University for Peace.

Kevin Richards

Bermuda Asset Authority

Mr. Kevin Richards is a dynamic businessman with over 18 years of experience in financial services in Bermuda, London, and Toronto. A born leader, Mr. Richards led business development for the country of Bermuda for 5 years, focused on international commerce, economic diversification, and technology. As a result, he brings strategic insights on how to leverage Bermuda's international business sector to drive growth for clients.

Lars Rottweiler

Founder of Mbanq

Lars A. Rottweiler, a seasoned banking expert and co-founder of Mbanq, leads the revolution in banking as a service. As an advisor to Ancova Capital, he shapes asset and global fund management strategies. His past expertise as Managing Director at Deutsche Bank, overseeing global lending solutions, and senior executive and sector lead roles at PWC and Accenture, underpins his deep industry knowledge. Committed to sustainability, Lars integrates eco-conscious practices in finance, driving growth aligned with ethical investment. With a keen focus on Green Bonds and sustainable funds, he navigates the forefront of eco-friendly investment opportunities.

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The Team.Be part of our growth.