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 CEO’ operating in the Social News space. If you think a CEO’ 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.
Tony Hall
Chief Executive Officer and Editor-in-Chief of BBC
Tony Hall is the 16th Director-General of the BBC. The Director-General is the Chief Executive Officer of the BBC, its Editor-in-Chief and chairs the BBC’s Executive and Management Boards. The Director-General is the editorial, operational and creative leader of the BBC, with responsibility for a significant global workforce and the Corporation’s services across television, radio and online. Tony Hall – Lord Hall of Birkenhead – was appointed Director-General of the BBC on 22 November 2012. He is the 16th Director-General of the BBC. Prior to this, Tony was Chief Executive of the Royal Opera House from April 2001 until April 2013. He joined the BBC as a news trainee in 1973 and during a 28 year career at the Corporation he held roles including Senior Producer at World at One, Assistant Editor of the Nine O’Clock News, Output Editor for Newsnight, culminating as Chief Executive of BBC News from 1996 to 2001. While at the BBC he launched Radio 5 live, BBC News 24, BBC News Online and BBC Parliament. He was Deputy Chairman of Channel 4 Television and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation. He is passionate about education and skills within the cultural industries. He was the founder Chair of Creative & Cultural Skills and Chairman of the Musical and Dance Scheme.He spearheaded the development of the new High House Production Park in Thurrock, Essex. He has been Chair of Stratford East Theatre, and Honorary Visiting Fellow of Journalism at City University, a member of the Regeneration Through Heritage Steering Group, a board member of Race for Opportunity, a former non-executive director of HM Customs and Excise and was a member of the Council for Brunel University. In 2009 he was asked by the Government and the Mayor of London to set up and chair a board to direct the Cultural Olympiad and also joined the board of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games. He was appointed a CBE in 2005 and in 2010 was created a life peer with the title Baron Hall of Birkenhead. He sits on the Crossbenches in the House of Lords.
Follow Tony Hall:
About BBC: BBC is a large-scale broadcasting corporation that offers content to inform, educate, and entertain people.
Tim Davie
CEO & Director-General of BBC
Before he took up the role of CEO BBC Worldwide and Director, Global, Tim Davie was made Acting Director-General following the resignation of George Entwistle on 10 November 2012. Prior to this Tim was Director of BBC Audio & Music (now known as Radio). He had overall responsibility for BBC Radios 1, 2, 3, 4 and the BBC digital-only stations 6 Music, 1Xtra, Radio 4 Extra (formerly Radio 7) and the Asian Network. He also oversaw the three BBC orchestras in England, the BBC Singers and the BBC Proms. Classical Music & Performance Television, Television Music Entertainment, Factual Radio and Radio Drama production are all within his remit, under the A&M Production department. Tim was appointed to the role of Director, Audio & Music on 1 September 2008. Previously he was Director of the BBC’s Marketing, Communications & Audiences division from April 2005 and before that Vice President, Marketing and Franchise, PepsiCo Europe. He read English at Cambridge University and from there joined Procter and Gamble’s marketing department, becoming a Brand Manager in 1991. He is a trustee of BBC Children in Need, Board member of RAJAR and Board member of DRUK. Tim is married with three young sons.
Follow Tim Davie:
About BBC: BBC is a large-scale broadcasting corporation that offers content to inform, educate, and entertain people.
John Ridding
CEO of Financial Times
John Ridding is the Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Times Group, one of the world’s leading business news organisations recognised internationally for its authority, integrity and accuracy. Under his stewardship, the FT has expanded its global operations, successfully scaled and transformed its core business and acquired a number of companies that support its multichannel strategy, including Money-Media, Medley Global Advisors, Exec-Appointments, Assanka (renamed FT Labs), Alpha Grid and Longitude. John sits on the board of Bonnier Business Press, part of the international media conglomerate Bonnier AB. He is also Chairman of Room to Read, a US-based charity that supports education and literacy in developing countries, and a member of its UK Advisory Board.
Follow John Ridding:
About Financial Times: Financial Times is a business news organization providing essential news, comments, data, and analysis for the global business community.
