Bitcoin Standard Treasury Company (BSTR), an operating company focused on accumulating Bitcoin and providing investors with exposure through yield and alpha strategies, has appointed Robert “Bob” Stefanowski as its Chief Financial Officer.
Mr. Stefanowski’s appointment precedes BSTR’s anticipated public listing, which is expected to trade under the ticker symbol “BSTR.” The company previously announced on July 17, 2025, that it entered into a definitive agreement for a proposed business combination with Cantor Equity Partners I, Inc. (Nasdaq: CEPO), a special-purpose acquisition company sponsored by an affiliate of Cantor Fitzgerald. In October 2025, BSTR and BSTR Newco, LLC confidentially submitted a draft registration statement on Form S-4 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in connection with the business combination.
In his role as CFO, Mr. Stefanowski will oversee BSTR’s capital markets strategy, financial reporting, accounting, and treasury functions. He brings over 25 years of global finance executive experience, encompassing leadership roles across private credit, structured finance, private equity, and infrastructure investing. Throughout his career, he has served as a CEO, CFO, Chairman, and lead investor, building and managing multi-billion-dollar lending and investment platforms for institutions across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America.
Katherine Dowling, President of BSTR, commented on the appointment, stating, “BSTR was founded to serve as the premier Bitcoin-focused public company designed to meet the evolving needs of institutional investors. Bob brings unparalleled experience guiding financial strategy and capital markets execution for some of the world’s leading investment platforms. His leadership will be instrumental as we position BSTR for long-term growth and public market success.”
Before joining BSTR, Mr. Stefanowski was Chief Executive Officer of NEOM USA, where he led the structuring and financing of large-scale infrastructure and project finance transactions in the Middle East. This included an $8.4 billion joint venture to develop what is expected to be the world’s largest green hydrogen facility in Saudi Arabia. Prior to that, he served as Chief Financial Officer of UBS Investment Bank, where he managed financial reporting, capital management, and regulatory compliance for a global investment banking division with over $80 billion of Basel III risk-weighted assets across trading, fixed income, equities, and advisory platforms. His career also includes serving as CEO of a $1.3 billion consumer lending platform owned by Lone Star Capital, and as Managing Director and Chairman of 3i Group plc’s international operations. Earlier, he spent 14 years at GE Capital in senior leadership roles within private credit businesses, managing multi-billion-dollar portfolios.
Mr. Stefanowski emphasized the market opportunity, stating, “As institutional adoption of Bitcoin continues to accelerate, there is a clear need for a disciplined, transparent public company capable of allocating capital responsibly while generating yield and alpha. BSTR is uniquely positioned to bridge Bitcoin and capital markets at scale, and I am excited to help guide the Company through its next phase of growth.”
Beyond his executive career, Mr. Stefanowski has engaged in academia and public service. He served as a Clinical Professor of Finance at Oxford University and as adjunct faculty at Cambridge University and NYU Stern School of Business. He is the author of
