You can have the best of both worlds by jump starting a career in digital assets and crypto
While the crypto industry is fairly new, there is a pretty good chance that your past skills and experiences can set you up for great success in a crypto career. Take Brian Allen for example. Brian is a Product Area Leader in Fidelity Digital Assets℠ covering wallets and blockchain platforms; but he didn’t start out exclusively in crypto.
After graduating from Bentley University with a degree in Computer Information Systems, Brian interned at Fidelity, and joined full-time after graduation working in IT Audit. There, he spent 7 years covering nearly every business unit at Fidelity along the way. On top of that, Brian obtained his MBA from Boston College, and then spent 4 years working in Risk covering Technology Risk for digital assets. Now, he is pursuing a career in crypto as Product Area Leader at Fidelity Digital Assets℠.
What has always excited you or motivated you at your job?
At work, I love building new things and figuring out how to design simple solutions to complicated problems. My education and work background has always been merging technology skills with business context with hybrid business/tech roles – which sounds a lot like crypto.
What led you to Fidelity?
The things that attracted me to Fidelity back as an intern are also the things that have kept me here. A company with an impeccable reputation and benefits packages, a company that actually cares deeply about doing the right thing– both for its customers and its employees, a company where you can make lasting valuable relationships with colleagues and friends, but also a company with a ton of diverse businesses and career opportunities to forever keep me interested and challenged.
How did your crypto journey begin?
In 2018, an opportunity appeared to join Fidelity Digital Assets and I jumped at the once-in-a-lifetime chance to work in a field I had a personal passion for, while also working on the cutting edge of FinTech but also staying at a great company of Fidelity Investments.
How would you define crypto to someone who may not be familiar?
“Crypto”, short for cryptocurrencies, can be different things to anyone you ask and covers a very diverse spectrum of products. I’d define crypto as a digital-only asset held on an immutable ledger that can be used without centralized 3rd parties.
What were some of your earlier thoughts when entering the field of crypto?
A combination of being scared at joining something new and somewhat unknown, but also sheer excitement that I’d be able to help apply the vast resources and expertise of Fidelity Investments while working in a start-up atmosphere.
Do you enjoy working in crypto? What excites you about it? What has been challenging?
I enjoy the rapid pace of change, the need to continually adjust for crypto-specific solutions, and the challenges that come from building something in the brand-new space of crypto that is up to the standards and protects the reputation of a company like Fidelity.
Can you describe what you do in your current role?
As a Product Area Leader in Fidelity Digital Assets, my job is to convert new product ideas into reality and create digital asset capabilities for our clients. I work across business, technology, and oversight teams to figure out what to build, when to build it, and enable our engineering wizards to expand and enhance our blockchain platform.
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