LONDON, March 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Keith Todd, veteran fintech executive, today announced the establishment of a new London-based company, Sapphire Technology Group Ltd., focused on two initiatives to drive sustainable high growth and profitability in technology businesses globally. The foundation of the new company is "The Sapphire Doctrine," a set of principles Todd and his team have developed and implemented over the years to transform multiple technology businesses.

The Sapphire Doctrine is agile and based on clarity of vision, authentic leadership and culture reflecting the axiom that business is "a team game," and where optimal results are achieved when all stakeholders win. Todd said that over the past 30 years, largely in capital markets technology, the Doctrine has evolved to a point where it is repeatable as an approach for driving success.

The company's two primary initiatives include an intensive leadership program and an investment company that will serve as a vehicle for fueling transformation and growth in capital markets technology firms.

The first initiative, Sapphire Leadership, will guide C-suite executives in the understanding and implementation of the Sapphire Doctrine, beginning with its inaugural, invite-only, event, Sapphire Transform 2026, in Boulder, Colorado, Sept. 21 - 25. The immersive event is aimed at helping CEO and other C-suite executives enhance their skills, knowledge and understanding of how to optimize their business activities in the pursuit of sustainable, scalable growth and profitability.

The second initiative within Sapphire Technology Group will be a partnership with Charlesbank Capital Partners, a leading U.S. private equity firm. The initiative will seek to invest in high-growth opportunities within capital markets, applying the Sapphire Doctrine to help support operational improvement and drive long-term value creation.

Todd said: "As capital markets participants continue to invest heavily in technology to improve efficiency, resilience and outcomes, they face the headwinds of rapid advancements in technology and increasing market and regulatory complexity. Firms must navigate transformation with both precision and discipline, and Sapphire, alongside Charlesbank, will bring deep operational experience, a history of high-performance transformation and tangible culture change, and an established doctrine for stakeholder-aligned growth."

Todd said the Sapphire Technology Group team will be announced in due course.

Sapphire Leadership events will be defined and delivered in partnership with Josef Schroeter and Chris Cherrington of Kintail Consulting.

About Keith Todd

Todd has repeatedly driven growth and established high-performance teams in technology businesses. Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) has been a primary focus at the large institutions and smaller firms he has led, with strategic and operational experience spanning 40 years in public and private markets. Most recently, he served from 2022 to 2025 as CEO and then Deputy Chairman of Trading Technologies (TT), a global capital markets technology platform services provider, leading the transformation into new asset classes and value creation following its acquisition by 7RIDGE and meeting the ambitious strategic goals of the five-year plan in just three years.

Prior to TT, Todd founded KRM22 plc, where he remains a director and served as CEO and Executive Chairman in its formative years. He was Executive Chairman and CEO of FFastFill plc, transforming it into a global derivatives SaaS provider acquired by ION Group, where he became Executive Chairman of ION Agency Trading. His career also includes leadership positions with Marconi Defense Group and ICL plc and several other non-executive roles in the technology industry. He was non-executive Chairman of the UK Broadband Stakeholder Group that led the transformation of broadband capability in the UK.

In February, Todd received the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award at the FOW International Awards 2026, a significant honor bestowed by Futures & Options World (FOW) magazine. In 2004, Todd was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to the telecommunications industry. He is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (FCMA) and has an honorary doctorate from the UK's Open University for his services to the OU, as honorary treasurer. Todd was awarded Life Membership of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) for his services to the Academy supporting the new world of online media.

About Sapphire Technology Group Ltd.

Headquartered in London, Sapphire was founded in 2026 to help capital markets technology businesses worldwide transform into high-growth organizations with strong cultures. The Sapphire brand, like the gemstone, evokes clarity of purpose, strength under pressure, the rarity of true leadership and durable, long-term value creation. Grounded in discipline and resilience, the firm's approach helps organizations perform under pressure and build enduring value.

About Sapphire Leadership Ltd.

Todd's partners in delivering on the Sapphire Leadership mission include:

Joe Schroeter, who has played prominent roles in multiple business transformations in technology companies including Agilent Technologies, Excite@Home, CQG and Trading Technologies.

