Early Life and Education

Jean-Paul Schmetz earned a Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) in Philosophy from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in 1993. He later pursued a Master of Science (M.S.) in Computer Science at Stanford University, completing his studies between 2012 and 2016. During his time at Stanford, he also obtained a graduate certificate in Mining Massive Data Sets. In April 2019, Schmetz earned a Deep Learning Specialization from Coursera. (theorg.com)

Career

Early Career

Schmetz began his professional journey in 2007 as a Board Member for OPMS Ltd. In 2010, he became a Director for HackFwd, an investment firm focusing on early-stage technology companies. (theorg.com)

Hubert Burda Media

In 2012, Schmetz joined Hubert Burda Media as Chief Scientist, a role he continues to hold. (theorg.com)

Cliqz GmbH

In 2008, Schmetz founded Cliqz GmbH, a company focused on developing a browser with an integrated search engine and anti-tracking technology. He served as Chief Executive Officer of Cliqz, leading the company's efforts to create an open internet where users have control over their data. (clay.earth)

Cốc Cốc

In 2015, Schmetz became the Chief Executive Officer of Cốc Cốc, a Vietnamese browser and search engine company. He has been instrumental in guiding the company's growth and development in the Vietnamese market. (theorg.com)

Ghostery, Inc.

Schmetz joined Ghostery, Inc. in 2017 as President and was promoted to Managing Director in 2021. Ghostery is known for its privacy-focused browser extensions and tools that help users control their online data. (theorg.com)

Brave Software

In 2022, Schmetz became a Board Observer for Brave Software, a company that develops the privacy-focused Brave browser. As of 2024, he serves as the Senior Vice President of Ads at Brave, working on making the company sustainable through advertising while respecting user privacy. He has also been instrumental in the development and launch of Brave Search Ads, which exited their beta phase in May 2024. (clay.earth)

Board Memberships

Schmetz has held several board positions throughout his career. Since 2011, he has been a Member of the Board for New Work SE. He has also served on the boards of companies such as SHOWROOM Sp. z o.o. and Cốc Cốc. (theorg.com)

Personal Life

Jean-Paul Schmetz resides in Bavaria, Germany. (theorg.com)