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 Principal operating in the Consulting space. If you think a Principal 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.
Michael Savage
Principal – Global Financial Services Buyout of The Carlyle Group
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About The Carlyle Group: The Carlyle Group is a global private equity firm that caters to early and later stage companies.
Ahmet Taha Sakar
Principal Consultant of Thoughtworks
Ahmet Taha Sakar is an accomplished serial entrepreneur, information technology executive, and full stack developer with over 15 years of experience. He has served as the founding member of several startups. Since 2005, he has worked primarily with e-commerce, software as a service, and mobile products. He is endorsed as an Exceptional Talent in Digital Technology by Tech City UK.
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About Thoughtworks: Thoughtworks is a community of passionate individuals whose purpose is to revolutionize software design, creation, and delivery.
Danilo Sato
Principal Consultant of Thoughtworks
Danilo is a Head of Data & AI Services UK and polyglot Principal Consultant with more than 15 years of experience as an Architect, Data Engineer, Developer, and Agile Coach. He balances strategy with execution, helping clients refine their technology strategy while also adopting practices to reduce the time between having an idea, implementing it, and running it in production using Cloud, DevOps and Continuous Delivery. Danilo is the author of the book “DevOps In Practice: reliable and automated software delivery”, a member of ThoughtWorks’ Office of the CTO, and an experienced international conference speaker.
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About Thoughtworks, Thoughtworks, Thoughtworks: Thoughtworks is a community of passionate individuals whose purpose is to revolutionize software design, creation, and delivery.
Marco Sperling
Principal of The Boston Consulting Group
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About The Boston Consulting Group: The Boston Consulting Group is a global management consulting firm and an advisor on business strategy.
Husnu Kilincoglu
Principal of The Boston Consulting Group
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About The Boston Consulting Group: The Boston Consulting Group is a global management consulting firm and an advisor on business strategy.
Jean-Paul Petranca
Principal, Managing Director & Partner of The Boston Consulting Group
Managing Director and Partner at The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) London
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About The Boston Consulting Group: The Boston Consulting Group is a global management consulting firm and an advisor on business strategy.
Gautham Gnanajothi
Principal, Energy & Environment | Regional Leader, BP Research of Frost & Sullivan
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About Frost & Sullivan, Frost & Sullivan: Frost and Sullivan is a business growth consultation company focused on increasing brand demand.
Matthew Scheitlin
Associate Principal of ZS Associates
Matt Scheitlin is an Associate Principal with ZS Associates and is based in the London office. He has nine years of experience with ZS and has worked extensively in the European, US, and Asian markets. While at ZS, Matt has focused on the medical technology industry. He has expertise in solving a wide range of sales and marketing challenges – with a particular focus on global opportunity assessment, go-to-market strategy, and sales force effectiveness (SFE). Matt is a contributing author of a number of articles and white papers including ‘Five Challenges to Building a Successful Key Account Management Team – And How to Overcome Them’ and ‘Making Marketing Work – Structuring the Organization for European Success’. Matt received his B.S. in finance with high honors from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.
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About ZS Associates: ZS Associates is a global leader in sales and marketing consulting, outsourcing, technology and software.
Martha Bennett
Principal Analyst of Forrester Research
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About Forrester Research, Forrester Research, Future Tech Insights: Forrester is a research and advisory firm that provides businesses with business and technology-related consulting services.
George Lawrie
Vice President & Principal Analyst of Forrester Research
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About Forrester Research: Forrester is a research and advisory firm that provides businesses with business and technology-related consulting services.
Ryan Skinner
Principal Analyst of Forrester Research
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About Forrester Research: Forrester is a research and advisory firm that provides businesses with business and technology-related consulting services.
Denis Baranov
Principal Consultant of DataArt
Denis Baranov is Principal Consultant at DataArt.
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About DataArt: DataArt is a global software engineering firm that takes a uniquely human approach to solve problems.
Denis Baranov
Principal Consultant of DataArt
Denis Baranov is Principal Consultant at DataArt.
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About DataArt: DataArt is a global software engineering firm that takes a uniquely human approach to solve problems.
Christoforos Anagnostopoulos
Senior Principal Data Scientist of QuantumBlack
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About Imperial College London, QuantumBlack, Variab.ly: QuantumBlack Visual Analytics Limited provides advanced data analytics services for critical decisions to various companies.
Freddie Killick
Principal of Talentful
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About Talentful: Talentful specialises in helping companies to elevate their talent acquisition strategy.
James Saunders
Principal of Talentful
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About Talentful: Talentful specialises in helping companies to elevate their talent acquisition strategy.
Chris Murphy
Principal of Talentful
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About Talentful: Talentful specialises in helping companies to elevate their talent acquisition strategy.
Kirsty O’Connell
Principal of Talentful
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About Talentful: Talentful specialises in helping companies to elevate their talent acquisition strategy.
Kirsty O’Connell
Principal of Talentful
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About Talentful: Talentful specialises in helping companies to elevate their talent acquisition strategy.
