Chairman and CEO play a crucial role in any startup. It takes an extraordinary person to fulfil the Chairman and CEO role. We have selected these Chairman and CEO’s for this list as they are inspiring for a variety of reasons – whether that’s pushing boundaries, creating groundbreaking products, or doing their bit to save the world.
Our analysts did their best to select be best, and most innovative Chairman and CEO’s. The list is in no particular order!
Tej Kohli
Chairman and CEO @ Kohli Ventures
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Tej Kohli is a technologist, entrepreneur & investor who is interested in deep tech and e-commerce. Tej Kohli is also owner of the Zibel Real Estate portfolio and is founder of the not-for-profit Tej Kohli Foundation. Tej Kohli actively backs growth-stage ventures in the fields of artificial intelligence, robotics and biotechnology. Tej Kohli’s career as an investor started in 2006, when a series of divestments and trade sales from the portfolio of e-commerce and online payments businesses that he had founded since 1999 provided high levels of liquidity for new investments. The multi year earn outs from the sale by Tej Kohli of companies such as Estacion Tramar necessitated a sustained period of making new investments, which culminated in the launch of Kohli Ventures, where Tej Kohli has been an evangelist of the promise of technology to improve human life and has backed deep tech ventures all over the world. Tej Kohli is also known for his mission to eliminate poverty-driven corneal blindness worldwide by 2035. Since 2005 his not-for-profit Tej Kohli Foundation has become a global centre of interdisciplinary innovation for the development of new solutions. Its ‘Rebuilding You’ philosophy reflects Tej Kohli’s desire to use science and technology to rebuild communities and improve lives. CONTINUE READING FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT TEJ KOHLI… Tej Kohli was the founder of a group of companies operating in the worldwide online payments sector, which specialised in high-risk segments worldwide. The Group expanded rapidly, building worldwide subsidiaries and spinning off new standalone companies as it dominated the global market for high risk payment gateways and associated services. By 2006 Tej Kohli’s group of companies employed armies of software developers amongst hundreds of staff worldwide. From 2006 onwards Tej Kohli exited the Group through a series of divestments and high-value trade sales, and became an active investor into deep tech ventures that have the potential to improve human life. Investments transacted through his Kohli Ventures investment vehicle have primarily focused on artificial intelligence, robotics and genomics. Tej Kohli’s investment activities are funded in part by the income stream from the Zibel Real Estate portfolio. Tej Kohli holds over $350m of real estate in his Zibel portfolio, which continues to make acquisitions in locations where technology trends or technology wealth are creating high-growth micro-locations which transcend cycles. Zibel Real Estate is actively acquisitive and has a near-term objective to increase its holdings to $1 billion. Tej Kohli also continues to own a portfolio of e-commerce and online technology businesses including global e-commerce platform dynacart. In recent years this Tej Kohli portfolio has been evolving toward an intelligence-focused model. It currently licences its intellectual property to a number of major e-commerce websites and platforms. Since 2018 the Tej Kohli investment vehicle Kohli Ventures has made investments of $100m into Rewired, a Switzerland based robotics venture studio with a humanitarian bent. Rewired is working at the vanguard of machine perception and the ability of robots to understand and interpret the physical world. Companies within the Rewired portfolio are working on a tech solution to increase plastics recycling rates; to increase the efficiency of solar power sites and to help to prevent serous cancers through early detection. Rewired also includes a sister fund that is focused on investing in global esports. Through the Kohli Ventures investment vehicle Tej Kohli is the lead backer of Detraxi, a US-based company that is developing proprietary biotech solutions for a range of global health challenges in collaboration with talented and respected scientists in the fields of fluid replacement, diagnostics, transplantation and regenerative medicine. The Detraxi biotechnology has already undergone several clinical studies as well as pre-clinical trials at Johns Hopkins University in the USA. Tej Kohli launched the not-for-profit Tej Kohli Foundation in 2005. Between January 2016 and November 2019, the Tej Kohli Cornea Institute welcomed 223,404 outpatients and completed more than 43,255 free surgical procedures to cure and alleviate blindness amongst the world’s poorest people. Tej Kohli has also driven the Tej Kohli Foundation’s pursuit of a ‘universal treatment’ for corneal blindness through it’s ‘Applied Research’ program, a longstanding scientific collaboration between researchers in Montreal Canada, and Moorfields Eye Hospital, UK. In 2019 Tej Kohli also funded the Tej Kohli Cornea Program at Massachusetts Eye And Ear in Boston with an initial donation of $2m.
Learn more about Tej Kohli on Crunchbase… Read more about Kohli Ventures on Crunchbase…
Brent Hoberman
Executive Chairman and Co-Founder @ Founders Factory
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Brent Hoberman is chairman and co-founder of Founders Factory, an ambitious corporate backed incubator/accelerator based in London, and also of Founders Forum, a series of intimate annual global events for the leading entrepreneurs of today and the rising stars of tomorrow. Brent is a co-founder and was founding chairman of Smartup, Grip & made.com, a leading European direct-from-factory consumer homewares retailer. Most recently, Brent co-founded Firstminute Capital, a London-based pan-European seed fund, backed by some of the world’s top entrepreneurs. Brent co-founded lastminute.comin April 1998, was CEO from its inception and sold it in 2005 to Sabre for $1.1bn. Technology businesses he has co-founded have raised over $500m. Brent sits on the Advisory board for LetterOne Technology (a $16bn investment fund), the Oxford Foundry and the UK Government Digital Advisory Board. He is a board member of The Economist, a YGL and one of the Prime Minister’s Business Trade Ambassadors. Brent was awarded a CBE for services to entrepreneurship in the 2015 New Year’s Honour’s List.
Learn more about Brent Hoberman on Crunchbase… Read more about Founders Factory on Crunchbase…
Peter Norris
Chairman @ Virgin Group
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Mr. Norris is Chairman of Virgin Group Holdings Limited, a multinational venture capital firm with holdings in a wide range of industries. He has over 37 years of experience in investment banking and business management. Mr. Norris began his career at Barings in 1976. In 1984, he joined Goldman Sachs, before returning to Barings in 1987 to head the South East Asian advisory operations. Upon returning to London in 1994, he became CEO of Barings Investment Banking Group. Three months after his appointment, the notorious derivatives trading scandal in Singapore was revealed, which brought down the bank. In 1995, Mr. Norris established a corporate finance business, constructed around the needs of a client base of owner-entrepreneurs. In 2007, he merged this business with Quayle Munro Holdings Plc, an AIM listed company and became the CEO of the combined entity. He served in this capacity until the end of 2009, when he resigned his executive position to take the role of Chairman of the Virgin Group. He remains a senior adviser to Quayle Munro. Prior to becoming Chairman of Virgin, Mr. Norris acted as an adviser to the Group from 1996 and had chaired Virgin Active from 2002 to 2007. Mr. Norris graduated from Oxford University with a first class degree in Modern History and Modern Languages.
Learn more about Peter Norris on Crunchbase…Virgin Group is an investment company focused on leisure, travel, tourism, mobile, broadband, TV, radio, music, finance, and health sectors. Read more about Virgin Group on Crunchbase…
Rob Dobson
Chairman and Co-Founder @ DevicePilot
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Rob founded Actix (actix.com) in 1991 and as CEO (1991-2005) grew it to over $50m revenue by 2005. More than 90% of the world’s mobile phone customers have their networks optimized by Actix software and Rob has worked with many of the world’s leading mobile operators and infrastructure vendors. In 2005 he sold a majority stake in the company to PE firm Summit Partners at a $100+m valuation. He has invested in a further 30+ startups and has had five very successful exits (he’s not counting failures as they come with the territory). Rob is chairman of Robotical (robotical.io) and DevicePilot.com. He’s also the founding chairman of Singletrack.com and a supporter of the unique orchestra SouthbankSinfonia.co.uk. As an inveterate tinkerer in software and hardware, he’s fascinated by IoT, 3D printing and the maker movement (as you can probably see from his personal website (robdobson.com). Rob is a Fellow of the IET and has a 1st class honours degree in Electronic Engineering.
Learn more about Rob Dobson on Crunchbase…DevicePilot provides Service Monitoring for connected devices Read more about DevicePilot on Crunchbase…
Chris Niarchos
Founder & Chairman @ Cobra Group of Companies
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Chris Niarchos is the Founder and Chairman of the Cobra Group of Companies is an is an entrepreneurial organisation that specialises in incubating, developing and managing an exciting portfolio of businesses, with interests in sales and marketing, insurance, mobile technology, financial services, high-performance race car design and manufacture, and energy. The Cobra Group currently has 13 subsidiary companies, which include Appco Group – one of the world’s leading face-to-face fundraising and marketing agencies – McLaren GT and AmTrust Mobile Solutions. Cobra is continuing to build on its diverse portfolio of businesses, all with the common theme of opening up a world of opportunity to the people associated with them.
