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 Birmingham based CEO’ operating in the Financial Services 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.
Martin Draper
Chief Executive Officer of LDC
Martin has worked for LDC since 2002 and has 20 years private equity experience. He also serves as Non Executive Director on a number of larger investments, including AIM Aviation, Angus Fire, Benson Group, Express Engineering, Forest Holidays, Kee Safety and Node4. Other recent significant transactions include American Golf, Evander and Paragon Print & Packaging, plus the successful exits of Matrix Energy Solutions to E.ON Connecting Energies in September 2013, Eveden to Wacoal Holdings Corporation for £148m in April 2012, CMG to Thomas Betts for US$110m in December 2010 and the sale of Electrium to Siemens for £96m. Prior to joining LDC, Martin was a Director at Bridgepoint, where he worked in the London, Manchester and Birmingham offices, completing deals across a broad range of sectors.
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About LDC: LDC is a private equity company which provides funds for buyouts and development capital transactions in UK unquoted companies.
Richard Murray IV
President & Chief Executive Officer of National Commerce
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About National Commerce: National Commerce is a a financial holding company that provides various financial services to individuals, businesses, and business owners.
David Brasfield
Executive Chairman, CEO and Founder of NXTsoft
Mr. Brasfield, founder and CEO of NXTsoft and ThreatAdvice, has demonstrated a track record of success in creating and developing several technology companies from inception to successful exit over the last 30 years. In these ventures, Mr. Brasfield has successfully developed and implemented strategies for sales, marketing and software product development. He is the founder and former CEO of Tri-Novus Capital, LLC, SBS Corporation, SBS Data Services, Inc., Brasfield Technology, LLC and Brasfield Data Services, LLC, all of which were providers of automation technology solutions for community financial institutions. He has been a director of a community bank and is currently a member of other boards in the Birmingham area. Mr. Brasfield holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Alabama-Birmingham.
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About NXTsoft: NXTsoft is a secure data and connectivity solutions platform with over 1,900 Financial Institutions as our clients.
Mark Payton
CEO of Mercia Asset Management PLC
Fund principal for the Mercia Technology Seed Fund. Mark has a PhD from King’s College (University of London) and an MBA from Warwick Business School. Prior to joining the fund, Mark was a research fellow at the Department of Pharmacology (University of Oxford), played leading roles within Isis Innovation (the technology transfer arm of the University of Oxford, ranked as the premier technology transfer office in the UK) and was VP Corporate Development at Oxxon Therapeutics Inc (before its sale to Oxford BioMedica Plc). Mark benefits from in excess of 15 years experience from the commercialisation of life science opportunities in the biotech, niche pharma, medtech and diagnostics fields.
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About Mercia Asset Management, Mercia Asset Management PLC, Mercia Fund Managers, nanoTherics: Mercia is a proactive, specialist asset manager focused on supporting regional businesses to achieve their growth aspirations.
Joe Lauer
Founder & CEO of Greenback
Joe Lauer is an entrepreneur focusing on web, mobile, and cloud software. He currently is the CEO of [Greenback](/organization/greenback). His previous company [Cloudhopper](/organization/cloudhopper) was acquired by Twitter (NYSE: TWTR) in 2010 and [Simplewire](/organization/simplewire) was acquired by Qpass/Amdocs (NYSE: DOX) in 2006.
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About Greenback: Accounting automation software for growing businesses.
Brooke Battle
CEO/Founder of Swell Fundraising
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About Swell Fundraising: Swell Fundraising provides event fundraising software solution to nonprofit organizations around the U.S.
Stephen E. Faust
CEO of Prepaid Technologies
Stephen is a marketing guy and a problem solver. With experience in advertising and over 10 years in financial services, Stephen is who you want quarterbacking your next payments opportunity. He’s been with Prepaid Technologies since 2007 and leads their world-class team of professionals to deliver Tommy’s original vision of quality every day.
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About Prepaid Technologies: Prepaid Technologies is an expertise with innovative technology to manage efficient payments programs for banks and businesses.
Damian Crowe
Founder & CEO of Obillex
Damian is a chartered accountant and financial risk management expert with 20 years’ post-qualification experience, including spells with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Australia, the UK, Japan, Germany, the Netherlands and US. He was also regional head of finance for the Australian Wheat Board and Quaker Oats in Australia. Damian has deep operational experience of building a transaction banking business, having worked at ABN Amro, RBS and as head of business development for CitiGroup Europe.
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About Obillex: Obillex is a corporate member of the Association of Corporate Treasurers
John D. Johns
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Protective Life
Mr. Johns joined Protective Life Corporation in 1993 as executive vice president and chief financial officer and was promoted to chairman, president and chief executive officer in 2003, and is currently the chairman and chief executive officer. Prior to joining Protective Life, he was with Sonat Inc., as vice president and general counsel. Mr. Johns was a founding partner of the law firm Maynard Cooper & Gale and was an associate and partner of the law firm Cabaniss, Johnston, Gardner, Dumas & O’Neal. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama, and a Master of Business Administration and a Juris Doctorate degree from Harvard University.
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About Protective Life: Protective is a holding company, whose subsidiaries provide financial services
Marc Schechter
Chief Executive Officer of Schechter Wealth
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About Schechter Wealth: Schechter is a boutique, third-generation wealth advisory and financial services firm.
Mark Wesson
CEO of EverSource Wealth Advisors
Mark’s career of 30+ years has been dedicated to consulting with wealthy individuals, families, and owners of privately-held businesses on a variety of business, financial, values-based, gifting, and investment topics. Most recently, he created the Wealth Services Division of Cadence Bank as EVP Wealth Services with full responsibility for the private banking, trust, brokerage, and RIA lines of business with $6.2B in loans, deposits, and assets under management. Prior to this, he held the titles of SVP and regional managing director of Private Banking at Wells Fargo Bank, SVP and regional managing director of Wealth Management for Wachovia Bank, and director of Wealth Management for SouthTrust Bank. As VP of Institutional Accounts at Highland Capital, Mark advised over two hundred wealth advisors and over forty wealth management teams in fourteen states.
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About BMSS Wesson Wealth Solutions, EverSource Wealth Advisors: EverSource Wealth Advisors can provide a variety of financial planning services to help wealth advisors to achieve balance and growth
Henry Porter
CEO & Founder of Bluewater Capital
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About Bluewater Capital: Bluewater Capital provides consulting services on using financial assets in developing businesses.
W. Dan Puckett
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Capitalsouth Bancorp
W. DAN PUCKETT is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CapitalSouth Bancorp.
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About : Capitalsouth Bancorp is a bank holding company headquartered in Birmingham.
W. Dan Puckett
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Capitalsouth Bancorp
W. DAN PUCKETT is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CapitalSouth Bancorp.
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About : Capitalsouth Bancorp is a bank holding company headquartered in Birmingham.
