Anthony G. Watson
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Anthony G. Watson is a British business and technology executive, and human and LGBT rights activist. In November 2021, Watson founded
The Bank of London Bank of London or London Bank may refer to: * Bank of London (clearing bank), established 2021 * Central Bank of London (1863–1891) * Chartered Bank of London (1853–1969) * Union Bank of London (1839–1918) * London Savings Bank (1916–1971) ...
, a clearing,
correspondent A correspondent or on-the-scene reporter is usually a journalist or commentator for a magazine, or an agent who contributes reports to a newspaper, or radio or television news, or another type of company, from a remote, often distant, locati ...
and
wholesale Wholesaling or distributing is the sale of goods or merchandise to retailers; to industrial, commercial, institutional or other professional business users; or to other wholesalers (wholesale businesses) and related subordinated services. In ...
bank, serving as
chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...
. Since 2013 he has sat on the board of
GLAAD GLAAD () is an American non-governmental media monitoring organization. Originally founded as a protest against defamatory coverage of gay and lesbian demographics and their portrayals in the media and entertainment industries, it has since ...
. In April 2015, he joined the
Bitcoin Bitcoin (abbreviation: BTC; Currency symbol, sign: ₿) is the first Decentralized application, decentralized cryptocurrency. Based on a free-market ideology, bitcoin was invented in 2008 when an unknown entity published a white paper under ...
trading
start-up A startup or start-up is a company or project undertaken by an entrepreneur to seek, develop, and validate a scalable business model. While entrepreneurship includes all new businesses including self-employment and businesses that do not intend ...
Uphold.com as its
president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
and
chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...
.