Mohammed SHK
Chief Executive Officer of Bazaar Daily UK
Mohammed Abdul Abidiz Sultan Haleem Wali Khane II (b 31 Jan 1995) is a British-American newspaper publisher; blogger, columnist, digital developer, and influencer quietly regarded as a prolific name in European blogging. Having never spoken to the mainstream press, Mohammed is world-renowned for his staunch privacy and elusiveness of the media. He is a mainstay fixture at Hollywood events; Silicon Valley forums, and fashion week. He rose to prominence in the blogging and tech community in 2002 with the launch of Fashion Bzaar (the original Bazaar Daily) and what would become of it today. He has been nominated for numerous accolades as a blogger although has refused to ever appear at any such ceremony. At 25 years old, Mohammed is one of New York ‘s most prominent bloggers given his status and estimated 101M website subscribers. He is best known for having joined the ranks of Wallis & Holdings when he was 7 years old. The partnership led to the creation of a joint agency between Taylor Wallis & Mohammed that would later become Khane Enterprise. When Wallis died at the age of 18, Mohammed became the sole heir to each of their estates.
Follow Mohammed SHK:
About Bazaar Daily UK, Bazaar Daily UK, Daily Chronicle, Gladeon Entertainment, Khane’s Landing: Bazaar Daily (UK) is the British counterpart to Bazaar Daily News, a massive online news agency founded by Sultan H. Khane II.
Asaf Peled
Founder and CEO of Minute Media
Asaf is the Chief Executive Officer of Minute Media, parent company of 90min. Asaf founded 90min in 2011as FTBpro. Since then, 90min has grown to be the world’s largest football media platform, driven by a contributor-driven model, and has expanded the brand throughout Europe, North America, South America and Asia. Asaf is involved in all aspects of Minute Media’s growth and operations, from product development to marketing and content. Prior to 90min, Asaf was the founder and Chief Marketing Officer at Top 7 International and also spent four years at Cisco Systems Israel where he was responsible for business development in the Israeli market. Asaf has a M.B.A. from The Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania and a bachelors of arts from Tel Aviv University. He resides in London and his favorite team is the San Antonio Spurs.
Follow Asaf Peled:
About 90min, Minute Media: Minute Media is a media and technology brand focused on two main pillars—platform and content.
Joshua Nino De Guzman
CEO, Co-Founder & Director of Dexerto
Joshua Nino De Guzman is the CEO & Co-Founder at Dexerto
Follow Joshua Nino De Guzman:
About Dexerto: Dexerto is the world’s largest digital esports and gaming lifestyle platform news platform.
Drew Thomson
CEO of Live For Football
Follow Drew Thomson:
About Live For Football: Live For Football is a vertical social network co-owned by the people that make the content that matters most to fans
Sven Herold
CEO & Founder of LiveTube
Sven is a Media Executive with more than 15 years’ experience in Television, Communications and Reputation Management. He is an award-winning broadcast journalist who worked as a Senior Investigative Correspondent, Feature Writer and News & Entertainment Correspondent at major broadcasters across Europe and the U.S. Most recently, he was a global VP and member of the Communication & Marketing leadership team at Shell International. He built and led both Shell’s and SAP’s global Television divisions. In 2015, Sven founded LiveTube, a global media-house specialising in original live content-creation and distribution via mobile devices.
Follow Sven Herold:
About LiveTube: The world’s first Curated Live Video Platform.
Matteo Bergamini
CEO & Founder of Shoutout UK
Matteo Bergamini is the CEO and Founder of youth news network, Shout Out UK. A graduate in Politics & History from Brunel University London. Matteo started working on his company while at university, securing a variety of projects since; from the Channel 4 Youth Leaders’ Debate to the creation of a Political Literacy Course which he now takes to schools across the UK. An avid promoter of Political Literacy amongst young people, he has won a number of awards for his entrepreneurship and work in political education.
Follow Matteo Bergamini:
About Shoutout UK: A multi-award winning independent news network and course provider that aims to get more young people into and discussing politics.
