We wanted to update you, our community, on the news that Nigel Hemsley, our COO, has moved on from Intersect, and Alex Pestchanker has been appointed Interim Executive Director (ED). We want to thank Nigel for everything he has achieved here, and he’ll always be a big part of our community. Nigel leaves Intersect in a great position, having assembled a team that has achieved so much in the first half of 2024.

Alex Pestchanker, who joined Intersect as a founding member at its inception and a member of the Civics committee, serves as one of Intersect's non-executive board members and is now joining the leadership team as ED. While Alex steps down from his non-executive director role on Intersect’s governing board and his recent leadership role with the Intersect LATAM community hub, he will continue to drive our progress as we enter our next growth stage as Intersect’s new ED. 

Alex plans to sharpen Intersect's focus by concentrating on three main areas: supporting Cardano's on-chain governance, proposing and implementing the next phase of development for Cardano's product stack, and establishing an annual budgeting process for Cardano - leveraging the Cardano treasury with both implicit and explicit consent from the Cardano ecosystem. As a long-standing Cardano community member, Alex will work to improve and enhance Intersect’s connection with members and the broader Cardano community - putting members at the heart of Intersect.

Alex is a visionary entrepreneur and seasoned technologist with expertise in business and Exponential Technologies. He significantly contributes to Cardano, advancing its mission for a better world. Previously, Alex has contributed across the Cardano ecosystem since 2021, and is a co-founder of the Latam Cardano Community, and CTO of Token Allies DAO.

As part of the leadership transformation and the vacancy created on Intersect’s governing board, we’re also pleased to announce Mercy Fordwoo, co-founder of Wada and long-term Cardano community member since 2017, has been appointed as a non-executive director. Serving in an interim capacity until board elections in October, Mercy brings significant passion for community engagement and Cardano governance to this role. More on this to come!