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 London based CFO’ operating in the FinTech space. If you think a CFO’ 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.
Angelie Panteli
CFO & Board Director of LendInvest
Angelie is a chartered accountant and chartered tax adviser and has extensive experience in roles across both large global listed businesses and more recently, fast growth technology businesses. Prior to joining LendInvest, Angelie was at Blippar, the world leading augmented reality technology company. Angelie heads up our finance team and is a member of LendInvest’s Board of Directors.
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About LendInvest: LendInvest is the leading marketplace platform for property finance.
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Philip Parsons
Chief Financial Officer of Trading 212
Philip Parsons is the Chief Financial Officer at Trading 212.
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About Trading 212: Trading 212 is a fintech company that provides free, smart apps to democratize the economic market.
Cristina Alba Ochoa
CFO of OakNorth
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About OakNorth: OakNorth is the creator of the ON Credit Intelligence Suite – proven cloud software that transforms commercial lending
Fiona Tee
Chief Financial Officer of Currencycloud
Fiona joined Currency Cloud in April 2016. In her role as CFO, she oversees finance, human resources, compliance (risk and regulatory) and operations. With over 30 years’ industry experience across financial services, telecoms and tech, Fiona’s real passion lies with innovative high-growth companies. She is a strong believer that the role of CFO goes far beyond looking after the numbers – for Fiona, the most satisfying roles are those that bring true partnership with the strategic and commercial side of the business. In a nutshell, “putting things in place, and making things happen?” Previous roles include CFO at Mondex International, from the inception of digital payment innovation, and CFO at Intelligent Environments Europe, a market leader in mobile and online banking solutions, combining financial strategy and commercial focus to guide each business on its journey. Seven years of interim management within the VC community further fuelled Fiona’s interest in entrepreneurship and innovation. She has also founded a successful software business of her own. Fiona is passionate about the need to provide more role models for women in finance and technology. Away from her desk, she can be found skiing, or exploring the latest fitness fads in London with her two girls.
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About Currencycloud: Currencycloud specializes in a fully cloud-based platform for B2B cross-border payments.
Niall McConnell
Founder & Chief Financial Officer of Ziglu
Niall McConnell is the co-founder and Chief Financial Officer at Ziglu.
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About Ziglu: Ziglu provides a digital platform that enables customers to exchange fiat currency for cryptocurrency.
Anthony Murphy
Chief Financial Officer of Tandem
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About Tandem: Tandem is building a bank and financial management universe, focused on freeing users from financial stress by making money simple.
Daniel Drummer
CFO of Auxmoney
Daniel is working as Vice President for Fintech Strategy & Partnership at the Corporate & Investment Bank of JP Morgan. Previously, Daniel worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company where he was focusing on digital technologies, being part of McKinsey’s Big Data and advanced analytics group. Before joining McKinsey, Daniel worked for the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) in the Investment Banking Division and later on in a strategic role for the CEO of Western Europe. Prior to this, he completed a trainee program at Daimler AG, working in Germany and New York.Daniel has been appointed to lead the ‘Future of FinTech’ team on behalf of the World Economic Forum and its Global Agenda Council on the Future of Financing & Capital. He has been an investment manager at the SBS Seed Fund since 2014, sitting on the Advisory board of two portfolio companies. He was a co-founder of TonalityTech, a start-up that provides big data based sentiment analysis solutions for capital markets and corporates.Daniel is a Visiting Fellow at Harvard University, completed an M.B.A. degree with Distinction at the University of Oxford and holds a Master degree (LL.M.) in Corporate Law.
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About Auxmoney: Auxmoney is an online peer-to-peer loan marketplace created to offer a means of exchange between people.
Tamara Slanova
Co-Founder, CFO of DMarket
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About DMarket: DMarket is a marketplace for NFTs trading and technology for building metaverses.
Francois Barou
Co-Founder & CFO of OneWealthPlace
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About OneWealthPlace: One Wealth Place’s mission to support the digital transformation of private wealth banks and global asset services companies.
Hugo Grimston
CFO of Paddle
Hugo Grimston is CFO at Paddle, a platform that takes makes it incredibly simple to sell apps,games and other digital products.
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About Paddle: We’re the only complete payments infrastructure provider for SaaS companies.