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Graham Edwards
Co-Founder and Executive Chairman @ Telereal Trillium
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Graham Graham Edwards is the Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Telereal Trillium. He initiated the transaction which resulted in 6,700 properties being transferred from BT to Telereal in a £2.4bn property outsourcing deal. In January 2009, Graham led the negotiations which resulted in the acquisition of Trillium from Land Securities Group Plc. This transaction firmly established Telereal Trillium as the market leader in property outsourcing and investment, creating a combined business with annual revenues in excess of £1 billion. Prior to Telereal Trillium, Graham was chief investment officer of Talisman Global Asset Management, having established it as the Pears FSA registered asset management arm – today having AUM in excess of £1bn. Before joining Talisman, Graham held positions as a fund manager at Merrill Lynch Investment Management and head of finance for the BT Group Plc’s property department. He read economics at Cambridge University and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ACA), the Association of Corporate Treasurers (AMCT), the UK Society of Investment Professionals (ASIP) and is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (FRICS).
Learn more about Graham Edwards on Crunchbase…Telereal Trillium provides real estate management services in the United Kingdom. Read more about Telereal Trillium on Crunchbase…
John McAfee
Executive Chairman & CEO @ MGT Capital Investments
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John David McAfee (born September 18, 1945) is a American computer programmer and developer of the first commercial anti-virus program. This bore the McAfee brand-name for years, until it was bought by Intel and given the Intel name. His wealth peaked at $100 million, before his investments suffered in the global crisis of 2007. McAfee also has interests in smartphone apps, yoga and all-natural antibiotics. He resided for a number of years in Belize, but after several disputes with the authorities in Belize and Guatemala, he returned to the United States in 2013. McAfee announced that he will seek the office of U.S. President in the 2016 presidential election on September 8, 2015. He is running as a Libertarian.
Learn more about John McAfee on Crunchbase… Read more about MGT Capital Investments on Crunchbase…
Alan Morgan
Chairman, Co-Founder @ MMC Ventures
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Alan co-founded MMC Ventures in 2000. As an active business angel investor he saw the opportunity for a more structured strategic and due diligence approach to venture investing. Alan is a member of the Investment Committee and leads MMC’s financial services focus. He has lead responsibility for Small World.
Learn more about Alan Morgan on Crunchbase… Read more about MMC Ventures on Crunchbase…
Jens Montanana
Executive Chairman @ Westcon-Comstor
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Jens is the founder and principal architect of Datatec, established in 1986. Between 1989 and 1993, Jens served as Managing Director and Vice-President of US Robotics (UK) Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of US Robotics, Inc. which was acquired by 3Com in 1997. In 1993 he co-founded US start-up Xedia Corporation in Boston, Massachusetts, an early pioneer of network switching and one of the market leaders in IP bandwidth management, which was subsequently sold to Lucent Corporation in 1999. In 1994 Jens became Chairman and CEO of Datatec. He has previously served on the boards and subcommittees of various public companies. Jens graduated with a degree in Electronic Engineering from the University of Reading in the United Kingdom.
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Sherry Coutu
Founder & Executive Chairman @ Founders4Schools
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Sherry Coutu is an angel investor and serves on the boards of companies, charities and universities.As an entrepreneur, Sherry established and successfully sold two businesses in the financial services industry. The first (acquired by Euromoney plc) has operations in more than 70 countries. The second was floated in 2000 on London and Nasdaq and the company was valued at more than $1 billion before being acquired (by AMP plc). Sherry is active in early stage investing and has raised several rounds of venture capital and public equity totaling more than $200 million. Sherry has decades of experience serving companies which range from fast growth private early stage to public and boards with turnover of more than £ 1 bn.She is a frequent public speaker, a national judge of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards, and presents regularly at the top business schools. She specialises in consumer, internet, information services and clean energy. Current university affiliations include Cambridge University and Harvard Business School. Charitable / Government affiliations include the Prince’s Trust, Cancer Research UK and NESTA.
Learn more about Sherry Coutu on Crunchbase…Founders4Schools is a free service that enables teachers to invite founders of successful, businesses to visit schools, to inspire learners. Read more about Founders4Schools on Crunchbase…
Martin Halusa
Chairman @ Apax Partners
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Martin, a graduate of Georgetown University, received his MBA from the Harvard Business School and his PhD in Economics from the Leopold-Franzens University in Innsbruck. He began his career at The Boston Consulting Group (“BCG”) in Germany and left as a Partner and Vice President of BCG world-wide in 1986. He joined Daniel Swarovski Corporation, Austria’s largest private industrial company, first as President of Swarovski Inc (USA) and later as the Director of International Holding in Zurich. In 1990, he co-founded Apax Partners in Germany as Managing Director. His investment experience has been primarily in telecommunications and service industries. Martin has held his position of Chief Executive Officer of Apax Partners since 2003.
Learn more about Martin Halusa on Crunchbase…Apax Partners is an independent global partnership focused solely on long-term investment in growth companies. Read more about Apax Partners on Crunchbase…
Christian Faes
Exec Chair & Co-Founder @ LendInvest
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Christian Faes is the co-founder and Exec Chair of LendInvest, which is marketplace platform for property finance, and one of the leading Fintech businesses in the UK. The business has raised well over £1 billion in debt and equity, from institutions such as Atomico, the European Investment Fund, Citibank, HSBC, and the National Australia Bank. Christian comes from a legal background having practised as a real estate lawyer in Australia (Allens Arthur Robinson), and then in the UK with Clifford Chance and Deutsche Bank. In 2008, Christian co-founded the business with Ian Thomas, initially seeing an opportunity in the short term mortgage market. Christian is a keen advocate for the Fintech sector, and sits on the Government’s Fintech Delivery Panel; and founded and chairs the Digital Finance Forum. He is an active supporter and early investor in several startups, including Seedrs, Crowdcube and Onfido.
Learn more about Christian Faes on Crunchbase…LendInvest is the leading marketplace platform for property finance. Read more about LendInvest on Crunchbase…
Richard Wohanka
Director & Chairman @ Embark Group
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Richard is our largest shareholder of Embark Group and has more than 30 years of experience in financial services, specifically in asset management. He has forged a robust reputation for building global, high-quality, investment-led businesses. He has previously held chief executive officer roles at Union Bancaire Privée (UBP) Asset Management, BNP Paribas Investment Partners (Fortis Investments), WestLB Asset Management and Baring Asset Management. His early career featured successful positions in fixed income and equities at Paribas and the European Banking Corporation. Richard holds non-executive director roles at BTG plc and Scottish Widows. He is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Scottish Widows Pension Fund and a member of the Board of Trustees of The James Neill Pension Plan. He is a board member of UBP Japan and a trustee of the Nuclear Liabilities Fund. He is also a member of the Board of Julius Baer International and Chairman of the Remuneration Committee.
Learn more about Richard Wohanka on Crunchbase…Embark Group provides retirement and financial services. Read more about Embark Group on Crunchbase…
Kosta Kantchev
Co-Founder & Executive Chairman @ Nexo
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The World’s Leading Regulated Financial Institution for Digital Assets Read more about Nexo on Crunchbase…
Paul Zuckerman
Chair and CEO @ Zuckerman & Associates
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Paul Zuckerman is the Chair and CEO of Zuckerman & Associates LLC. His expertise is in Finance and Economics. He retired from full time investment banking in 1998, having been Managing Director and Founding Director of Caspian Securities, Ltd (1995-98); and before that Executive Director, S G Warburg & Co Ltd, London; Vice Chair, S G Warburg International; Chair S G Warburg Latin America Ltd (1981-95). He spent six years at the World Bank as Senior Economist (1974-80); and before that was Research Associate at IITA (1970-72) and Training Associate, Ford Foundation (1968-70) based at IITA (a member of the CGIAR Consortium). Since 1998 he has been on the Board of a number of international companies and is now on the board of, amongst others: ArcelorMittal Ltd Brazil; and JMFinancial Ltd and Great Eastern Energy Company Ltd in India. He was Chair of the Intermediate Technology Group (1990-95), Treasurer of the International Women’s Health Coalition in New York (2000-10) and on the board of The African Medical Research Foundation in Nairobi (2002-10). He is presently Treasurer of the National Art Collections Fund in the UK and a Trustee of the Foundling Museum in London. He is a Foreign Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and an Honorary Fellow of King’s College London. He has a BA & MA in Economics, Trinity College, Cambridge University (1964-67), a Higher National Diploma in Agricultural Economics, Trinity College, Cambridge University (1967-68), and a PhD in Agricultural Economics, Reading University (1970-74).
