Meet Macrina Kgil CFO of Blockchain.com

Macrina Kgil was appointed Chief Financial Officer of Blockchain.com in November 2018.

She has been a part of the company’s growth and innovation through series-C funding and reaching the $1 trillion milestones.

Kgil is an expert in public company finance and has created profitable IPO-ready businesses.

Kgil’s vast experience and leadership skills will be an excellent fit for Blockchain.com as it expands to service tens of million clients worldwide.

Since joining Blockchain.com, Macrina Kgil’s success in leading the finance and risk functions has been proven.

Before joining Blockchain.com, Macrina Kil was Spingleaf Holdings’ CFO.

OneMain Holdings is now the company’s name. Kgil, employed by the firm, used her experience as a CFO in a public company to improve and increase the finance department.

She led the OneMain Holdings finance team, which created new processes to support more than 100 entities managed by GPB Holdings.

Kgil managed a $1.5 billion fund while turning GPB Holdings around.

Macrina Kgil was a financial leader at PwC Seoul, South Korea, and New York City.

After graduating from Seoul National University with an engineering degree, her first job was with PwC Seoul.

Macrina Kgil, upon her arrival in New York City, provided expert services to clients in complex accounting issues, business carve-outs, public debt, IPOs, and capital market transactions.

Kgil provided advice to private companies that wanted to make their companies public at PwC’s two locations.

PwC Seoul was her main client.

She focused on obtaining IPO guidance for companies that wanted to go public in the United States.

Macrina Kgil is excited about Blockchain.com’s future growth and innovation.

She also believes that clients can have a better financial future.

What is the story of Blockchain.com?

Blockchain.com was founded a decade ago to make bitcoin easier to access and more transparent.

The founders wanted to make it easier for users to see the transactions that were being confirmed and the addresses being used.

How do you stay productive?

The evening before I go to bed, I check my calendar to ensure that I am ready for the next day.

My priorities are reviewed first thing in the morning.

I also read daily news articles, both from around the world and within my industry.

I need to be curious about the world around us.

Midday is a time when I make sure to eat lunch.

Swimming a few times a week is a great way to clear your head.

My dinner time is spent with my family.

​How do you bring ideas to life?​

Everyone should master execution.

It is possible to get to 98%, but keeping that last 2% can be challenging.

I don’t try to complicate things. I start with the most straightforward base and build on that to bring my ideas to life.

What’s your favorite trend?

What excites me about crypto is the increased transparency of people regarding everything, news, security, and payment transactions.

Blockchain.com supports transparency and openness, and we are a significant part of this trend.

​What habits make you productive?

Incorporating physical and mental breaks into my work week makes me more productive as an executive.

I do this, which includes a 30-minute lunch break each day and weekly swimming to get my head clear.

These mental breaks are essential, primarily since many of us work remotely.

They help me get out of my house and prevent overwhelm.

What’s your advice for the Noob?

My former boss once advised me to have lunch with my colleagues rather than work.

This piece of advice stuck with me until today, and it’s advice that I would give to my younger self.

Everyone needs to take a step back and be more thoughtful about using their time.

What is one thing we can all agree on?

Many things that are often considered “bad” for us – such as sweets and screen time – can be healthy.

Moderation is key to being healthy.

Moderation is better than no moderation.

It’s not easy to find the right balance.

​What do you recommend as an entrepreneur?

It is a great idea to practice the habit of thinking backward.

This means that it is wise to look at past decisions and make adjustments.

This is an important learning tool, especially in the constantly changing startup world.

It has helped me make better choices.

What’s your rich strategy?

Blockchain.com is very intentional about putting our customers first.

This means that we put product before profit.

Every action we take as a company starts with our goal to be helpful to our customers.

We have always put the user experience at the forefront of everything we do, from our Explorer to our non-custodial wallet.

Our success in the crypto space has been a testament to this customer-first mentality.

How do you overcome Failure?

My career has taught me that mistakes are common.

One of the challenges I faced was managing several hundred people in my first role as CFO for a company that eventually went public.

It wasn’t easy to coordinate everyone and everything, something I wasn’t prepared for.

My team was patient with me and helped me through it.

Our cooperation strengthened our team through difficult times.

Two strategies were crucial for overcoming that challenge:

1) I hired an executive coach

2) I listened to my team and implemented their feedback.

​Can you share a business idea?​

One business idea I would love to see become a reality is crypto accounting software that can be used alongside existing tools.

It is impossible to find something like it, and it would be highly profitable.

Which was the most expensive $100 you spent recently?

Ethereum was the best $100 I spent recently.

Its simplicity and use case are impressive, making it easy for other protocols to be used together.

You can also see the Explorer see how the Eth price has risen by more than 700% over the past year.

Which web app or services do you use to help you be more productive?

I don’t use technology tools to increase productivity.

I am blessed with an excellent memory and natural organizational skills, which I am very grateful for.

Which book would you recommend?

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell is a great book that I recommend.

It emphasizes that success doesn’t require you to be a natural genius.

Success is about hard work. However, anyone can be an expert in anything.

​What’s your favorite quote?​

My favorite quote in personal and professional life is, “No news is bad news.”

This requires patience, but it also means no emergencies.

What are the life learning Macrina Kgil could offer to our readers?

In today’s new world of work, it is essential to take physical and mental breaks.

Find an activity that takes you away from the computer and lets you clear your mind.

Customers first are the best strategy for any product company like ours.

Blockchain.com fully supports transparency in crypto.

It is one of the most fascinating and profound aspects of crypto.