Best Startup
At Best Startup UK we track over 130,000 UK startups and over 500,000 people who hold key positions in these companies. We use this directory of startups to highlight top employees, founders and board members we think deserve more appreciation than they are currently getting.
This list showcases the top United Kingdom based Director operating in the Cloud Data Services space. If you think a Director is missing from this list, feel free to contact our editor on editor@beststartup.co.uk.
The individuals on this list have been included because of exceptional performance in one of the following categories:
- Innovation – Operating as a key part in an extremely innovative business or startup.
- Growth – Operating as a key figure in the growth and upscale of a market leading business or startup.
- Management – Showing exceptional management skills.
- Societal impact – Putting their business on the map for their positive societal or environmental impact.
Our Data – We source our data from OSINT (open source intelligence) and public directories such as Companies House UK, Crunchbase, SemRush and many more. The data from these sources should be treated with a degree of caution and verified yourself.
Lyndon Hedderly
Director Customer Solutions of Confluent
Lyndon is a director of customer solutions at Confluent. He helps organizations model how digital and specifically how fast data can enable new business models and improve company performance. Prior to joining Confluent, Lyndon was a director of digital strategy at Acquia (2014-2017), Head of Customer Success at Centrix –a U.K. digital start-up (2009-2014)—and an IT strategist and enterprise architect at Accenture (1996-2008). Lyndon holds an MSc in Neuroscience incl. Neural Networks & AI, from Oxford University. He runs his own blog on all things digital and data here: https://lyndon.london.
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About Confluent: Confluent offers a streaming platform based on Apache Kafka that enables companies to easily access data as real-time streams.
Tracy Figliola
Director of Global Mobility and Global HR Shared Services of Equinix
Tracy Figliola Responsible for the strategy, policy and execution of all Global Mobility services for the Equinix Group. Building a first class Global Mobility program to facilitate and enable a growth business agenda and nurture talent. In addition global responsibility for HR Shared Services, building the function to deliver core HR services to Equinix. At Equinix, Tracy is part of a dynamic and fast growing team working to deliver significant customer value to organisations who are increasingly viewing their data center strategy as a source of competitive advantage.
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About Equinix: Equinix is an internet company that provides data center services for companies, businesses, and organizations.
Michael Winterson
Managing Director of Equinix
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About Equinix, SixFortyEight: Equinix is an internet company that provides data center services for companies, businesses, and organizations.
Russell Poole
Managing Director, UK and The Nordics of Equinix
Russell joined as UK managing director in April 2000, bringing with him nine years of experience in the UK telecommunications and internet industries. From 1998 to 2000 Russell was a director of MessageNet Ltd – an internet security and messaging security provider. Responsible for sales and operations, he also led the development of e:)scan – Europe’s first e-mail virus and content control service. In October 1999 MessageNet was acquired by Articon-Integralis AG.Between 1993 and 1998, Russell was the national sales manager for General Telecom – the business telecoms division of General Cable Plc. During this time he grew the business from four sales people and £3m annual revenue to 35 sales people in three locations and £25m annual revenue. Russell attended Nottingham University, where he read production engineering. Following twelve months travelling, he commenced his managerial career at Coca-Cola and Schweppes where he enjoyed a successful career as a national account manager.
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About Equinix: Equinix is an internet company that provides data center services for companies, businesses, and organizations.
Mark Anderson
Senior Director of Global Solutions Enablement – EMEA of Equinix
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About Equinix: Equinix is an internet company that provides data center services for companies, businesses, and organizations.
Paul Johnston
Interim Alliances Director of Ably Realtime
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About Ably Realtime: Ably is the platform to power synchronized digital experiences in realtime.
Simone Warren
Director of Alibaba Cloud
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About Alibaba Cloud: Alibaba Cloud develops highly scalable cloud computing and data management services.
Sharmila Paranjpe
Program Director; Strategy & Transformation of Wipro Technologies
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About Wipro Technologies: Wipro is a global information technology, consulting and business process services company.
Amar Mahadeviah
Regional Director, Virtual Workplace of Wipro Technologies
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About Wipro Technologies, Wipro Technologies: Wipro is a global information technology, consulting and business process services company.
Mark Finn
Account Director – UK & Ireland of ScienceLogic
A technology professional with 27 years of experience, who’s career spans from customer to vendor and from technical to sales right across the technology sector. Before entering the world of sales Mark was busy shaping the Service Assurance strategies for companies such as MCI WorldCom, Level(3) & Telewest Communications. Now he is busy helping companies to develop more agile, automated, efficient Operations and going to market with new Business Services through their partnership with ScienceLogic and its Unified Service Assurance platform.