George Jijiashvili
Principal Analyst covering games and AR/VR of Omdia
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About Omdia: Omdia is The game-changing technology research and consulting firm built for the connected age.
Adam Holtby
Principal Analyst & Senior Analyst of Omdia
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About Omdia: Omdia is The game-changing technology research and consulting firm built for the connected age.
Tony Gunnarsson
Principal Analyst of Omdia
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About Omdia: Omdia is The game-changing technology research and consulting firm built for the connected age.
John Abraham
Principal Analyst of Analysys Mason
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About Analysys Mason: Analysys Mason is the leading management consultancy focused on telecoms, media and technology (TMT).
Michele Mackenzie
Principal Analyst, M2M & IoT of Analysys Mason
Michele is an analyst for Analysys Mason’s IoT and M2M Solutions research programme. She has 15 years of experience as an analyst. Prior to joining Analysys Mason in February 2014, Michele was a freelance analyst with a focus on machine-to-machine (M2M) and Internet of Things (IoT) technology and trends including smart cities, transport, intelligent buildings, fleet management and telematics. She has written reports for Machina Research and produced research for other clients on areas such as mobile broadband and digital media. Michele worked for Ovum for 12 years where she focused on consumer mobile applications and held various roles including Practice Leader for Consumer Services. She has also worked as a consultant for Ovum’s consultancy division.
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About Analysys Mason: Analysys Mason is the leading management consultancy focused on telecoms, media and technology (TMT).
Eden Zoller
Principal Analyst of Ovum
Eden Zoller serves as the Principal Analyst at Ovum.
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About Ovum: Ovum provides research, consulting, and analysis services for clients to make business and technology decisions.
Anuj Khanna
Founder & Principal Consultant of Peak State Consulting
For the past two decades, Anuj Khanna has been helping businesses around the world in achieving success through his peak performance expertise and business strategies. Anuj’s career has spanned across the Technology, Telecommunications, Advertising, Hospitality and Financial Industry. In 2009, Anuj decided to exclusively focus on his passion for helping businesses in their corporate expansion, sales and marketing strategy by setting up his own consulting practice. He has helped over 50 companies and their executive teams in achieving exponential growth and reaching their Peak State. Anuj’s office is in London but he works on projects across the world, with the vast majority of his customers based out of the Silicon Valley in California and Europe. Anuj has also done work in India, China, SE Asia, Latam and Africa. Anuj completed his MBA in Marketing from The University of Sheffield and is an Economics graduate from the University of Mumbai. Anuj also holds a diploma in Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP). Anuj is well trained and experienced in business practice and management principles working with both blue chip corporates and start-ups. However, he is obsessed by his passion for business turnaround and leadership psychology. Anuj specialises in perfectly blending his well-honed business expertise with important psychological skills to achieve Peak Performance. Anuj Khanna was born in India in the year 1973 and is very proud of his humble beginnings. Anuj’s mother is a home-maker and his father spent over 40 years in the hospitality and hotel industry in India. From an early age the family environment was very business and customer service oriented and he grew up with the philosophy of “Customer is God”. Anuj is an open minded, high-energy problem solver who loves a challenge, hence has got the faith and respect of leading tech Founders, Venture Capitalists and Private Equity firms in helping them in investing and expanding their start up businesses. Anuj has experience of doing business in over 80 countries. Anuj speaks five languages and has business relationships with thousands of telecommunications, IT, advertising, media and financial industry executives. Anuj is highly recognised and recommended as a business visionary and peak performance expert by several global CEO’s and entrepreneurs.
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About Peak State Consulting: Peak State Consulting helps businesses in achieving accelerated growth by building a winning strategy and getting exponential results.
Balendra Elangco
Principal Consultant of PA Consulting Group
Balendra has been delivering enterprise security architecture and solutions for financial services, telecoms, media and packaged goods that include Financial Extranets and a large Payment Card transmission network. He has experience in designing, implementing and maintaining solutions (technical and governance) that meet compliance requirements such as PCI DSS and ISO 27001. He has also led managed security services teams for multinationals with global footprints. He is an exam developer for CISSP at ISC².
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About PA Consulting Group: PA Consulting Group provides management consulting, IT consulting, and technology and innovation services.
Hollie Lubbock
Design Principal of ustwo
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About ustwo: Ustwo is a digital design studio that delivers interaction and user interface design services.
Bonnie Molins
Inclusive Design Principal of Kainos
Bonnie Molins has spent the last 20 years working in the public, charity and commercial sectors to produce inclusive service solutions that provide equal access and better outcomes for diverse users with a range of access needs. She currently leads on inclusive design at leading provider of Digital Services and Platforms Kainos, with a focus on producing whole systems that work for whole populations, streamline service delivery and improve user equality.​ Bonnie believes that inclusive design is good design – because it means everyone can use the thing.
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About Kainos: Kainos provide digital technology solutions that enable companies to work smarter, faster, better.
Joe Kay
Principal Consultant of The Table Group
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About Enswarm, The Table Group: The Table Group provides consulting services for leaders and their executive teams who want to tap into the sustainable competitive.