Ronan Shally
Partner & CFO of Highland Europe
Ronan is the CFO for Highland Capital Partners Europe. Ronan joined in 2014 and is responsible for the financial and administrative functions of the Europe office. Before joining Highland, Ronan was Head of Private Clients at an accounting firm in Ireland that focussed on complex investment funds. Prior to that, he spent 11 years in the Channel Islands focussing on the administration of offshore investment fund structures, including 7 years in the private equity arena with the Aztec Group. Ronan holds a B.B.S., Business Studies from the University of Limerick and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland. Ronan is a keen follower of Liverpool F.C. and also likes to keep in touch with rugby and Gaelic games in his native Ireland. In his spare time he enjoys spending time with his wife and two sons in addition to indulging in his passion for athletics where he previously represented Guernsey in the Island Games and at British Athletics league events.
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About Highland Europe: Highland Europe is a growth-stage technology fund that invests in European internet, mobile, and software companies.
Andras Mecser
Group Chief Financial Officer of Zepz
Andras Mecser is responsible for all WorldRemit’s financial functions including financial controlling, statutory reporting, planning and budgeting, treasury and liquidity management, and corporate finance. Prior to joining WorldRemit, Andras served as CFO at Ebury. He previously held senior strategy and portfolio manager roles at Centrica PLC, as well as a senior manager role at McKinsey & Company, serving financial institutions, private equity clients and their portfolio companies. Andras holds an MBA from London Business School, an MA in Financial Investments and Risk Management from Corvinus University of Budapest, and an MA in International Management – CEMS Programme.
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About DNA Payments, Zepz: Zepz is a money transfer service that helps migrants send money to their loved ones all over the world.
Sharof Sharipov
CFO of Token
Sharof was appointed the Chief Financial Officer of Token Group in January 2020 and is responsible for financial, legal, risk, compliance, business intelligence and investor relations functions. Token Group is the leading open banking payments platform driving the shift from traditional payment methods to bank payments with best-in-class, Pan-European bank connectivity, data and compliance capabilities. Since June 2020, Sharof is also a non-executive director of TBC UZ, the first next-generation greenfield digital bank in Uzbekistan, established by TBC Bank Group – FTSE 250 constituent financial services group and the largest bank in Georgia – as well as the European Bank for the Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and International Finance Corporation (World Bank). Before joining Token, Sharof was the CFO of 10x Banking – a developer of a full suite of cloud-native banking capabilities for enterprise clients such as JPMorgan Chase and Westpac Banking Corporation. Prior to that he spent more than a decade in corporate finance and investment banking roles at institutions such as Virgin Money, UBS Investment Bank and HSBC Group.
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About Token: Token is an open banking payments platform driving the shift from traditional payment methods to bank payments.
Paul Harris
Chief Financial Officer of R3
Paul is the Chief Financial Officer at R3 and has over 25 years of experience leading finance within the technology and service sector, driving growth and providing commercial support to organizations ranging S&P 500 and FTSE 100 companies to smaller private equity and consortia backed businesses. He recently served for 10 years as Group Finance Director at IHS Markit and in the same role at Markit, merging the two listed companies and taking Markit public on NASDAQ. Paul is a Chartered Accountant and holds a MBA from CASS Business School, University of London.
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About R3: R3 is a financial innovation firm dedicated to the design and deployment of DLT to build the new operating system for financial services.
Nick Mottershead
CFO, Risk, Compliance & Group HR of dopay
Nick Mottershead is CFO and Group HR at dopay.
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About dopay: dopay provides a cloud-based payroll service that allows employers to calculate salaries and make payments electronically.
Patrick Imbach
CFO of Callsign
As CFO at Callsign, Patrick is in charge of the Callsign’s financial strategy, financial operations, and financial and management reporting. Previously, Patrick built and led KPMG’s practice for fast growing technology businesses and innovative startups. He was a member of KPMG’s global Steering Committee for Innovative Startups and a member of KPMG’s TMT leadership team in the UK. Prior to this, Patrick has worked in multiple audit and finance roles in Germany, Japan and France with businesses across industries with a focus on Media, Telecommunications, and Technology companies.
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About Callsign: Delivering digital trust through simple secure customer interactions
Ryan E Gralia
CFO of FIDEL API
Ryan E Gralia is the CFO at FIDEL API.
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About FIDEL API, Zeno Vision Ltd: Fidel API is a global financial infrastructure platform, providing tools to build powerful, real-time products on top of payment cards.
Nils Behling
Founder & CFO of Tradeteq
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About Tradeteq: The global hub for trade finance distribution
Justinas Lasevicius
CFO & Co-founder of TransferGo
He is founder of TransferGo.
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About TransferGo: TransferGo offers international money transfers for both migrant workers & businesses using their digital account-to-account business model.