Learn more about Paul Zuckerman on Crunchbase… Read more about Zuckerman & Associates on Crunchbase…
Sudhir Choudhrie
Vice Chairman @ Alpha Corp Development Pvt Ltd
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Sudhir Choudhrie is a pioneering and successful entrepreneur who has played an active role in international commerce, diplomacy, philanthropy and politics. Born and educated in India, Sudhir is now living in the UK and became a British national in 2010. He is married to Anita, and has two children, Bhanu and Dhairya. Throughout his business career Sudhir has established a strong reputation for facilitating the growth of the companies he invests in, helping to broker strategic partnerships and cross border investment. Sudhir began his career in India, founding the Magnum International Trading Company Ltd in 1975, focusing on the exploration and expansion of India’s export markets. In 1995 Sudhir established a joint venture with Taj Hotels Resorts, which went on to develop Taj Kerala and a portfolio of four beautiful local resorts. In 1995 Sudhir, along with Adidas AG founded Adidas Indian Trading, introducing the brand to India and establishing a network of 180 stores and dedicated, state of the art, manufacturing facilities. This was exited in 2006. From 1999 to 2005 Sudhir served as a non-Executive Director of Ebookers PLC, the pioneering internet travel search agency. In 2003 Sudhir invested in Air Deccan, India’s first budget airline, which consisted of just one plane. Five years later, the airline was carrying seven million passengers a year on 200 flights a day. Sudhir now uses his 30 years’ experience of nurturing businesses across multiple sectors to act as a visionary to C&C Alpha Group, based in London. He has assisted in expanding the group’s many subsidiaries including in healthcare, aviation, banking, real estate, hospitality, niche technologies and energy. Notable recent successes include the significant growth of Alpha Aviation Group, training airline pilots in the Philippines and Middle East, and UK based Alpha Hospitals, which was sold to Cygnet Healthcare. Sudhir is significantly involved in key client acquisition, brokering strategic partnerships and identifying potential opportunities and venture funding. His time is spent consulting for numerous global companies, helping clients establish vision with strategic intent, growth plans and risk management. He is recognised for turning many companies around. Sudhir has been a member of the YPO since 1998 and WPO since 2001. In 2013 Rt Hon Theresa May MP awarded him the “Asian Business Lifetime Achievement Award”. With a strong interest in foreign affairs, Sudhir served as the Republic of Latvia’s Honorary Consul General in India from the country’s independence in 1991 until late 2006. During this time Latvia posted impressive Europe-leading GDP growth figures. Sudhir continues to take a keen interest in politics. He has been involved in strategic relations between India and the UK and is currently an adviser on India to the leader of the UK Liberal Democrats, a party he has supported for more than ten years. Sudhir is an (Honorary) Radcliffe Fellow of Green Templeton College, at Oxford University and worked with the College to set up their annual Emerging Markets Symposium. Sudhir is also a member of Oxford University’s Vice-Chancellor’s Circle. Along with the rest of the Choudhrie family, Sudhir has a proud record of philanthropy and is involved with a number of charities in the fields of education and health in the UK, US and India. Following a successful heart transplant operation in 1999, Sudhir became major benefactor of the Columbia University Medical Center in New York, where a professorship in Cardiology was established in his name. In 2010, the Choudhrie Family Foundation was established to support the advancement of medical science, funding research into the causes of genetic cardiovascular disease and the search for a cure, supporting life-saving organ donor campaigns and educational initiatives that add to public understanding. Sudhir and the Foundation continue to work tirelessly to promote this cause, most recently with a display on heart transplantation with the National Science Museum in London, which has already been viewed by almost 2.4 million people in its first 12 months. Sudhir is personally passionate about the arts, and by setting up the Stellar International Art Foundation has provided modern Asian artists with significant access to the UK and US for the first time. He also has a large vintage car collection which he has grown passionately over three decades.
Learn more about Sudhir Choudhrie on Crunchbase… Read more about Alpha Corp Development Pvt Ltd on Crunchbase…
Natalie Massenet
Founder & Chairman @ Net-a-porter.com
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Natalie Massenet is cofounder and co-managing partner of Imaginary Ventures, a venture fund investing in early-stage opportunities at the intersection of retail and technology, as well as the non-executive co-chairwoman of Farfetch, a global e-commerce platform for luxury fashion. Massenet is best known for founding the luxury fashion online retailer Net-A-Porter, in 2000. In the year before she stepped down from her role following its merger with YOOX, the Net-A-Porter-Group recorded net revenues of almost $1 billion. Massenet began her career as a journalist and fashion editor, working at WWD and Tatler before setting up Net-A-Porter. In 2009, she was awarded an MBE, and in 2016 she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, both in recognition of her contributions to the U.K. fashion and retail industry. Massenet was chairman of the British Fashion Council between 2013 and 2017.
Learn more about Natalie Massenet on Crunchbase…Net-a-porter.com is an online luxury fashion retailer. Read more about Net-a-porter.com on Crunchbase…
Ismail Ahmed
Founder & Executive Chairman @ Zepz
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Ismail Ahmed, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, founding WorldRemit was the culmination of 20 years’ experience in the money transfer industry – spanning academic, consulting and in-house roles. Before setting-up his own business, he worked for the United Nations Remittance Programme, helping African money transfer companies comply with tough anti-money laundering rules introduced after the 9/11 attacks. Ismail has published widely-cited research on the effect of remittances in Somaliland following the country’s civil war. He holds an MSc and PhD from the University of London and an Executive MBA from London Business School.
Learn more about Ismail Ahmed on Crunchbase…Zepz is a money transfer service that helps migrants send money to their loved ones all over the world. Read more about Zepz on Crunchbase…
Mike McTighe
Chairman, Openreach @ BT
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BT provides communications services to consumer and business sectors worldwide. Read more about BT on Crunchbase…
George Farha
Chairman @ GSP Group
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Read more about GSP Group on Crunchbase…
Sergey Portnov
Co-owner & Chairman of the Board @ Parimatch
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Sergey manages Parimatch, which is an international holding company with a 22-year betting experience, represented in 6 former CIS countries. Betting company Parimatch occupies leading position on markets. Sergey got education in England, graduated from the University of Salford, specialty – Gambling & Leisure management (manager in the field of gambling). Credo: “People are the main fund and driver to the company’s success”.
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Anthony Pile
Founder and Chairman @ Blue Skies Holdings
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Anthony Pile is the Founder and Chairman of Blue Skies, a leading manufacturer of fresh-cut fruit, freshly squeezed juice, and dairy-free ice-cream, with eleven operations in seven countries, including Ghana, Egypt, South Africa, Ivory Coast and Senegal. Blue Skies supplies leading retailers around the world, including Waitrose and Sainsbury’s in the UK, Albert Heijn in the Netherlands and Carrefour in France. The company is built on the principle of value-adding at source. This means that Blue Skies aims to make the finished product in the countries where the fruit grows, rather than exporting only the raw material and processing it elsewhere. By doing this it believes that 75% of the value of the finished product remains in the country of origin, as opposed to only 15% if processed overseas. This approach also enables the business to deliver a better quality fruit that is delivered ‘fresh from harvest, from farm to store within as little as 36 hours. Anthony was a soldier in the British Army for 13 years and saw active service in the Middle East, Northern Ireland and Cyprus. He has been a magistrate, attended the post graduate Sloan Fellowship Programme at the London Business School and was the Managing Director of Orchard House Foods from 1989 to 1996. In 1997 he founded Blue Skies in Ghana and has grown the company over the last 20 years into a company employing over 6,000 people with a turnover of £100m.
Learn more about Anthony Pile on Crunchbase…Blue Skies Holdings produces, prepares, and markets fresh-cut fruit and fruit juices to retailers and supermarkets worldwide. Read more about Blue Skies Holdings on Crunchbase…
Norman Fraser
Co-founder, Executive Chairman @ SoftIron
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Norman Fraser Co-Founded and led successful international technology businesses, including Vocalis (IPO) and Endava (ranked as a Leader in the IAOP Global Outsourcing 100 list). A former Visiting Fellow at Henley Business School, UK, he is currently Visiting Professor at Aalborg University, Denmark.
Learn more about Norman Fraser on Crunchbase…SoftIron creates high-performing, scalable, flexible, reliable, and efficient storage solutions for the modern-day enterprise. Read more about SoftIron on Crunchbase…
Michael Jackson
Chairman @ Elderstreet Investments
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Michael Jackson MA FCA (Chairman of the Manager) founded Elderstreet Investments Limited in 1990 and is its executive chairman. For the past 24 years, he has specialised in raising finance and investing in the smaller companies quoted and unquoted sector. From 1983 until 1987 he was a director and from 1987 until 2006 was chairman of FTSE 100 company The Sage Group plc. He was also chairman of PartyGaming plc, another FTSE 100 company. He is a director of Elderstreet portfolio companies Uvenco UK plc, Fords Packaging Systems Limited, Baldwin & Francis Holdings Limited, AngloInfo Limited, Macranet Limited and Access Intelligence plc. Michael studied law at Cambridge University, and qualified as a chartered accountant with Coopers & Lybrand before spending five years in marketing for various US multinational technology companies.
