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 Executive Director operating in the FinTech space. If you think a Executive 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.
Thomas Teichman
Chairman and Executive Director of Spark Ventures
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.
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About Simba Sleep, The Garage Soho: SPARK Venture is an early-stage venture capital investor in Europe.
Stuart Jeffrey
Executive Director and Co Founder of Fly Now Pay Later
Stuart Jeffrey is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Fly Now Pay Later.
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About Fly Now Pay Later, Krzana, Movebubble: Fly Now Pay Later is a fintech company that helps consumers split the cost of their travel in monthly installments.
Richard Little
Non Executive Director of Thought Machine
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About Azur Group, CENTURY Tech, Concirrus, IQ Capital, Thought Machine: Thought Machine is a Fintech company that builds cloud-native technology to revolutionize core banking.
Andy Phillipps
Non Executive Director of Thought Machine
Andy Phillipps is the Advisor, IC and Venture Partner at IQ Capital.
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About Cambridge Judge Business School, Prodigy Finance, PROfounders Capital, Thought Machine, Trainline: Thought Machine is a Fintech company that builds cloud-native technology to revolutionize core banking.
Catherine Wines
Executive Director & Co-Founder of Zepz
Catherine is a qualified accountant with public company board experience and extensive commercial experience in the money transfer industry. Previously she was the Managing Director of First Remit, an international money transfer business subsequently acquired by Travelex Money Transfer where she became the Regional Director for UK, Ireland and Benelux as well as Operations Director. Catherine was one of the founding team members of WorldRemit.
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About Beam, Cambridge Judge Business School, Zepz: Zepz is a money transfer service that helps migrants send money to their loved ones all over the world.
Leonard Seelig
Executive Director of BABB
Leonard is supporting BABB in implementing best practices on both market-facing and operational processes. He has twenty years of banking experience, including in the technology sector, and in helping lead both private and public companies. Leonard has recently retired from his role as chairman of APC Technology Group PLC, and Board member of Defenx PLC, a security software company listed on the AIM London stock market.
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About BABB: BABB is a world bank for the micro-economy: a global marketplace for human innovation, financial autonomy and wealth creation.
Matt Gatrell
COO and Board Executive Director of Nutmeg
Matt joined Nutmeg in April 2018 bringing over 20 years of financial services technology experience with him. As Nutmeg’s CTO, Matt ensures our technology strategy matches our business strategy. Prior to joining Nutmeg, Matt held the position of Chief Technical Officer at both Neilson Financial Services and MarketInvoice. His experience has been rounded out by 13 years at BancTec, a global top 100 financial services technology provider, where he held a number of roles, including R&D Director. Matt holds a PhD in Software Engineering from Brunel University.
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About Nutmeg: Nutmeg is an online investment service that specializes in investments, ISAs and pensions.
Jared Jesner
Non Executive Director of WeSwap
After graduating in Theoretical Physics from UCL, Jared gained a strong foundation in banking at JP Morgan and Dresdner Kleinwort, where he traded currency derivatives. Following this, he was selected for a fast track management program with Royal Dutch Shell. In this role, Jared managed teams including both Shell people and external consultants on technology strategy and project delivery across the globe, with a strong focus on payments. Jared runs every night to stay fit and is a Taekwondo black belt. If you visit our office, chances are you’ll find his kids’ artwork decorating a corner of the whiteboard walls.
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About WeSwap: WeSwap is a mobile application that allows users to swap different types of currency with others.
James Witter
Non-Executive Director of Oxford Capital Partners
James joined the Board of Oxford Capital at the beginning of 2013 and contributes broad experience of the institutional capital and private equity markets in Europe and around the world. Following a 15 year career with Dresdner Kleinwort Benson merchant bank in London in origination and utilities financing, James became a managing director with Merrill Lynch International before joining Nomura International as Director of Private Equity Capital Markets. Since 2007 he has served SVG Advisers, an affiliate of the Schroders Group and a subsidiary of SVG Capital plc, as a member of the Executive Management Committee and Head of Investment Advisory and Solutions. James read Natural Sciences at Cambridge University and won an MBA at the London Business School. He is a Cambridge Rowing Blue and active sportsman.
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About Oxford Capital Partners, SVG Advisers: Oxford Capital is a technology venture capital investor based in London and Oxford.
Jostein Svendsen
Founder & Executive Director of Jaja
Jostein Svendsen currently serves as executive director of Jaja Finance since October 2015.
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About Jaja: Jaja is a fintech company that provides digital and physical credit cards and other financing services.
Nigel Payne
Non-Executive Director Advisor Channel of rebuildingsociety.com
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About rebuildingsociety.com: peer to business loans platform connecting lenders directly with businesses needing debt funding.
Kenton Robbins
Non-Executive Director Business Strategy of rebuildingsociety.com
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About rebuildingsociety.com: peer to business loans platform connecting lenders directly with businesses needing debt funding.
Richard Stillwell
Non-Executive Director of Curo Group
Richard Stillwell joined the Board on 1 September 2006 and was appointed Chairman of the Company on 26 April 2011. Richard was executive vice president of ICI plc, where he had held various posts for 26 years until 2000, before changing career and qualifying as a barrister. More recently Richard has held Non-Executive Directorships at Penna Consulting plc, Scott Bader Ltd, TBI Ltd and Fibreweb plc, as well as Albertis Motorways UK Ltd and Albertis Overseas (UK) Ltd. Richard is currently a Non-Executive Director of Curo Group (Albion) Ltd, a not-for-profit company involved in the provision of housing and community services. Richard chairs meetings of the Nomination Committee.
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About : Curo Group believes in creating consistent returns for its customers, investors and stakeholders.
Tahir Farooqui
Seed Investor & Non-Executive Director of Canopy
Tahir Farooqui is the Seed Investor and Non-Executive Director of Canopy.
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About Canopy, InsureStreet Ltd.: Canopy is a financial health startup helping Renters build credit, save money, improve rental affordability and achieve financial freedom.
Juan Luis Bellon
Non Executive Director of ETFmatic
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About : ETFmatic powers digital wealth management services and works with exchange traded funds (ETFs).
Rob Ferguson
Executive Director of CoInvestor
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About CoInvestor: Alternative asset investment platform connecting advisers and investors with premium tax-efficient, capital growth and yield investments
Jeremy Levine
Group Executive Director of Evolution Funding
Jeremy Levine is the group executive director at Evolution Funding. He is a former area manager at the First National Motor Finance.
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About Evolution Funding: Evolution Funding provides motor finance and technology solution for dealers to generate leads, improve compliance, and sell more vehicles.
Alastair Brown
Non Executive Director of Icon Solutions
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About Icon Solutions: An independent IT payment consultancy and specialist technology provider serving financial institutions across the globe.