Peter West
Chief Financial Officer of Reward Insight
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About Reward Insight: Reward is a global data monetisation company that helps the worlds largest banks and retailers understand and change consumer behaviour
Guy Buckley-Sharp
Chief Financial Officer of ClearScore
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About ClearScore: ClearScore is a financial technology company that provides credit scoring services and a marketplace.
Misak Davtyan
Chief Financial Officer of BABB
Over the course of twenty years in commercial and retail banking, Misak has held various C-suite and senior executive positions and managed large teams, complex finance functions and business lines. He’s closely involved with BABB’s financial and strategic operations informed by an MSc in Strategy and Leadership from LBS and a postgraduate diploma in International Tax Law. He’s also a passionate photographer and can often be found snapping on the streets of London.
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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.
Kerry Tremble
Chief Financial Officer of WorldFirst
Kerry is Group CFO of WorldFirst. Kerry was previously Deputy Finance Director for Lloyds Retail Bank and a partner in KPMG’s Corporate and Investment Banking Consulting practice. In the latter role, he worked with global investment banks in a range of areas including Business & Operational Strategy and Financial & Risk Management.
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About WorldFirst: WorldFirst is an international payments business helping businesses and people easy move money around the world at great exchange rates.
Graham Crowe
CFO of TotallyMoney
Graham is a qualified chartered accountant with over a decade of experience in e-commerce, technology and financial services. Before joining Media Ingenuity, Graham led the finance function at Pension Protection Fund and Iglu.com where his experience included sale to private equity. Graham also held a number of senior commercial finance roles at BT and BSkyB.
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About TotallyMoney: TotallyMoney puts customers right at the center of their credit data, helping them make smarter financial decisions.
Duncan Payne-Shelley
Chief Financial Officer of Qredo
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About Qredo, Qredo: Qredo is a platform that provides secure and fast movement of digital assets.
Chris Charlton
Chief Financial Officer of Netwealth
Over 20 years’ experience in financial services as a chartered accountant, both in practice and in asset management.
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About Netwealth: Netwealth is an online wealth management service that brings together an experienced team, user-friendly technology and lower fees.
Declan Ferguson
Deputy CFO and Chief Strategy Officer of Starling Bank
Declan Ferguson is the chief strategy officer at Starling Bank.
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About Starling Bank: Starling Bank is a mobile banking platform that offers personal, joint, and business accounts.
Kieran D’Silva
Co-Founder & CFO of PrimaryBid
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About PrimaryBid: PrimaryBid is a technology platform that allows everyday investors fair & equal access to investing in public companies raising capital.
Martin Nilsson
Chief Financial Officer of Hastee
Martin Nilsson is the Chief Financial Officer at Hastee.
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About Hastee: Hastee is a mobile application that allows workers to receive a portion of their earned pay immediately.
Vivek Ahuja
Group CFO and COO of Terra Firma
Vivek is a senior finance leader with three decades’ experience in global finance and over 20 years in senior CFO roles. He has led successful business and functional transformations and has worked across Asia, the Middle East and Europe with major global financial institutions. Prior to joining Terra Firma in January 2018, Vivek spent 17 years with Standard Chartered Bank where he was Deputy Group CFO, and prior to that he was Group CFO – Wholesale Banking and Regional CFO – Middle East and South Asia. Prior to Standard Chartered Bank, he worked for HSBC and ANZ in a variety of roles spanning finance, strategy, and corporate and institutional banking. Vivek is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW) and was a Council member from 2013-2015 and a member of the Financial Services Faculty Board. He is a graduate of Mumbai University in India. Vivek is responsible for the overall financial management of the firm at a Group level and for its Portfolio companies, and oversees the firm’s IT, facilities, legal and HR teams. Vivek also supports the firm on the financial aspects of acquiring and selling businesses to ensure the delivery of maximum returns toinvestors.
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About Terra Firma: Terra Firma is a private equity firm based in London, United Kingdom.
Vivek Syal
CFO of FundApps
Viv has over 20 years’ experience in financial services and digital consulting. He was the head of Financial Planning & Analysis at Barclays Capital for six years and subsequently the global COO for Product Control as well as Head of Controls and Regulatory Liaison. He also held a number of leadership roles in market and operational risk management functions at Credit Suisse. Viv is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales.
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About CupClub, FundApps, VS Analytics: We help investment managers harness the power of community and technology to automate regulatory compliance.