Learn more about Michael Jackson on Crunchbase…Elderstreet Investments is a U.K.-based venture fund manager that provides development and growth capital funds for early stage companies. Read more about Elderstreet Investments on Crunchbase…
Federico Pirzio-Biroli
Founder & Chairman @ Playfair Capital
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Fede started out as an angel investor in 2010. His portfolio quickly grew, so he built a team around him and thus Playfair Capital was born. We have since gone on to become one of Europe’s most active and well-known early-stage VC funds. Before becoming a technology investor Fede worked for several NGOs in Africa, with a particular focus on aid transparency. He recently renewed his focus on Africa by relocating to Kenya and becoming an angel investor in East Africa’s burgeoning startup ecosystem. He maintains an active role at Playfair and continues to lead our investment team.
Learn more about Federico Pirzio-Biroli on Crunchbase… Read more about Playfair Capital on Crunchbase…
Guy Hands
Chairman @ EMI Group
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Guy is Terra Firma’s Chairman and Founder. He is the Chief Investment Officer and sits on the boards of the general partner of each of the Terra Firma funds. Guy started his career with Goldman Sachs International where he went on to become Head of Eurobond Trading and then Head of Goldman Sachs’ Global Asset Structuring Group. During this time, Guy was a leading pioneer in the development of securitisation, extending the practice beyond simple debt instruments to include assets such as shopping malls, mobile home parks and distressed loans. Guy left Goldman Sachs in 1994 for Nomura International plc, where he established the Principal Finance Group (‘PFG’). PFG went on to undertake ground-breaking deals involving trains, housing and pubs, among other areas, using securitised debt to finance acquisitions. In 2002, he led the spin-out of PFG to form Terra Firma. Since 1994, Guy has overseen the investment of more than €17 billion in 34 businesses with a total enterprise value of more than €48 billion. Guy has an MA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Mansfield College, Oxford University. He was elected a Global Leader of Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum in 2000 in recognition of his achievements. In 2012, Guy was named the 20th most influential figure in Private Equity International’s ‘100 Most Influential of the Decade’. Guy is the President of ‘Access for Excellence’, a campaign based at Mansfield College, Oxford which promotes the broadest possible access to higher education in the UK. He is a Bancroft Fellow of Mansfield College and supports the college’s Annual Hands Lecture. He is also a member of the University of Oxford Chancellor’s Court of Benefactors. Additionally, Guy is a Fellow of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme.
Learn more about Guy Hands on Crunchbase…EMI is a multinational music recording and publishing, and electronics device and systems manufacturing company. Read more about EMI Group on Crunchbase…
Michael Whitfield
Chairman @ hundo.careers
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hundo.careers is an end-to-end entry-level talent solution that helps forward-thinking companies engage with Gen Z talent. Read more about hundo.careers on Crunchbase…
Faisal Butt
Founder, CEO & Chairman @ Pi Labs
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Faisal is CEO, Founder and Chairman of Pi Labs Ltd. Faisal founded Pi Labs Ltd in 2015, after leading the first round of investments in PropTech start-ups Hubble and Trussle as an individual investor. Faisal and his team have built a portfolio of 50 PropTech companies across UK and Europe, making Pi Labs one of the most active investors in PropTech start-ups globally.
Learn more about Faisal Butt on Crunchbase… Read more about Pi Labs on Crunchbase…
Matt Cooper
Chairman @ Tandem
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Matt Cooper is Chairman of Octopus. Before joining Octopus, Matt was Principal Managing Director of Capital One Bank (Europe) where he led the team guiding strategy and operations. He helped the UK arm grow from a start-up to a business employing more than 2,000 people and generating over £275 million in revenue.
Learn more about Matt Cooper on Crunchbase…Tandem is building a bank and financial management universe, focused on freeing users from financial stress by making money simple. Read more about Tandem on Crunchbase…
Demetrios Zoppos
Co-founder & Exec Chairman @ Klevio
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Zoppos is a London-based Cypriot entrepreneur and early stage tech business leader. Before founding onefinestay in 2009,he was founding CEO of GradFutures, a web community site and co-founder of GF-X, the leading airfreight trading platform, which raised £50m and was acquired by Descartes. Previously, Zoppos was a consultant at McKinsey & Co. where he specialised in e-commerce, and was an associate at the World Bank. He earned his MA with First Class Honours in Economics from Robinson College, Cambridge, and his MPA from Harvard Kennedy School, where he was a Fulbright Scholar. Zoppos is currently launching Klevio, a start-up in the “Internet of Things” area and will walk us through the path of turning an idea into a business.
Learn more about Demetrios Zoppos on Crunchbase…Klevio lets users open doors and share their virtual keys using a smartphone. Read more about Klevio on Crunchbase…
Jeff Lynn
Co-Founder & Executive Chairman @ Seedrs
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Jeff Lynn is Executive Chairman and co-founder of Seedrs, the leading pan-European equity crowdfunding platform. Seedrs lets investors invest as much or as little as they like in startups they choose, and it lets startups raise capital from friends, family, angels, institutions and the crowds, all through a simple, online process. In addition to running Seedrs, Jeff serves as founding Chairman of The Coalition for a Digital Economy (Coadec), a non-profit advocacy group for digital startups and SMEs.
Learn more about Jeff Lynn on Crunchbase…Seedrs is a UK-based investment and crowdfunding platform. Read more about Seedrs on Crunchbase…
Jesper Balser
Chairman @ Milestone Systems
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Mr. Balser co-founded Navision in 1985 and as CEO steered that company’s growth for 18 years to become an international provider of ERP business management software. Mr. Balser took Navision public in 1999 and the company was acquired by Microsoft Corporation in 2002 – their largest acquisition to date for USD 1.55 billion . Navision became a new division called Microsoft Business Solutions. Balser then served as that division’s Head of Global Strategy until leaving to pursue other interests as an investor and entrepreneur for a number of technology firms. “Milestone is an exciting company in a very interesting sector. I am impressed with how much has been achieved since its start in 1998. Milestone has already documented its ability to compete in the global market. Now the international expansion will be accelerated and systemized, where I hope my background will contribute,” says Jesper Balser
Learn more about Jesper Balser on Crunchbase… Read more about Milestone Systems on Crunchbase…
Richard Burston
Vice Chairman @ KORE Wireless
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Richard Burston, a successful entrepreneur and private equity investor, founded Regency Capital International Limited, a London-based merchant bank in 1991. From 2002 to 2004, He was the CEO of Bostream AB, following Regency Capital’s purchase of a majority interest in the company. He built Bostream into Sweden’s leading independent broadband ISP, prior to selling the company in late 2004. Before founding Regency Capital in 1991, he was employed by Morgan Stanley. Mr Burston, a Canadian citizen, has a B.A. in Economics from Yale University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
Learn more about Richard Burston on Crunchbase… Read more about KORE Wireless on Crunchbase…
Paras Chandaria
Executive Chairman @ UST
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Paras Chandaria is the chairman of UST Global where he works with the leadership team to define and articulate the company’s long term strategies and is active in steering the company towards its goals. Paras plays a key role in ensuring that the company’s stated values of Humility, Humanity, and Integrity are upheld and that its unique culture is preserved. Paras has a strong entrepreneurial background combined with a more structured experience working in Private Equity. He has deep and diverse experience starting up, building, turning around, managing and guiding multiple global and regional businesses across different industry verticals. Paras grew up in London and graduated from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences. Having lived and worked in three continents over the last 23 years, he currently resides in Singapore. In addition to his business commitments, Paras spends time on various CSR projects.
Learn more about Paras Chandaria on Crunchbase… Read more about UST on Crunchbase…
John Hunt
Founder & Chairman @ Archimedia
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Read more about Archimedia on Crunchbase…
Gabriel Mecklenburg
Co-founder, Executive Chairman @ Hinge Health
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Read more about Hinge Health on Crunchbase…
Stuart Marks
Founder and Chairman @ L Marks
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Stuart Marks is a successful entrepreneur who has built and sold four businesses over the past 25 years. They have spanned several sectors including CRM, location-based services and digital media. Every company applied innovation to challenge existing business models. Stuart has worked with a diverse and international customer-base including Sainsbury’s, British Airways, Unilever, Vodafone, BMW and various government agencies across the world. His previous company, ITIS Holdings plc, was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was Europe’s leading provider of real-time traffic information and connected car technology. The first company to commercialize crowdsourced data from GPS devices and mobile phone networks, Stuart sold the firm in 2011 to Washington-based INRIX before going on to establish L Marks to invest in the entrepreneurs of tomorrow.
Learn more about Stuart Marks on Crunchbase… Read more about L Marks on Crunchbase…
Matt Heiman
Founding Investor and Chairman @ Cocoon
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Cocoon is a handbag subscription service that gives its members access to luxury designer handbags. Read more about Cocoon on Crunchbase…
Robert Milton
Chairman of the Board of Directors @ United Airlines
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Robert Milton is a Member of the Board of Directors at United Continental Holdings Inc. since April 2016. Robert was Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of ACE Aviation Holdings Inc. and was Chairman of the Board of Directors, President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Canada. Having joined Air Canada in 1992 in a consulting capacity, Robert moved from the role of Senior Director of Scheduling to Vice President of Scheduling and Product Management, Senior Vice President of Marketing and In-Flight Service and Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Robert became President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Canada in 1999. Robert is currently the Lead Director of Air Lease Corporation, a Member of the Board of Directors of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and a Trustee of the Georgia Tech Foundation Inc. Robert was a past Member of the Board of Directors of US Airways, Inc., and was also a past Chairman of the Board of Governors of IATA (The International Air Transport Association). Robert graduated in 1983 from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a B.S. in Industrial Management.
