23 February 2026
Cartwright Corporate Treasury, the boutique investment consultancy, today announced that Sam Roberts*, Director of Investment Consulting, has been appointed as Non-Executive Chairman of Connecting Excellence Group PLC (XCE), a fast-growing international executive recruitment company.
Sam’s appointment will provide independent oversight and strategic guidance, with a particular focus on the role Bitcoin can play within XCE’s long-term corporate and treasury strategy. The appointment follows the recent announcement that Cartwright had been engaged by XCE to advise on the growth and ongoing management of its Bitcoin treasury strategy, Cartwright’s first mandate under its Corporate Treasury business line.
Sam Roberts, Director of Investment Consulting, at Cartwright Corporate Treasury commented: “Demand is growing across sectors for specialist expertise on how Bitcoin can be integrated responsibly within corporate balance sheets, not only to strengthen long-term treasury strategy, but to support growth in the operating business and protect shareholder value.
“I am honoured to join the Board of XCE at an important stage in the company’s development, as it establishes itself as the first Bitcoin-powered international executive recruitment business. I have been particularly impressed by the team’s combination of operational excellence in executive recruitment and their strategic understanding of Bitcoin and capital markets, which positions XCE as a genuine innovator in this space.”
Scott Ellam, CEO, Connecting Excellence Group PLC added: “We’re delighted that Sam has joined us as Non‑Executive Chairman. His appointment follows the standout work we carried out on the company’s IPO, as announced last month, which established a strong foundation of trust and collaboration, and demonstrated he was a natural fit for our organisation.
“Sam brings exceptional expertise in Bitcoin and digital assets, where he is widely recognised as a thought leader and trusted authority. His insight will be invaluable as we continue to expand our executive recruitment platform internationally and navigate the evolving opportunities within fintech and digital finance.”
*Roberts joined Cartwright in 2016 where he has since built out an extensive investment consulting capability across pensions, charities and corporations with a team of 16 investment professionals. More recently, he led on Cartwright’s inclusion of Bitcoin as an asset class, for consideration alongside the more traditional assets classes. His passion for bitcoin has led him to be invited to speak at numerous global conferences and feature on multiple podcasts sharing his thoughts and insights. Roberts has become a go-to name for commentary and thought leadership in the bitcoin and investment space. In 2024, Roberts advised a UK pension client to allocate a small percentage of their funds to bitcoin. This was the first of its kind, and now Sam is sharing that high-conviction bitcoin capability with XCE.
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