Anand Phanse
CFO of Billon Group
Anand has been a board member and advisor to several fast growing companies. Recently he was a Partner and the Investment Director at Fjord Capital, a venture investment firm and where, among the many other investments, he successfully led the last pre-IPO round of Tesla Motors. Anand was previously selected a Global Leadership Fellow at the World Economic Forum. He is a business innovation coach for the European Commissions Horizon 2020 SME program.
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About Billon Group: Billon Group is a fintech company that provides an enterprise DLT system for accounts and transactions and targets at bank accounts.
Daniel Hogan
CFO & Co-Founder of Ember
A Deloitte-trained, fully qualified Chartered Accountant, Daniel has been working in the finance systems space for the last 3 years where he has become increasingly frustrated with the industry’s lack of synergy, automation and ease of use.
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About Ember: Ember is a software platform to automate the accounting process for SMEs.
Benedikt Einarsson
Chief Financial Officer of Meniga
Benedikt Einarsson is Chief Financial Officer at Meniga.
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About Meniga: Meniga is a digital banking platform that helps banks, businesses, and individuals manage their financial data.
Nick Taylor
CFO and Co-Founder of Envestors
Educated at Uppingham School, Nick then took Articles and qualified with Price Waterhouse Cooper in London. He has held senior positions with private and public companies, including manufacturer Astell Scientific (Holdings) and listed City based property agent Baker Harris Saunders Plc. He co-founded the Sportscard Credit Card Company which was listed on AIM and later sold to the online bookmaker UK Betting plc, also an established private restaurant group and The London Distillery Company. Nick was a co-founder of Envestors in 2004. In his spare time, he enjoys food and drink, golf, and watching cricket/rugby.
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About Envestors: Envestors digital platform connects entrepreneurs and investors
Greg Carter
CFO of Capdesk
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About Capdesk: Capdesk is an equity management platform helping companies manage cap tables, shareholder registers, and employee shares.
Harry Russell
Chief Financial Officer of RateSetter
Oversees finance, compliance and HR. Harry joined RateSetter from KPMG, where he spent seven years in their financial and operational restructuring team. Prior to that, he spent three years in the audit team at PwC, where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant.
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About RateSetter: RateSetter is a P2P lending platform allowing users to lend and borrow money directly from each other according to their own interest rates.
Alex Crocombe
Co Founder, Chief Financial Officer of Goji Investments
Co-founder and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for an FCA regulated private asset investment platform. Qualified accountant with a background in fintech M&A and strategic advisory.
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About Goji Investments: Investment platform providing access to regulated investment products from across the direct lending sector
Andrew Ryan
Chief Financial Officer of Demica
Andrew Ryan is the Chief Financial Officer at Demica.
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About Demica: Demica provides innovative working capital solutions to major corporations and financial institutions.
Cinthia Danove
CFO of Akoni Hub
Cinthia started her career in financial services and feels passionate about start-ups and SMEs. She has significant experience working with businesses in the mid-market space – from analysing opportunities at a VC fund, to the role of Head of Finance for regional SMEs, as well as hands-on mentoring of entrepreneurs at Endeavor. Cinthia has been involved from different perspectives and at various stages of high-growth firms, and feels strongly about providing value-added services to businesses that are the bedrock of the economy. Cinthia is an Economist, and holds a CFA and MBA from London Business School.
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About Akoni Hub: Akoni provides simple cash management tools for individuals and SMEs.
Asaf Cüneyt Eti
CFO & Co-Founder of Capexmove
Subject matter expert in Risk Management and Anti-Fraud analytics. He leads the company’s finance strategy.
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About Capexmove: Capexmove is a platform to draft and digitise debt financing documents.
Mike Feely
CFO of Paymentology
Mike joined Dealflo as CFO in 2015. He has over 20 years’ experience in Financial and Commercial roles within the technology and telecoms sectors. As CFO of Excelian, a Financial Services technology consultancy, Mike provided the financial leadership to manage the business through International growth and prepared the business for a successful sale to Luxoft. Mike was previously Finance Director of Telstra International EMEA, where he significantly improved business performance through restructuring and repositioning the company to focus on Enterprise managed services contracts.
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About Paymentology: Paymentology offers an array of issuer side payment processing solutions from consultancy, hosting, white label products and modules.
Shawn Rea
NED – CFO of Findexable
Shawn Rea serves as the Chief Financial Officer at Findexable.
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About Findexable: Findexable is a real-time FinTech data company established to reinvent FinTech research by tracking its activity globally.
Elena Lokteva
Partner, Chief Financial Officer of SI Capital Partners
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About SI Capital Partners: SICP is an independent Investment Company with a diverse portfolio in a variety of business sectors.