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Livingstone Ian
Non Executive Chairman @ Flavourworks
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Ian Livingstone CBE is one of the founding fathers of the UK games industry. He co-founded iconic games company Games Workshop in 1975, launching Dungeons & Dragons and Warhammer in Europe. He co-authored The Warlock of Firetop Mountain with Steve Jackson in 1982, writing 14 titles in the Fighting Fantasy gamebook series which has sold over 18 million copies worldwide. He designed Eureka, the first computer game published by Domark in 1984. He joined the Domark board in 1992, overseeing a merger that created Eidos plc in 1995 where he served as Executive Chairman until 2002, and as Creative Director until 2006. At Eidos he launched global video games franchises including Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. He co-authored the influential Livingstone-Hope Next Gen review published by NESTA in 2011, recommending changes in ICT education policy. Following publication, he chaired the Next Gen Skills campaign, working with government to introduce the new Computing curriculum in schools in 2014. In the Wired 100 list for 2012, he was ranked the 16th most influential person in the UK’s digital economy. He was listed in the 2015 Debrett’s 500 of most influential people in UK. Roles (as of May 2016): Founder and Chairman of the Livingstone Foundation, Chairman of Playdemic, Chairman of Midoki, Chairman of Sumo-Digital, Chairman of PlayMob, Chairman of Antstream, Chairman of The Secret Police, Chairman of Flavourworks, Vice Chair of UKIE, Patron and Non-executive director of Creative Skillset, a Member of the Creative Industries Council, Non-executive director of Creative Industries Federation, Non-executive director of Creative England, Non-executive director of Young Rewired State, GamesAid Trustee, Advisory Board Member of GameCity, and Adviser to the British Council.
Learn more about Livingstone Ian on Crunchbase…Flavourworks is a computer entertainment in order to bring unique and innovative experiences to broad audiences. Read more about Flavourworks on Crunchbase…
Stephen Voller
Chairman & CEO @ ZapGo
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Stephen is an experienced business leader and a recognised authority on energy storage technologies. He is the inventor of Carbon-Ion and he founded ZapGo Limited in 2013 to produce the next generation of energy storage devices based on this technology platform, with four core values: to be faster charging, safer, longer lasting and more recyclable than lithium batteries. Stephen has taken several technology businesses through concept, design and then into production. He launched the first ever CE-marked hydrogen fuel cell product, and was co-founder of the hydrogen storage company, Cella Energy. He previously ran a $1bn business unit at IBM. He is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and is a Freeman of the Guild of Entrepreneurs in the City of London.
Learn more about Stephen Voller on Crunchbase…ZapGo offers carbon-ion cells, an ultra-fast charging, non-flammable, near-term alternative to lithium-ion batteries. Read more about ZapGo on Crunchbase…
Moaffak Ahmed
Co-Founder, Chairman @ Sisu Game Ventures
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Read more about Sisu Game Ventures on Crunchbase…
Henrik Kraft
Vice Chairman Of The Board @ Sportlight Technology
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Sportlight Technology is a sports analytics startup that renders relevant and accurate information to professional sports organisations. Read more about Sportlight Technology on Crunchbase…
Nick Wheeler
Founder & Chairman @ Charles Tyrwhitt
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Nicholas Charles Tyrwhitt Wheeler (born 20 January 1965 in Ludlow, Shropshire) is an English businessman. He attempted a number of different businesses, including a photography venture and a Christmas tree delivery service. In 1986 he established the Charles Tyrwhitt company and shirt brand, which he owns. Wheeler grew up in Ludlow and was educated at the Dragon School in Oxford, Eton College, and the University of Bristol, where he studied geography. His first job was as a management consultant for Bain & Company. In November 1986, he set up Charles Tyrwhitt, now a well-known shirt brand in the United Kingdom. The business is a Limited Liability Partnership. It has grown to be the UK’s largest mail-order shirt business, and also has several brick and mortar locations (as of October 2014, 17 in the United Kingdom, 5 in the United States, and one in France). In 2008, he was a regional judge for the Entrepreneur Challenge in the UK. Wheeler is married with four children to Chrissie Rucker, founder of The White Company. In 2015, their collective wealth was estimated at £330 million by the Sunday Times Rich List. Together they live in Buckinghamshire and also own a chalet in Klosters, Switzerland named Haus Alpina.
Learn more about Nick Wheeler on Crunchbase…A multi-channel British clothing retailer, specialising in formal men’s shirts, shoes, suits, knitwear and accessories Read more about Charles Tyrwhitt on Crunchbase…
Thomas Teichman
Chairman and Executive Director @ Spark Ventures
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Tom is the Chairman of SPARK Venture Management and has a long track record in backing, chairing and developing some of Europe’s most successful internet, technology, music, games and software businesses. Additionally, he has 20 years’ prior investment banking experience acquired at Credit Suisse, Bank of Montreal Nesbitt and Mitsubishi Bank, where he held various positions including Head of Corporate Finance, Trading and Syndicate. Tom was Executive Chairman of SPARK Ventures plc for 10 years until 2011 and now chairs SPARK Venture Management, which manages the SPARK Ventures plc portfolio and other significant technology and life sciences portfolios including funds from major institutions and 27 Oxford University colleges and the UK Government. Tom has operated hands-on after his City days in many small and fast growing businesses from start up to IPO or trade sale. Thus, unusually, he combines awareness of the capital markets and the M&A environments with that of entrepreneurial, rapid growth companies with mould-breaking ideas.
Learn more about Thomas Teichman on Crunchbase…SPARK Venture is an early-stage venture capital investor in Europe. Read more about Spark Ventures on Crunchbase…
Marek Fodor
Chairman @ Kantox
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Marek began his career working in consulting and banking before moving on to internet-related projects. Before joining Kantox he co-founded and was CTO at Atrapalo, largest independent online travel agency in Spain. He is an active business angel investor and mentor for technology startups. He is specialised in marketing and growth strategiHe has a dual university education background in both computer science and in economics.
Learn more about Marek Fodor on Crunchbase…Kantox is a leader in Currency Management Automation software that enables businesses to automate their end-to-end FX workflow Read more about Kantox on Crunchbase…
Charles Spicer
Chairman @ Creo Medical
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Charles is an experienced director of and adviser to public and private companies primarily in the med-tech sector. He is non-executive chairman of PuriCore plc, IXICO plc and 11 Health. He is a chair of the UK Department of Health’s Invention for Innovation (i4i) Funding Panel. Until recently he was a director of Aircraft Medical (acquired by Medtronic Inc. in December 2015) and Stanmore Implants (acquired by Stryker Inc., April 2016). He was previously chief executive of MDY Healthcare plc, a strategic healthcare investor and, prior to that, head of healthcare corporate finance at both Numis Securities and Nomura International.
Learn more about Charles Spicer on Crunchbase…Creo Medical is a developer of electrosurgical devices. Read more about Creo Medical on Crunchbase…
Matthew Cleevely
CEO & Chairman @ 10to8
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Matthew founded 10to8 with a few friends to help simplify managing bookings and make the world a little bit more organised. He helps out where needed across the business in strategy, accounting, finance, compliance, fund raising and people. Outside of 10to8 he works with wide range of high growth businesses to help them achieve their goals. He’s also got an MEng in Engineering from Oxford and MPhil in Economics from Cambridge
Learn more about Matthew Cleevely on Crunchbase…10to8 is a powerful appointment scheduling software that is GDPR & CCPA ready, offers HIPAA tools, and is ISO 27001 certified. Read more about 10to8 on Crunchbase…
Crawford Gillies
Chairman @ Scottish Investment Bank
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Crawford Gillies was appointed Chairman of Scottish Enterprise in 2009. He is also Chairman of Control Risks Group Holdings Ltd and a Non-Executive Director of Standard Life plc and Mitie Group plc. Crawford had a lengthy career with Bain & Company, the international management consultants. During that period he advised companies from a range of sectors on matters of corporate strategy, acquisitions, performance improvement and organisation. From 1996 to 2000 he was responsible for Bain’s business in the UK and assumed leadership of the firm’s European business from 2001 to 2005. He was also a member of the Management and Strategy Boards of the DTI from 2002 to 2007. Prior to joining Bain, Crawford qualified as a chartered accountant. He is also a graduate of the Harvard Business School, and of the University of Edinburgh where he studied law. He is a former Chairman of CBI London
Learn more about Crawford Gillies on Crunchbase… Read more about Scottish Investment Bank on Crunchbase…
Klaas de Boer
Chairman @ General Fusion
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Read more about General Fusion on Crunchbase…
Michael Samuel
Chairman @ Full Fact
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Michael is Chairman of the Anna Freud Centre, a charity dedicated to children’s emotional wellbeing, and trustee of five family charities. He is a director of a number of companies, one quoted and the others private. He has been a Conservative Party donor. We are grateful to Michael for his past and continuing financial support.
