Blockchain startup Ripple has announced that former Facebook executive Kahina Van Dyke has joined the company as senior vice president, Business and Corporate Development.

Van Dyke is an industry veteran with more than 20 years of experience in banking and technology. At Facebook, she led the Global Financial Services team. She has also led global teams at Mastercard and Citibank, where she gained knowledge on sophisticated risk mitigation and compliance frameworks enable more reliable, timely services.

At Ripple, Van Dyke will focus on driving new, strategic partnerships across the global financial services industry.

“By reducing friction and delivering better options for individuals and businesses, Ripple offers a compelling opportunity to be a transformative force for good in the world of money movement,” said Van Dyke. “It’s an exciting time in the industry — and I feel very fortunate to be a part of creating the next generation of global payments.”

In addition, David Schwartz, who previously served as Ripple’s chief cryptographer, has been appointed as the new chief technology officer (CTO). In his new role, he will focus on improving the reach and volume of transactions across RippleNet, supporting Ripple’s recent pilot efforts for xRapid, and contribute to the further decentralization of the XRP Ledger.

“David and Kahina exemplify success. At every step in their careers, they have shown the type of leadership qualities and business prowess that will be instrumental as Ripple continues to grow,” said Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple. “This is a fantastic duo that showcases the two sides of Ripple. David is a world renowned leader in the blockchain and digital asset world, and Kahina is a seasoned veteran in the traditional banking and financial services industries.”