Giovanni Everduin – Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer, Co-founder CBIx, Commercial Bank International Dubai

Strategy · Innovation · Ventures
Crypto · Culture · Collecting

Building the
future of banking
since before it was cool

A closeted
DeFi maxi
in a banker's suit

Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer and Co-founder of CBIx. Harvard Business School alum with 20+ years turning bold ideas into working products across fintech, AI, and crypto.

NFT collector, hip-hop head, and art enthusiast navigating multiple identities across web3 communities, Bitcoin Ordinals, and the occasional shisha session. There's always more to the book than the cover.

FintechInnovationAI & Crypto Board DirectorStart Up MentorAdviser & VC
Ordinals OGNFT EnjoyoorSneakerhead Art CollectorFilm ProducerKaraoke King
Giovanni Everduin
Giovanni Everduin
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A strategist who builds,
not just advises

Giovanni Everduin – most people call him Gio – is a Harvard Business School alum (GMP21) and a true citizen of the world who has lived and worked across 10 countries spanning Europe, North America, Central America and the Middle East.

Currently the Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer at Commercial Bank International (CBI) in Dubai, where he cofounded CBIx – the bank’s independent Corporate VC and Innovation Lab subsidiary exploring AI, tokenized assets, Web3, gaming, and next-gen banking models.

Before CBI, Gio held senior roles at Emirates NBD and Accenture in London, and ran his own creative agency & consulting firm.

20+
Years of experience
10
Countries lived & worked
150k+
Miles spent on a plane
each year
Top 5%
LinkedIn creator
Crypto & Fintech | UAE

The person behind
the persona

By day, Gio runs strategy and innovation for a bank. By night and over weekends, he exists across multiple identities in fundamentally different communities – from Bitcoin Ordinals maxis who'd lose it if they knew he works at a bank, to Ethereum collectors, Solana degens, and hip-hop heads.

His on-chain art collection includes 1/1 art pieces by artists like Tony Tafuro, No Legs, Scrog and Rupture – each representing a different facet of who he is across the real world, Discord, Telegram, and various SoFi platforms. His alter egos span an OMB, a Doodle, a ZMB, and a Bearmarketeer.

He also produces films and documentaries, has provided creative direction for fashion brands, and once produced an award-winning documentary on women's empowerment called "SHE". Outside of screens, you'll find him reading The Business of Fashion, going down HBR rabbit holes at 5AM, or collecting art that tells stories worth telling.

10+
Undoxxed alter egos & PFPs
5AM
Daily wake-up call
100+
Crypto wallets, most of which forgotten
15
Film Festival Awards
AccentureAccenture
Emirates NBDEmirates NBD
HBSHarvard Business School
SuiSui Foundation
PlumePlume
CBICommercial Bank International
TajikistanTajikistan Ministry of Industry & New Technologies
ZyplZypl.ai
TumarTumar Fund
UNUnited Nations
AccentureAccenture
Emirates NBDEmirates NBD
HBSHarvard Business School
SuiSui Foundation
PlumePlume
CBICommercial Bank International
TajikistanTajikistan Ministry of Industry & New Technologies
ZyplZypl.ai
TumarTumar Fund
UNUnited Nations
ArtsDAOArtsDAO
MonkeDAOMonkeDAO
Monke VenturesMonke Ventures
The Arts ClubThe Arts Club
ZMBZMB
OMBOMB
RTFKTRTFKT
Pudgy PenguinsPudgy Penguins
ArtsDAOArtsDAO
MonkeDAOMonkeDAO
Monke VenturesMonke Ventures
The Arts ClubThe Arts Club
ZMBZMB
OMBOMB
RTFKTRTFKT
Pudgy PenguinsPudgy Penguins