Learn more about Michael Samuel on Crunchbase…Full Fact is the UK’s independent fact-checking charity Read more about Full Fact on Crunchbase…
John Sinik
Managing Partner and Chairman @ Metric Capital Partners
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John is the Managing Partner and Chairman of the Investment Committee. Prior to founding Metric Capital Partners, John was a partner at TowerBrook Capital Partners where he invested in European private equity transactions. Prior to joining TowerBrook, he was the Global Head of Corporate Credit at UBS Investment Bank, based in London, and also served as a member of the Investment Banking Global Management Committee. Previously, John served as a senior member of the Deutsche Bank and Barclays Capital Leveraged Finance teams and prior to that he invested in private equity transactions for Bankers Trust. John holds a BSc, magna cum laude, from the University of Southern California and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Learn more about John Sinik on Crunchbase… Read more about Metric Capital Partners on Crunchbase…
Atif Syed
Founder, Chairman and CEO @ Wootzano
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I am the Founder, Chairman & CEO of Wootzano Ltd where we are making robots feel and sense like humans do by using our unique electronic skin and robotic systems which can save an average fruit and vegetable packaging facility around £2.5 million at minimum a year. Ask me how we do it! Along with a PhD in Electronics and Nanotechnology Engineering from University of Edinburgh, I have extensive experience in Robotics and AI. I am also a Member of the Executive Committee for Robotics and Mechatronics at the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET). I am also an Enterprise Fellow at the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng). Since early age, I have had a crazy obsession with electronics and was fascinated by software development as it required not much need for any sophisticated lab. When I am not working on the business, you can find me working with machine learning algorithms, advocating why computer programming should be taught at schools from an early age and travelling.
Learn more about Atif Syed on Crunchbase…Wootzano manufactures robots which can sense and feel like humans do using a unique electronic skin, machine learning, and electronics. Read more about Wootzano on Crunchbase…
Simon Breakwell
Deputy Chair @ The Automobile Association
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The Automobile Association provides breakdown cover and roadside assistance services for motor vehicles and bikes. Read more about The Automobile Association on Crunchbase…
Miles Morland
Co-Founding Partner and Chairman @ Development Partners International
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Miles co-founded DPI in 2007 after having become non-executive Chairman of Blakeney Management (Blakeney) in July 2006 by which time the firm was considered to be one of the largest portfolio investors in many African stock markets. Blakeney was set up by Miles in 1990, first as a consultancy and, since 1994, as an asset management firm, investing in Africa and the Middle East. Blakeney was one of the first investors in many African markets and Miles played an active role in the development of markets in countries such as Ghana, Morocco, Egypt, Kenya and Tunisia. Before starting Blakeney, Miles spent 22 years in money management and investment banking in London and on Wall Street. Miles is also on the boards of SABMiller plc, the world’s second largest brewer and SouthWest Energy (BVI) Ltd, an Ethiopian oil exploration company. He was the founder and chairman for five years of the London Business School’s Africa Board. He read Law at the University of Oxford. Miles is a British citizen.
Learn more about Miles Morland on Crunchbase… Read more about Development Partners International on Crunchbase…
Alexandre Harkous
Founder & Executive Chairman @ OneWealthPlace
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Alexandre, BI-SAM founder, has over 20 years of solid experience in strategy and information systems for the Capital Markets and Asset Management industries. He began his career at Mitsubishi Bank as Head of IT before joining Demachy Worms & Cie Bank as Projects Director and then SIP in 1995 as Client Management Director. In 1998 he joined Deloitte Consulting where he developed the Asset Management Expertise Center working closely with various global clients such as HSBC, Merrill Lynch, ABN Amro AM and Dresdner RCM Global Investors. Throughout his career, Alexandre gained a significant international experience in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific and a solid experience in business development, strategy, change management and systems for banking and asset management including securities services, portfolio management and analytics. Alexandre holds a Degree in Engineering and Computer Science.
Learn more about Alexandre Harkous on Crunchbase… Read more about OneWealthPlace on Crunchbase…
Clive Scrivener
Non-Executive Chairman @ Oxbotica
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Oxbotica powers the navigation, perception, user interface, fleet management, and other features needed to run self-driving vehicles. Read more about Oxbotica on Crunchbase…
Jonathan Feuer
Co-Founder and Chairman @ Eigen Technologies
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Read more about Eigen Technologies on Crunchbase…
Richard Prosser
Chairman @ Rhubarb
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Richard has spent the vast majority of his Executive career in the global leisure, travel and tourism industry. He was on the Boards of the FTSE listed companies; First Choice Holidays Plc. and TUI Travel Plc. for 14 years. At TUI, he was CEO of the highly profitable Specialist Division, which comprised a portfolio of 35 premium travel companies in diverse international sectors, ranging from luxury bespoke and experiential holidays, to complex and adventurous ’round-the-world’ expeditions in customised private jets. Over the past six years Richard has Chaired several successful high quality, private equity backed businesses including Audley Travel, CarTrawler and Tusker. Richard has always been passionate about different styles of food and loves working with companies who have a strong culture, centred around delivering world class customer service in a creative environment.
Learn more about Richard Prosser on Crunchbase… Read more about Rhubarb on Crunchbase…
Martin Bolland
Chairman @ MXC Capital
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Martin founded the private equity group Alchemy, serving as a Partner for 11 years. Martin is currently chairman of Capita plc, a FTSE 100 company. Martin previously held a number of senior operational roles in Lonrho and is a chartered accountant.
Learn more about Martin Bolland on Crunchbase…MXC Capital is an investment and advisory group specializing in the technology, media and telecommunications sector. Read more about MXC Capital on Crunchbase…
Sam Brooks
Chairman @ Adjust
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Sam is a co-founder and Partner with Highland Europe focusing on investments in growth stage internet and software businesses. Sam represents Highland Europe on the Boards of adjust, Brandwatch, MatchesFashion.com, Outfittery and is involved in the investments in GetYourGuide.com and NewVoiceMedia.Before joining Highland, Sam was a Vice President at Insight Venture Partners in New York where he spent over 6 years investing in expansion stage software and internet-enabled businesses. While at Insight Sam was involved with investments in 3P Learning, Beatport, Groupalia, Mentez, Netsmart Technologies (acquired by Genstar Capital), OverDrive, PerTrac Financial Solutions, Primavera Systems (acquired by Oracle), Privalia and Studio Moderna. Sam previously spent time working in software development at S.H. Brooks Co. and Cognos (acquired by IBM).Sam holds a Dip. Computer Science from University of Cambridge and an A.B., Visual and Environmental Studies from Harvard College. As a former member of the U.S. National Rowing Team and Cambridge University Blue Boat, Sam has a strong interest in amateur sports. In addition to rowing, he enjoys cycling, swimming and cross-country skiing. A native of Boston, USA, Sam keeps a close eye on the Red Sox and Patriots from London, where he lives with his wife, son and daughter.
Learn more about Sam Brooks on Crunchbase… Read more about Adjust on Crunchbase…
Laurent Laffy
Founder and Executive Chairman @ SeedLegals
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The simple way for companies to complete the legals needed to raise investment and distribute equity Read more about SeedLegals on Crunchbase…
Robin Batchelor
Chairman @ Everylife Technologies
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Robin has been the cornerstone investor in the company since its initial financing in 2014 and became Chairman of everyLIFE in 2016. Prior to this Robin spent twenty years as an Investment Manager and Managing Director at BlackRock, Merrill Lynch and Mercury Asset Management where his team specialised in managing portfolios of fast growth, energy and energy technology companies around the world. Robin’s interest in the care sector came, like many others, from his growing personal experience of family members requiring top-quality care while living many miles apart.
Learn more about Robin Batchelor on Crunchbase…Everylife Technologies transforms social care through its intelligent care management platform, The PASSsystem. Read more about Everylife Technologies on Crunchbase…
Julian Ranger
Chairman & Founder @ Digime
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After early work integrating as an aeronautical engineer, Julian founded STASYS Ltd in 1987, specialising in data interoperability and the military internet, and grew it to a staff of 230, with subsidiaries in the United States, Germany, Malaysia and Australia prior to its sale to Lockheed Martin in 2005. Julian’s management responsibilities encompassed the complete range from Board level vision, direction and control to business development, operational, finance and technical leadership, including developing the iSMART process used for interoperability management by militaries worldwide today. Julian left Lockheed in 2007 as Vice President International Strategic Development, and set up his angel investment and consultancy business, J Ranger Ltd. Julian has invested and supported over 20 start-up businesses, highlights include: Astrobotic, aiming to be the first commercial lunar landing, rover and exploration business; Hailo, revolutionizing the licenced taxi market worldwide; DataSift, providing intelligent access to the world’s social data streams. Julian continues to build new businesses, currently founder and Chairman of digi.me which is reimagining the personal internet putting users back in control of their own data. Julian is a Chartered Engineer, Fellow of the IMechE and Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Engineers, and is also a Virgin Galactic Future Astronaut.
