Robinhood hires Will McCormick to lead crypto communications

MENLO PARK, CA: Robinhood has hired Okcoin’s Will McCormick as crypto communications lead.

McCormick joined the investing company this week, he said in a LinkedIn post. He was not immediately available for further comment.

“I am so excited to bring in millions of people into crypto for the first time, which is essential for increasing the usability of crypto beyond just investing,” McCormick wrote on LinkedIn.

Last week, Robinhood chief marketing and communications officer Christina Smedley said she is planning to exit the company. It was not immediately clear when she is departing, and she did not reveal her next destination.  

A Robinhood spokesperson said via email that McCormick is not replacing Smedley in his newly created role. 

McCormick is joining Robinhood from Okcoin, where he worked as communications lead since last year. Okcoin is a U.S.-based, global, regulated fiat-to-crypto trading platform. 

In McCormick’s LinkedIn post, he said he had a “memorable, enjoyable and an irreplaceable learning experience” at Okcoin.

“Okcoin is doing big things in the space and truly pushing the boat out as an exchange with great technology integrations and new assets. I’m proud of what we have achieved in the last 18 months,” he wrote. 

In January, Robinhood hired Josh Drobnyk as VP of corporate relations and communications. He joined from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the industry-funding brokerage watchdog, where he was SVP and head of corporate communications.  

Robinhood went public in late July, seven months after it was at the center of the “Wall Street vs. Reddit” controversy, in which retail investors used Reddit and social media to build interest in GameStop and other legacy brands, drawing the ire of financial professionals. The volume prompted Robinhood to restrict trading of GameStop, drawing criticism from business leaders, celebrities and both sides of the political spectrum.