Chris Cherrington, head of Kintail Consulting. With over 20 years of experience, Cherrington is a respected transformation leader who partners with senior executives and boards to steer organizations through complex change and deliver lasting results. His perspective and approach are informed by senior roles in leading consultancies, leadership positions at Morgan Stanley and Sky, and formative experience leading teams in demanding, high-stakes environments as a British Army officer.

For more information on Transform 2026, visit www.sapphiretransform.com.

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Die Panne im E-Voting-System des Kantons Basel-Stadt setzt dem digitalen Abstimmen in der Schweiz vorerst enge Grenzen – aber nicht überall. Nachdem bei der eidgenössischen Volksabstimmung vom 8. März 2026 insgesamt 2048 elektronisch abgegebene Stimmen in Basel-Stadt wegen einer nicht entschlüsselbaren «elektronischen Urne» verloren gingen, stoppt der Stadtkanton seinen Versuchsbetrieb bis Ende 2026. Die Bundeskanzlei spricht von einer schweren Verletzung der politischen Rechte der Betroffenen, sieht derzeit aber keinen Anlass, den gesamtschweizerischen Versuchsbetrieb grundsätzlich infrage zu stellen.

Auslöser des Vorfalls war nach kantonalen Angaben ein Problem im Umgang mit einem USB-Datenträger, der im Auszählprozess eine Rolle spielte. Die Folge: Sämtliche elektronisch eingereichten Stimmen aus Basel-Stadt – darunter zahlreiche Auslandschweizerinnen und -schweizer – konnten nicht gezählt werden. Angesichts der klaren provisorischen Abstimmungsergebnisse schliessen die Behörden aus, dass sich die Mehrheitsentscheide dadurch verändert hätten. Politisch unverändert bleibt der Schaden dennoch erheblich: Stimmberechtigte wie die im Elsass wohnhafte Christine D'Souza kritisieren die späte Information und prüfen rechtliche Schritte wegen Verletzung ihrer politischen Rechte.

Der Regierungsrat von Basel-Stadt will die Ursachen des Vorfalls extern untersuchen lassen; die Staatsanwaltschaft hat wegen eines Anfangsverdachts auf ein Offizialdelikt ein Strafverfahren eröffnet. Parallel dazu hat der Kanton seine Teilnahme am E-Voting-Versuchsbetrieb bis zum 31. Dezember 2026 ausgesetzt, um Abläufe zu überprüfen und Korrekturmassnahmen zu erarbeiten. Die Bundeskanzlei begrüsst sowohl die externe Analyse als auch das strafrechtliche Vorgehen und betont, es müssten alle notwendigen Schritte unternommen werden, um eine Wiederholung zu verhindern.

Während Basel auf die Bremse tritt, halten andere Versuchskantone demonstrativ Kurs. Thurgau, Graubünden und St. Gallen erklärten in einer gemeinsamen Mitteilung, sie führten ihre Pilotprojekte mit dem E-Voting-System der Schweizerischen Post unverändert weiter. Das System habe sich seit 2023 in allen Wahlen und Abstimmungen bewährt, heisst es. Auch am 8. März sei der Einsatz in den beteiligten Gemeinden, darunter Amriswil und Bischofszell, problemlos verlaufen. Der Basler Vorfall habe nichts mit dem E-Voting-System als solchem zu tun, sondern sei auf die Handhabung einer externen Komponente, eben jenes USB-Sticks, zurückzuführen.

Bund und Kantone verweisen darauf, dass sich E-Voting weiterhin in einem bewusst eng gefassten Versuchsbetrieb befindet. Dieser sei darauf ausgelegt, technische und organisatorische Schwachstellen frühzeitig zu identifizieren und Prozesse laufend zu verbessern. Gleichwohl warnen Politologen vor einem möglichen Vertrauensverlust in der Bevölkerung: Die Basler Panne liefert Gegnern des elektronischen Abstimmens ein anschauliches Beispiel für Risiken und dürfte die politische Debatte um Tempo und Umfang des weiteren Ausbaus verschärfen – gerade in jenen Kantonen, die ihr digitales Angebot eigentlich ausweiten wollten.