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About ScienceLogic: ScienceLogic is a provider of AI-driven monitoring solutions for hybrid cloud management.
Saviz Izadpanah
CTO / Director of HighQ
Saviz joined HighQ in 2005 as CTO, responsible for leading HighQ technology strategy, product management and product development. Prior to HighQ, Saviz was the global head of Debt Capital Markets IT at Deutsche Bank where he was responsible for the program management of multiple applications including Deutsche Bank’s online debt order capture system “dbbonds” for the global DCM sales teams. Prior to Deutsche Bank, Saviz was part of the lead web development team at Barclays Capital. Saviz holds a Bachelors of Engineering in Computer Science and Technology from Imperial College of London.
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About HighQ: HighQ empowers leading law firms and corporate legal teams to transform the way they work and deliver legal services.
David Courtley
Member of the Board of Directors of Statpro
David, 59, has been in the IT industry for over 25 years and has held a number of senior management roles including CEO of Phoenix IT Group, CEO of Fujitsu Services and Managing Director of EDS UK.He is currently CEO of Mozaic Services, a private company specialising in IT service integration and is Senior Independent Director of AIM-listed The Science Group plc. David will become Chairman of the Group’s Remuneration Committee.
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About Mozaic, Mozaic, Science Group: StatPro is a business that helps investors combine data on performance and risk analytics together to streamline asset management.
Mark Adorian
Member of the Board of Directors of Statpro
Mark was previously Managing Director of Standard & Poor’s Fund Services. Mark co-founded Micropal, the global fund performance analysis company in 1986, becoming their Sales & Marketing Director in 1987. In 1992 he became Managing Director of Micropal, and subsequently in 1997 negotiated the sale of Micropal to Standard & Poor´s, a division of the McGraw-Hill Companies. Between 1999 and 2001, Mark was Managing Director of Standard & Poor’s Fund Services. Mark chairs the Group’s Nominations Committee. Mark’s career in the asset management industry and experience in business growth adds value to the StatPro Board. His understanding of market data in this industry supports the business and strategy.
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About : StatPro is a business that helps investors combine data on performance and risk analytics together to streamline asset management.
Rory Curran
Member of the Board of Directors of Statpro
Rory, 57, been in the IT industry for many years. Rory co-founded 1st Software, one of the first companies to use technology as a financial planning tool for building long-term client relationships in financial services companies. The business was sold in 2006. Rory left in 2008 and has since been a director and investor in a number of technology companies.He is currently a non-executive director of Andromeda Enterprises (trading as Ecodesk) and Sammedia Limited, both cloud-based technology businesses.
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About : StatPro is a business that helps investors combine data on performance and risk analytics together to streamline asset management.
Martin Willcox
Director, Big Data (International) of Teradata
Martin Willcox leads Teradata’s International Big Data CoE, a team of Data Scientists and Technology Consultants charged with assisting customers to realise value from their Analytic data assets – and with articulating Teradata’s Big Data strategy and the nature, value and differentiation of Teradata technology and solution offerings to prospective customers, analysts and media organisations across the International region. Martin holds a BSc (Hons) in Physics and Astronomy from the University of Sheffield and a Postgraduate Certificate in Computing for Commerce and Industry from the Open University. He is married with three children, is a trainee glider pilot – and a terrible guitarist.
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About Teradata, Teradata, Teradata, Teradata: Teradata is the connected multi-cloud data platform company. Our enterprise analytics solve business challenges from start to scale.
Ian Hepworth
Co-Founder, Technology and Operations Director of Segura Systems
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About Segura Systems: Segura’s cloud-based software allows businesses to understand, map, monitor and control their supply chains.
Peter Needle
Co-Founder, Managing Director of Segura Systems
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About Segura Systems: Segura’s cloud-based software allows businesses to understand, map, monitor and control their supply chains.
Sam Callaghan
Director International Sales of ConnectWise
Sam has worked at ConnectWise since 2014, which was the start of our focused international expansion. Prior, he worked with a number of US based technology businesses, helping them expand their communities and reach across EMEA. While at ConnectWise, Sam has acted as both an individual contributor and helped in training, managing, and supporting the fast-growing sales teams.
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About ConnectWise: ConnectWise is a software company that transforms how technology solution providers build, manage, and grow their businesses.
Charlie Hudson
Managing Director of Firemind
Entrepreneur – Creative, experienced innovator and leader of analytics with a plethora of skills to help C-level executives make informed decisions through the visualisation of insight nuggets buried in copious amounts of data.
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About Firemind, Firemind Ventures: AWS Advanced Partner specialising in professional cloud services, AWS strategy, data focused projects and AI/ML innovation.