Learn more about Julian Ranger on Crunchbase…Digi.me allows consumers to gather their personal data and share it with businesses in a mutually beneficial value exchange. Read more about Digime on Crunchbase…
Stefano Marsaglia
Chairman, Global FIG @ Barclays Investment Bank
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Mediobanca SpA, Italy’s biggest publicly traded investment bank, hired Barclays Plc’s Stefano Marsaglia to be co-head of corporate and investment banking. Marsaglia will be based in London, and will report to Alberto Nagel, Mediobanca’s chief executive officer and the other co-head of corporate and investment banking. Mediobanca will use the hire to expand its London presence while making the city its European center for all sector and capital-markets teams, according to the statement. The strategy includes a focus on the region’s financial institutions.
Learn more about Stefano Marsaglia on Crunchbase… Read more about Barclays Investment Bank on Crunchbase…
Ajay Chowdhury
Managing Director and Senior Partner. Regional Chair: Western Europe, South America, Africa @ BCG Digital Ventures
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Read more about BCG Digital Ventures on Crunchbase…
Rolly van Rappard
Co-Founder and Co-Chairman @ CVC Capital Partners
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Co-Founder and Co-Chairman, Rolly joined CVC in 1989. Prior to joining CVC, Rolly worked for Citicorp in corporate finance in London and Amsterdam. Rolly holds an MA degree in economics from Columbia University, New York, and an LLM from the University of Utrecht, Netherlands.
Learn more about Rolly van Rappard on Crunchbase… Read more about CVC Capital Partners on Crunchbase…
Chris van der Kuyl
Chairman @ TVSquared
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Chris van der Kuyl is a highly experienced Chief Executive and Non-Executive Director whose expertise combines the start-up, development and market listed business arena in the technology, media and entertainment sectors. Van der Kuyl grew his first business, VIS entertainment plc out of a bedroom in Dundee to become a global player in the creation of leading-edge entertainment property for computer, television and video games platforms worldwide. Through the development of VIS, as CEO and President, he took the business through substantive growth by developing and delivering on an acquisition, development and ultimately merger strategy that took the business on to an international stage merging in 2004 with the NASDAQ listed Bam Entertainment company. This experience has equipped him in delivering successful and substantial fundraising exercises in the Private Equity, Corporate Venturing and now Listed Markets. Moreover as a business builder he has an exceptional ability in developing committed employees whilst keeping an ever- watchful eye on the bottom line. Chris is widely recognised as one of the UK’s the leading young entrepreneurs. He is also a regular contributor to the 21st Century business and enterprise agenda through a variety of conference keynote speaking engagements and media coverage. Chris is a member of the Global Leaders of Tomorrow Programme at the World Economic Forum. The young entrepreneur also embraces the spirit of ‘giving something back’ and is fully committed to building the next generation of business people by encouraging enterprise education in Schools, Colleges and Universities. He was Chairman of Young Enterprise Scotland for seven years and is a member of the Smith Group advising the Scottish Executive on educational matters. As one of the youngest Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Chris sits as a member of the Scottish Scientific Advisory committee who advise the Scottish government on all areas of science and technology. Chris also Chairs the Creative board of the Education Wing at Kelvingrove Art Gallery in Glasgow and is a Director of Dundee Science Centre.
Learn more about Chris van der Kuyl on Crunchbase…TVSquared is the global leader in TV attribution. Read more about TVSquared on Crunchbase…
Leith Robertson
Non Executive Chairman @ Specialist Risk Group
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Specialist Risk Group is a fast-growing specialist insurance broker company. Read more about Specialist Risk Group on Crunchbase…
Joe Cohen
Executive Chairman @ LiveFrom Events
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LiveFrom Events provides live streaming services of events, artists and venues. Read more about LiveFrom Events on Crunchbase…
Andrew Banks
Chairman and Co-Founder @ ABRY Partners
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Read more about ABRY Partners on Crunchbase…
Jasper Smith
Co-Founder & Chairman @ Arksen
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Jasper Smith is an experienced and successful entrepreneur. He co-founded Static 2358 (the predecessor to PlayJam) which raised £9.8 million in venture capital. The company was sold for $69 million. Jasper also founded and ran Optimistic Entertainment Plc, which produced approximately 24,000 hours of game shows for various TV broadcasters in the UK, France, and the USA. Prior to Static 2358, Jasper worked in senior management roles within BSkyB and Telenor.
Learn more about Jasper Smith on Crunchbase…Arksen is a developer of autonomous systems used to offer innovative explorer vessels. Read more about Arksen on Crunchbase…
Nicholas Shekerdemian
Co-Founder and Executive Chairman @ Headstart
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Headstart is diversity recruiting software focused on breaking the cycle of exclusion. Read more about Headstart on Crunchbase…
Mark Hunter
Co-Founder and Chairman @ BJSS
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BJSS is an award winning delivery-focused IT Consultancy. Read more about BJSS on Crunchbase…
Helen Stevenson
Non-Executive Director, Chair of Remuneration Committee @ IG
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IG provides Financial Spread Betting, Contracts for Difference (CFDs), Forex Trading and Execution-Only Share Dealing services. Read more about IG on Crunchbase…
Henry Gabay
Chairman & Co-founder @ Duet Private Equity
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Henry Gabay is a Swiss/ Turkish businessman residing in the United Kingdom. He is the co-founder and chairman of Duet Group, a London-based investment company. Gabay is highly skilled and experienced in hedge funds, private equity and alternative investments, and has a high level of industry knowledge in the emerging and frontier markets. Early Life and Education – Gabay was born in Geneva, Switzerland in 1967. After completing his basic school education, he enrolled at the University of Geneva in 1988, and graduated in 1991 with a degree in Finance and Economics. He would launch his career in the finance world from this academic platform. Career – Henry Gabay started his career in finance in 1992, when he joined Merril Lynch International, the wealth management division of the Bank of America. Gabay worked in the equity division of the company’s London and Geneva branches, and was responsible for setting up equity distribution for CEE and Russia for European Institutions. He resigned in 1997 to join Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB) the multinational Swiss investment bank and financial holding company. At CSFB Gabay started working as the head of equity sales for emerging markets. He then worked as head of investment banking for Israel and Turkey, he was a director in London and New York. Gabay worked at CSFB until the year 2000, when he decided to take the plunge and dive into an entrepreneurial venture. Duet Group – In May 2002, Gabay co-founded Duet Group in London. Duet is a global alternative management company, with assets across three major business areas: hedge/long-only funds, real estate and private equity. Since it was founded, Duet Group has established a solid portfolio in areas of increasing importance, and particularly within the emerging and frontier markets. Gabay continues to serve as chairman of Duet Group and as a senior investment professional in the emerging and frontier markets of Duet Group’s private equity division.
Learn more about Henry Gabay on Crunchbase… Read more about Duet Private Equity on Crunchbase…
Ricardo Santos Silva
Executive Chairman @ Dorae
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Ricardo is a Portuguese entrepreneur and investor in the financial, technology and mining sectors. He co-founded Aethel Partners, a multinational private equity, alternative asset management and financial services firm headquartered in London and co-founded Dorae, the blockchain-enabled global supply chain accountability system. Ricardo received an economics degree from the University of Lisbon.
Learn more about Ricardo Santos Silva on Crunchbase…Dorae is the physical trade cloud. Read more about Dorae on Crunchbase…
Richard Grogan
Founder & Executive Chairman @ Zenaura
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Zenaura is a IoT controlled home fragrance with aspirational design. Read more about Zenaura on Crunchbase…
Shafik Sachedina
Joint Chairman @ Sussex Healthcare
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Having an experience in dental surgery, Shafik Sachedina is a qualified dental surgeon. He got his qualifications in 1975 from Guy’s Hospital Medical and Dental School at the University of London. He is currently a Joint chairman in the Sussex Health Care Company, a company dedicated to providing care to homes and support services based in Sussex County in South England. Dr. Shafik himself was born in Dar-es-Salaam Tanzania in the year 1950. Having moved to England, he settled and became a British National and holds many positions in different healthcare companies.
Learn more about Shafik Sachedina on Crunchbase…Award winning group of care homes providing over 25 years of healthcare in Sussex offering a range of quality person-centred services. Read more about Sussex Healthcare on Crunchbase…
Mike Parton
Chairman of the Board of Directors @ Arqiva
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Mike brings a wealth of relevant experience from the telecoms and technology industry to Arqiva. Mike started his career as a Chartered Management Accountant, working for a number of UK technology companies including ICL, GEC, STC and Marconi. He moved into General Management in 1995 at Marconi, and became CEO in 2001. Between 2001 and 2006 Mike was CEO of Marconi before overseeing a sale of the company to Ericsson. In 2007, Mike became Chairman of Damovo and joined the Board of Tele2, becoming Chairman there in 2010. Mike stepped down from the Board of Damovo in 2015 following a sale of the company.