Career

A
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
who studied theology, Watson initially considered becoming a minister, but discovered he enjoyed working with technology while working part-time for
AOL AOL (formerly a company known as AOL Inc. and originally known as America Online) is an American web portal and online service provider based in New York City, and a brand marketed by Yahoo! Inc. The service traces its history to an online ...
Ireland during his degree. As a result, he started working for First-e Bancorp (Europe's first internet bank), going on to take senior roles at
Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company, technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975, the company became influential in the History of personal computers#The ear ...
,
CitiGroup Citigroup Inc. or Citi (Style (visual arts), stylized as citi) is an American multinational investment banking, investment bank and financial services company based in New York City. The company was formed in 1998 by the merger of Citicorp, t ...
and
Unisys Unisys Corporation is a global technology solutions company founded in 1986 and headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. The company provides cloud, AI, digital workplace, logistics, and enterprise computing services. History Founding Unis ...
. Between 2006 and 2009, he was the senior vice president and global head of technology services at
Wells Fargo Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational financial services company with a significant global presence. The company operates in 35 countries and serves over 70 million customers worldwide. It is a systemically important fi ...
, where he ran technology for the bank across 44 Counties. Watson worked as chief information officer for Barclays' retail arm from 2009, overseeing the launch of several mobile apps including the bank's
Pingit Pingit, formerly Barclays Pingit, was a British mobile payments service, allowing Barclays account holders to send and receive money transfers through their mobile phones. It operated from 2012 until 2021 when Barclays said that the service was ...
service for sending and receiving money, about which he said "The feedback we have had around Pingit in the media and on Twitter was amazing, we were in the top spot for a while with that launch, only porn stars get that sort of traffic." In interviews, he reported being responsible for a £3 billion annual IT budget. In February 2014, Watson left Barclays to move from the UK to the USA, where in April 2014 he begin working as chief information officer for
Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine giv ...
. In that role he signed a significant deal with
Juniper Networks Juniper Networks, Inc. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. The company develops and markets networking products, including Router (computing), routers, Network switch, switches, network management so ...
, and completed a five-year road map for IT strategy at the company. After 10 months at Nike, Watson left the company in December 2014. This was announced as being for "personal reasons." ''
Business Insider ''Business Insider'' (stylized in all caps: BUSINESS INSIDER; known from 2021 to 2023 as INSIDER) is a New York City–based multinational financial and business news website founded in 2007. Since 2015, a majority stake in ''Business Inside ...
'' and ''
Fortune Fortune may refer to: General * Fortuna or Fortune, the Roman goddess of luck * Luck * Wealth * Fate * Fortune, a prediction made in fortune-telling * Fortune, in a fortune cookie Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''The Fortune'' (19 ...
'' both quoted unnamed sources who explained he was dissatisfied with life in
Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...
, where he lived in order to work at Nike's Beaverton headquarters. However Watson has stated neither Portland nor Beaverton contributed to his decision to leave. Shortly after leaving Nike, Watson joined Uphold in April 2015 as its
president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
and
chief operating officer A chief operating officer (COO), also called chief operations officer, is an executive in charge of the daily operations of an organization (i.e. personnel, resources, and logistics). COOs are usually second-in-command immediately after the C ...
. The then six-month-old company allows customers to trade in
Bitcoin Bitcoin (abbreviation: BTC; Currency symbol, sign: ₿) is the first Decentralized application, decentralized cryptocurrency. Based on a free-market ideology, bitcoin was invented in 2008 when an unknown entity published a white paper under ...
and hold more stable investments (
currency A currency is a standardization of money in any form, in use or circulation as a medium of exchange, for example banknotes and coins. A more general definition is that a currency is a ''system of money'' in common use within a specific envi ...
or
commodities In economics, a commodity is an economic good, usually a resource, that specifically has full or substantial fungibility: that is, the market treats instances of the good as equivalent or nearly so with no regard to who produced them. Th ...
) that are denominated in Bitcoin. Watson has stated he believes the company will help make the financial system fairer, saying "I wanted to do something that is valuable for people broadly, not just in one industry. And what Uphold is looking to achieve really democratizes finance. It's going to help people all over the world. The financial system is inherently unfair—it's always the richest who have access, and the poorest don’t have access, or when they do, they have to pay astronomical rates." Watson has also been a director of Digital Globe Services since 2013. In November 2021, Watson founded
The Bank of London Bank of London or London Bank may refer to: * Bank of London (clearing bank), established 2021 * Central Bank of London (1863–1891) * Chartered Bank of London (1853–1969) * Union Bank of London (1839–1918) * London Savings Bank (1916–1971) ...
, a clearing,
correspondent A correspondent or on-the-scene reporter is usually a journalist or commentator for a magazine, or an agent who contributes reports to a newspaper, or radio or television news, or another type of company, from a remote, often distant, locati ...
and
wholesale Wholesaling or distributing is the sale of goods or merchandise to retailers; to industrial, commercial, institutional or other professional business users; or to other wholesalers (wholesale businesses) and related subordinated services. In ...
bank operating in the UK,
USA The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...
and
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
. Watson had been working on developing the bank over 4 years. The bank launched on 30 November 2021 and in doing so became the UK's 6th clearing bank. Watson stated that "existing providers have failed to adequately serve business customers and says it plans to offer features including cheaper, faster and safer transactions".


Activism

At
Barclays Barclays PLC (, occasionally ) is a British multinational universal bank, headquartered in London, England. Barclays operates as two divisions, Barclays UK and Barclays International, supported by a service company, Barclays Execution Services ...
, Watson was the co-chair of the bank's "global diversity & inclusion panel". In 2013 he became the first non-US citizen to join the board of directors for the LGBT charity
GLAAD GLAAD () is an American non-governmental media monitoring organization. Originally founded as a protest against defamatory coverage of gay and lesbian demographics and their portrayals in the media and entertainment industries, it has since ...
, and he is an ambassador for the LGBT charity Stonewall. He is a chair of the European Diversity Awards, as well as acting chair of the judges, and is a patron of the UK charity Diversity Role Models. He has spoken in schools about LGBT issues and careers. Watson
came out Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBTQ people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity. This is often framed and debated as a privacy issue, ...
to his family at age 21, but did not come out at work until about six years later. ''The Guardian'' quoted him saying, "I remember being shocked by a colleague using the term 'filthy queer' in a meeting, so much so that I had to pull him aside and say, 'I'm gay, and you don't get to use that language here. If you want to use it at home, that's your call, but in this context, you don't get to use that language.' That's actually why I came out at the time. It's important that people take a stand on these issues." ''Fortune'' has described Watson as "an outspoken
gay rights activist A list of notable LGBTQ social movements, LGBTQ rights activists who have worked to advance LGBTQ rights by political change, legal action or publication. Ordered by country, alphabetically. Albania * Xheni Karaj, founder of Aleanca LGBT org ...
," while ''The Guardian'' has described him as "one of the most influential gay men in the world."