Over two decades of building
things that matter

2025 – NOW
Co-founder, CBIx
Commercial Bank International
Independent innovation subsidiary exploring AI, tokenized assets, Web3, gaming & next-gen banking models across the UAE and beyond.
2017 – NOW
Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer
Commercial Bank International
Leading strategy, transformation, CX, BI, ventures, fintech partnerships, innovation lab, Web3, AI, and metaverse initiatives. Multiple "First Bank to" accolades in the UAE.
2024 – NOW
Non Executive Board Director
Zypl
Board seat at a fast growing pre Series A global AI & synthetic data startup.
2024 – NOW
Steering Board Director
Tumar Fund
Tumar is the national Kazakh venture fund between The World Bank and Government of Kazakhstan.
2023 – NOW
Advisory Board Director
Luna PR
Top tier Fintech & Web3 agency that blends strategic PR, branding and emerging tech.
2011 – 2017
Chief People Officer
Tanfeeth (Emirates NBD)
Created award winning culture and operating model for a hyper growth startup documented in a Harvard Business School case study.
2006 – 2011
Strategy Consultant
Accenture, London
Led global change programs and advised Fortune 500 boards on organizational strategy, culture, and analytics.

The side quests that
became main quests

NOW
Multi-chain Collector & Community Member
Bitcoin Ordinals · Ethereum · Solana
Ordinal Maxi Biz, Doodle, BAYC, ZMB, MonkeDAO and Monke Ventures. Close internet & Discord friends who meet IRL once a year.
2022
Metaverse Explorer & DeFi Maxi
Terrible trader - great navigator
First bank in the Middle East to enter the metaverse. Solana & BTC Maxi engaged in memecoining, vaults and stable yields
2015
Film Producer
Independent
Produced "SHE," an award-winning documentary on women's empowerment. Started with "The Journey is the Destination" for My Dubai, premiered at DIFF.
2010s
Creative Director & Content Producer
Fashion & Lifestyle Brands
Creative direction for a fashion brand, producing commercials and online content for global lifestyle brands.
Always
Hip-Hop, Sneakerhead & Art Collector
Everywhere
Eminem and Drake karaoke king. Former MC and radio show host. On-chain & physical art collector because art invokes emotions. I likely own more sneakers than any sane person.
Giovanni speaking Giovanni casual
Building what's next –
from the boardroom
to the blockchain
Multiple identities. One person.
Always more to the story

In the media

The Luxury Playbook
The Luxury PlaybookInterview

The Strategist Propelling Innovation at Commercial Bank International

A long-form profile exploring how Gio bridges traditional banking with emerging technologies – from AI and tokenized assets to Web3 and gaming.
Read on The Luxury Playbook →
Entrepreneur ME
Entrepreneur Middle East · Oct 2025Feature

The UAE's New Hub for AI, FinTech, Web3, and Disruptive Ventures

Coverage of the official launch of CBIx, CBI's independent innovation subsidiary co-founded by Gio.
Read on Entrepreneur ME →
Couchonomics
Couchonomics with ArjunPodcast

What Innovation Actually Looks Like Inside a Regulated Bank

A candid conversation about the reality of innovating within regulatory guardrails.
Watch on YouTube →
Chief Digital Heroes
Chief Digital Heroes in BankingPodcast

Balancing Compliance and Creativity in Financial Innovation

Exploring the critical role of innovation in the financial sector with host Matthew.
Listen on Spotify →
AZERTAC
AZERTAC (Azerbaijan State News Agency)Interview

Azerbaijan as a Regional Hub for Fintech and Blockchain

An exclusive interview on the country's potential as a fintech and blockchain hub.
Read on AZERTAC →
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School · 2015Case Study

Tanfeeth: Bringing Service Excellence to the GCC

An HBS case study documenting the creation and rapid growth of Tanfeeth, Emirates NBD's shared services subsidiary that scaled from 20 to 3,000 people.
Harvard Business School →
UN
Asia-Plus Tajikistan · Mar 2025Feature

Tajikistan Proposes AI Regulation Initiative at the United Nations

Coverage of Tajikistan's UN resolution on Artificial Intelligence, introduced by the Ministry Gio advises.
Read on Asia-Plus →

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To predict the future of banking, you need to understand the future of everything
— Giovanni Everduin
We are multi-dimensional beings. There is always more to the book than the cover
— Gio, somewhere on LinkedIn
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An AI prototype trained on Gio's public persona, writings, and talks. Ask me anything about banking innovation, Web3, or what it's like being a closeted DeFi maxi in a banker's suit.

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