Learn more about Mike Parton on Crunchbase…Arqiva is a communications infrastructure and media services company. Read more about Arqiva on Crunchbase…
Rafe Offer
Founder and Executive Chair @ Sofar Sounds
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Rafe Offer has held senior marketing positions such as Global Marketing Director of Coca-Cola, Director of Global Marketing at The Walt Disney Company and Director of innovation for Diageo. Rafe is an internationally lauded specialist in teamwork, leadership and brand innovation. Now he’s focusing his energy on SofarSounds.com
Learn more about Rafe Offer on Crunchbase…Sofar Sounds is a global community hosting curated, secret performances in more than 400 cities around the world. Read more about Sofar Sounds on Crunchbase…
Marc Deschamps
Managing Partner & Executive Chairman @ Drake Star Partners
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Marc Deschamps is Managing Partner & Executive Chairman of Drake Star Partners. Marc combines a highly successful internet entrepreneurial and corporate leadership track record, with an award-winning M&A career dedicated to the tech and internet sectors. Prior to Drake Star Partners, Marc co-founded LD&A Jupiter in 2004, leading over 70 M&A and private equity international transactions. Marc’s career is all committed to the growth of tech and internet companies. Prior to co-founding Drake Star Partners, Marc served as COO of British Telecom, where he led the broadband internet multi-billion-pound launch and roll out in the UK. He also was Chello NV’s Co-Founder, the first broadband ISP and one of the first unicorns in Europe. As such, Marc led Chello NV through a $1 billion IPO on NASDAQ and AEX before its sale to Liberty Global as part of the UPC group. He began his career in technology management roles at Logitech (launching innovative products) and Philips (European marketing of new media publishing CD-I, CD-ROM). He co-founded his first IT company at the age of 17 providing race series such as Formula 1, IndyCar and NASCAR with revolutionary timing IT. Marc is and was non-executive board director in multiple innovation companies including some of the leading Indian IT providers, Canadian new media pioneers and the first European wind power operator. Marc founded and invested in multiple IT and internet companies. Marc holds an MBA from INSEAD and a BS in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Polytechnique de Montréal in collaboration with Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne. Marc published research in Artificial Intelligence and received scholarships from National Research Council of Canada as well as Power Corp. Marc lives in London with 3 kids, is Canadian and British national, multilingual and lived in some 6 countries.
Learn more about Marc Deschamps on Crunchbase… Read more about Drake Star Partners on Crunchbase…
Jan Spaticchia
Chairman & CEO @ Energie Group
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Energie is genuinely like no other fitness club group. Read more about Energie Group on Crunchbase…
James Reader
Chairman @ Smarter Shows
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With over 15 years experience in global exhibitions and a history of outstanding sales achievements in the events industry, James has a history of launching world class B2B shows. Having made a name for himself in the transportation events industry at UKiP Media & Events and Reed Exhibitions, with emphasis on aerospace, James has an eye for innovation and creativity, successfully developing ideas from concept through to actuality.
Learn more about James Reader on Crunchbase…Specialists in next generation exhibitions and conferences. Read more about Smarter Shows on Crunchbase…
Alexander P. Coleman
Chairman & Co-CEO @ New Providence Acquisition
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Read more about New Providence Acquisition on Crunchbase…
Bob Wigley
Chairman @ UK Finance
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Bob Wigley was Chairman of Merrill Lynch, EMEA until 2009. He was a Prime Minister’s Ambassador for UK Business and member of the court for the Bank of England. He now invests in and chairs numerous growth business’ with disruptive business models. He is a visiting fellow of Oxford University, Saïd Business School and an honorary fellow of Cambridge University, Judge Business School. He is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and has a degree and honorary doctorate from Bath University.
Learn more about Bob Wigley on Crunchbase…UK Finance is the collective voice for the banking and finance industry. Read more about UK Finance on Crunchbase…
Sebastian Coe
Executive chairman @ CSM Sport and Entertainment
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Using his political skills, his strategic know-how and a true passion for sport, Lord Coe won the bid to host the 2012 Olympics in London. Seven years later the Prime Minister thanked him for “lifting our hearts” after organising the most successful Games of modern times. After the games Seb served as chairman of the British Olympic Association and is now President of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). Seb first made his name as one of the greatest athletes of his generation. He set twelve world records over four distances, achieving four golds and three silver medals in the Olympics and European Championships. He tells the story in his autobiography, Running My Life. Talking about the setbacks as well as victories, he shows how he beat the competition by facing down everything in training: “You don’t become a champion by turning up and hoping to get lucky.” In speeches Seb takes audiences from his own on-track rivalries to the lessons learned from London – overseeing an enormous infrastructure and logistical exercise in one of the world’s great cities. He highlights the need to build a resilient and dependable team, from a variety of backgrounds; to be seen to deliver on your vision (even while under constant scrutiny); and to communicate pre-emptively and leave nothing to chance. Above all, he underlines the age-old proposition that no amount of theorising replaces ‘the genius of hard work.’ Before he took on the Olympic role Seb served as an MP, a Government Whip and Private Secretary to William Hague – which provides a variety of anecdotes and insights. He also set up a chain of health clubs and acted as a global advisor to Nike. As incoming IAAF President, he faces new challenges and controversies with characteristic zeal, intelligence and diplomacy unpinned by his unwavering love of sport. Seb was made a Life Peer, becoming Lord Coe of Ranmore, and has since been appointed a KBE. He received a BBC Sports Personality Lifetime Achievement Award, and was named ‘Greatest Briton’ in the Morgan Stanley Awards. He also secured the 2017 World Athletics Championships for London. In this case it is only the third largest sporting event on the planet.
Learn more about Sebastian Coe on Crunchbase…CSM Sport and Entertainment provides sports and entertainment marketing services. Read more about CSM Sport and Entertainment on Crunchbase…
William Todd
Co-Founder and Ordinary Board Chair Designate @ Forex
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William is the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Nutmeg. He has over 25 years of experience in the technology industry, serving in management, development and design capacities. He has designed and built software for the financial services industry, including developing derivatives exchanges across Europe and Asia. William previously served as CTO for an online trading platform for banks and brokers, and built a gaming platform based on a trading metaphor.
Learn more about William Todd on Crunchbase… Read more about Forex on Crunchbase…
Mary Basterfield
Non Executive Director, Vice Chair, Senior Independent Director & Audit Chair @ The Royal Free
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The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust runs three hospitals in London, England. Read more about The Royal Free on Crunchbase…
Alick Varma
Founder and Chairman @ Osper
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Alick Varma is the Founder and CEO at Osper, established in 2012. Osper offers a safe MasterCard prepaid debit card with a simple mobile banking app with separate logins for young people and parents. All money on Osper is safely managed by a European regulated bank. Alick previously worked at McKinsey and Spotify, and also trained to be a maths teacher.
Learn more about Alick Varma on Crunchbase…Osper is a prepaid debit card and mobile banking service empowering young people to manage their money responsibly. Read more about Osper on Crunchbase…
David Bunch
Vice President Retail Sales and Operations & Chairman SDSA @ Royal Dutch Shell
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David has been with Shell for 17 years – in a number of marketing & sales roles. Prior to his appointment as Vice-President Marketing, David was General Manager Retail Lubricant Sales for the Americas within the Global Commercial organization.After graduating in Psychology and Economics, David completed an MBA at the London Business School and then began his career in Asia, moving to Europe and then the US – where prior to joining Shell he worked with Sony, in the PlayStation division; Japan Steel, in new product development; and Anderson Consulting, in the Retail practice.
Learn more about David Bunch on Crunchbase… Read more about Royal Dutch Shell on Crunchbase…
Nigel Knowles
Chairman @ The Link App
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Sir Nigel Knowles is a former Global Co-Chairman and Senior Partner of DLA Piper, having served as Global Co-CEO and Managing Partner for nearly twenty years before. He is credited with DLA Piper’s remarkable growth, leading the firm through a series of merges and taking the firm from its regional origins to the global firm it is today. He received a knighthood in 2009 in recognition of his services to the legal industry. In 2015, Legal Business awarded Sir Nigel a “Lifetime Achievement Award” and in April 2016 Sir Nigel was given the Financial News “Editor’s Choice” award for lifetime achievement. Sir Nigel is Chairman of Sheffield City Region LEP and a Trustee of The Prince’s Trust. He was High Sheriff of Greater London 2016/17.
Learn more about Nigel Knowles on Crunchbase…The Link App is an easy-to-use platform that reinvents a law firm’s client experience. Read more about The Link App on Crunchbase…
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