Corey Then began his career as a Big Law attorney at Williams & Connolly in Washington, DC, before co-founding an investment fund that has invested more than $550 million in environmentally friendly projects in low-income communities across the country. His career has included working for four years as a White House attorney and Leader of the Economics Team in Presidential Personnel during President Obama’s term and as the Deputy General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
At the end of the Obama administration, he entered the world of securities, serving as a senior attorney at Edward Jones and then as the chief legal officer of Moneta. Today, he is helping lead one of the most cutting-edge financial companies in America by guiding its regulatory strategy and policy responses in a highly regulated industry that is modernizing the multi-trillion-dollar payments industry.
Circle is a financial technology and payments infrastructure company with a mission to raise global economic prosperity through the frictionless exchange of value. “Circle is a high-profile company that is closely watched by the Federal Reserve, White House and Treasury Department for its transformative potential,” said Then’s staff. “Corey is a trusted advisor to among others, Circle’s CEO, and a well-known, highly visible senior executive.”
In his position at Circle, Then has helped double the firm’s revenue in the last year from $750 million to $1.5 billion. He has also led the company’s successful drive to pass payment stablecoin legislation through the U.S. House Financial Services Committee and has enhanced the company’s reputation with policymakers in the U.S., Japan, Singapore, Canada and beyond.
According to Then, what sets apart great from just good leaders is a high EQ. “People are naturally attracted to follow a leader who genuinely cares about them and who lives out their values on a daily basis, which in turn, enables leaders to deploy talent in a way that makes the whole greater than the sum of the parts,” he said. “Successful leaders need to have a long-term orientation, a growth mindset, grit and a keen intellect.”
Then’s leadership skills and work in the industry have garnered him multiple accolades. He was appointed to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Technology Advisory Committee and devised a law school course for the St. Louis University Law School. He is frequently consulted by major Fortune 100 financial companies for his views on the fintech landscape, as well as by senior government officials.
His influence, success and leadership skills have landed Then a spot as a Titan 100.