Ahmed Nuaman
Managing Director of Firemind
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About Firemind, Firemind Ventures, Scout Solutions, Upcoming: AWS Advanced Partner specialising in professional cloud services, AWS strategy, data focused projects and AI/ML innovation.
Damon Crawford
Azure Practice Director of Six Degrees Group
Damon Crawford joined Six Degrees in January as Azure Practice Director. Damon has over 20 years’ experience in the Cloud and service provider industry. Damon has broad experience in helping service providers deliver market leading technology and services that help customers successfully transform and grow their own businesses.
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About Six Degrees Group: Six Degrees Group provides integrated and managed data services, including datacenter connectivity, voice and cloud offerings.
Michelle Ricci
Director of Qomply
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About Qomply: Qomply specializes in providing collaborative cloud-based solutions addressing EU and UK regulation.
Ben Foakes
Founder & Managing Director of BASE Media Cloud
Ben has 15 years media industry experience, having worked as an Editor, Colourist, Producer and Post Supervisor across a range of media projects. Since career highlights editing BAFTA-winning F1 for ITV, his credits span BBC promos, Bond films, Channel 4 documentaries and Jessie J tours, to the post supervision of drama series, SUSPECTS for Fremantle. Ben previously founded and led post facility Sequence, before launching BASE Media Cloud.
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About BASE Media Cloud: BASE Media Cloud is an innovative Managed Cloud Services company.
Rajesh Gunasekaran
Director Of Technology of Aurlis Limited
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About Aurlis Limited: Technology consultancy and product development company, specialised in IOT, Cloud, Test automation, App development and Blockchain
Mike Butterworth
Independent Non-Executive Director of Kin and Carta
Mike Butterworth, ACA joined the Board on 1 August 2010. Mike had served for 8 years as Group Finance Director of Cookson Group plc, a FTSE250 company, until December 2012 when Cookson was de-merged. Previously, Mike was Group Finance Director of Incepta Group plc for 5 years, an international marketing and communications group, prior to which he spent 5 years as Group Financial Controller at BBA Group plc, the international aviation and materials technology group. Mike is senior Non-Executive Director and chairs meetings of the Audit Committee.
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About : Kin + Carta is a global digital transformation business that advises, creates, and connects marketing and customer experience.
Sandra McDowell
Customer Engagement Director of Kin and Carta
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About Kin and Carta: Kin + Carta is a global digital transformation business that advises, creates, and connects marketing and customer experience.
Anthony Howland
Director of Teknometry
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About Teknometry, The Freedom Index: Teknometry provides cloud-based investment analysis services for asset managers.
George Freeland
Non-Executive Director of Trendzer
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About Trendzer: Trendzer is a managed business websites platform for small businesses.
Nick Russell
Managing Director of Xonetic
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About Xonetic: Xonetic is a cloud-based platform that specializes in digital energy and business technology.
Giles Daubeney
Non Executive Director of eTeam
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About eTeam: All in one development agency for custom software solutions
Ken Platt
Managing Director of Elevaate
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About Elevaate: Elevaate is the most efficient way for retailers and their suppliers to execute trade funded activity online.
Chris Kaye
Director Consulting Services of Simply Office 365
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About Simply Office 365: Simply Office 365 is a Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider that specializes in Microsoft 365 productivity solutions and services.
Claire Hopkins
Customer Success Director of RIVIAM Digital Care
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About RIVIAM Digital Care: RIVIAM Digital Care is a secure cloud platform and digital services for health and social care organizations.
Stuart Nyman
Financial Director of Teknov8
Stuart Nyman is the financial director at TEKNOV8.
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About Teknov8: Teknov8 provides managed IT services to help businesses accelerate business activity and boost efficiency.
William Despard
Managing Director Africa of Teknov8
William Despard is the managing director at Teknov8 Africa.
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About Teknov8: Teknov8 provides managed IT services to help businesses accelerate business activity and boost efficiency.
William Despard
Managing Director Africa of Teknov8
William Despard is the managing director at Teknov8 Africa.
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About Teknov8: Teknov8 provides managed IT services to help businesses accelerate business activity and boost efficiency.
Garry Veale
Non Executive Director of 123friday
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About : 123friday backs up photos, videos, and contacts from their clients’ Android and iOS mobile devices.
Nick Whitford
Sales Director of 123friday
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About 123friday: 123friday backs up photos, videos, and contacts from their clients’ Android and iOS mobile devices.
Del Connolly
Senior Director – Head of LHi Group Manchester of Lawrence Harvey
Del Connolly is a senior director and head of LHi Group Manchester at Lawrence Harvey.
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About Lawrence Harvey: Lawrence Harvey is a recruitment company that offers recruitment service with a difference.