Honours, awards and recognition

Watson was appointed
Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
(CBE) in the
2023 Birthday Honours The 2023 King's Birthday Honours are appointments by some of the 15 Commonwealth realms of King Charles III to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded as part ...
for services to the LGBT community, equality and diversity. * ''
The Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are often names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include: Australia * The Telegraph (Adelaide), ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaid ...
'' 2015 "Out at Work" list of top 50 LGBT executives: ranked 4th. * ''
Fortune Fortune may refer to: General * Fortuna or Fortune, the Roman goddess of luck * Luck * Wealth * Fate * Fortune, a prediction made in fortune-telling * Fortune, in a fortune cookie Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''The Fortune'' (19 ...
'' 2014 "
40 under 40 ''Fortune'' magazine's 40 Under 40 is a list of individuals the publication considers to be the most influential young leaders for the year. The list has existed in two phases: From 1999 to 2003, the list was presented purely as a numeric rankin ...
" list of the most influential young people in business: ranked 19th. * ''
Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...
'' 2014 list of influential LGBT executives: ranked 4th. * ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' 2014 "World Pride Power List" of the most influential LGBT people: ranked 10th. * ''
The Independent on Sunday ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publishe ...
'' 2014 "
Rainbow List The Rainbow List (called the Pink List until 2014) is a list of the most influential openly LGBTQ individuals in the United Kingdom, published annually in the British national newspaper ''The Independent on Sunday''. The list was started in 200 ...
" of influential LGBT people: ranked 44th. * '' CIO UK'' 2014 "CIO 100" list of transformative chief information officers: ranked 14th. * Adcolor 2014 "Advocate" award for increasing awareness of LGBT causes within and without the communications industry. * ''Financial Times'' 2013 "OUTstanding in Business List" of influential LGBT people: ranked 9th. * ''The Guardian'' 2013 "World Pride Power List" of the most influential LGBT people: ranked 26th. * ''The Independent on Sunday'' 2013 " Pink List" of influential LGBT people: ranked 66th. * ''CIO UK'' 2013 "CIO 100" list of transformative chief information officers: ranked 6th. * ''Out in the City'' 2013 readers' awards: Inspirational Role Model of the Year. * ''The Guardian'' 2012 "World Pride Power List" of the most influential LGBT people: ranked 56th. * ''The Independent on Sunday'' 2012 "Pink List" of influential LGBT people: ranked 60th. *
Abercrombie & Fitch Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (A&F) is an American lifestyle store, lifestyle retailer, founded in 1892 which focuses on contemporary clothing targeting customers in their early 20's to mid 40's. Headquartered in New Albany, Ohio, the company operate ...
2012 "Diversity Champion of the Year" in the European Diversity Awards: shortlisted.


Arms


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Watson, Anthony George Businesspeople from London Nike, Inc. people Barclays people Living people 1970s births English LGBTQ businesspeople English gay men Gay businessmen British chief executives Chief information officers 21st-century Christians Gay Christians English Christians British LGBTQ rights activists British expatriates in the United States British chief operating officers 21st-century English LGBTQ people Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Year of birth missing (living people)