Kelly Kehn
Founder & Principal Consultant of Kelly A. Kehn Consulting Ltd.
Kelly Kehn has been in iGaming senior management since 2012. She’s led teams and brands through regulatory changes, migrations and rebrands as well as held leadership roles in marketing, operations, management and sales. In 2016 she formed Kelly A. Kehn Consulting Ltd., a consulting firm dedicated to helping companies grow their business and improve corporate governance through recruitment, retention, mentorship and empowerment of women. Her mission is to demonstrate to corporations the invaluable benefit of gender diversity through measurable results and revenue growth.
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About Kelly A. Kehn Consulting Ltd.: Kelly A. Kehn Consulting Ltd. is a business consulting firm
Christina Thakor-Rankin
Principal Consultant of Kelly A. Kehn Consulting Ltd.
Christina has over 25 years’ experience in the betting, and gambling industry, 15 at director level and above. Starting out in the pre-dotcom era, she has a career spanning land, internet and mobile, covering all aspects of gaming operations, holding senior roles with some of the world’s best known brands (incl. William Hill and Virgin) responsible for managing multiple business disciplines, functions and teams across a range of channels, products and customers, including regulatory compliance and money laundering. REGISTER FOR SiGMA17
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About Kelly A. Kehn Consulting Ltd.: Kelly A. Kehn Consulting Ltd. is a business consulting firm
Elson Sutanto
Principal Analyst of Juniper Research
Elson Sutanto is a principal analyst at Juniper Research.
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About Juniper Research: Juniper Research specializes in the evaluation of opportunities across the mobile telecoms, content, and applications sectors.
Gemma Sarjeant
Principal of Gate One
Gemma started her consulting career at a Big Four firm delivering complex business change programmes. She has ten years’ experience focused on the pharmaceuticals, consumer business and retail sectors, working in areas such as complex programme and change management, supply chain operations and post merger integration. Gemma believes the best way to ensure excellent project delivery is to work collaboratively with clients to build results that stick. Gemma enjoys exploring the world on two wheels, two skis or a surfboard, and will try to cram in a European mini-break at any given opportunity.
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About Gate One: Gate One is an ward-winning specialist digital and business transformation consultancy
Maximilian Turunen
Principal of Gate One
Maximilian has ten years’ experience working in regulatory change concentrating on the financial services sector. He has previously worked with capital markets clients on new large-scale regulations such as the Volcker Rule and MiFID II. He has helped clients with rule interpretation and trading strategies as well as the creation of efficient business solutions to ensure regulatory compliance. In his most recent role as the MiFID II Investor Protection lead, Maximilian worked on complex conduct requirements with internal business stakeholders and closely cooperated with relevant industry forums. His client focussed approach in dealing with regulatory change sits squarely in Gate One’s values-based transformation capabilities for financial services. Outside of work he keeps busy teaching and travelling.
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About Gate One: Gate One is an ward-winning specialist digital and business transformation consultancy
Tom Arbuthnot
Principal Solutions Architect of Modality Systems
A Microsoft MVP and Microsoft Certified Master, Tom Arbuthnot is Founder and Principal at Empowering.Cloud as well as a Solutions Director at Pure IP. Tom stays up to date with industry developments and shares news and his opinions on his Tomtalks.blog, UC Today Microsoft Teams Podcast and email list. He is a regular speaker at events around the world.
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About Modality Systems: Modality Systems is a technology company specializing in Microsoft Unified Communications technologies.
James Peet
Principal Consultant of Amido
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About Amido: Amido is an independent technical consultancy that specializes in implementing cloud-native solutions.
David Conway
Founder and Principal Solicitor of David Conway & Co Solicitors
David Conway is the founder of, and principal solicitor at David Conway & Solicitors, which was established in 1972. He specialises in commercial and property law, and is an expert in leasehold enfranchisement. Throughout the course of his career, he has represented major public companies, as well as private companies such as the property developer Minerva PLC, and global finance and professional services firm Burford Group. Twitter: @DavidConway_Co LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/davidconwaysolicitor Blog site: http://www.davidconwaysolicitor.com/
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About David Conway & Co Solicitors: London-based specialists in commercial and residential property law, commercial law, company law, litigation and leasehold enfranchisement.
Christopher Pennell
Principal Analyst of Futuresource Consulting
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About Futuresource Consulting: Futuresource Consulting delivers specialist research and consulting services, providing knowledge, experience, and accuracy.
Pinar Bagci
Principal of The Brattle Group
Dr. Bagci has more 15 years of experience advising on competition and regulatory matters and on the economics of energy and financial markets.
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About The Brattle Group: The Brattle Group provides consulting services and expert testimony in economics, finance, and regulation to corporations
James Robertson
Principal of The Atlantic Systems Guild
James Robertson is a consultant, teacher, author, project leader whose area of concern is the requirements for products, and the contribution that good requirements make to successful projects. James is a leading proponent of the principle of introducing innovation into the requirements process.His controversial article “Eureka: Why Analysts Should Invent Requirements” in IEEE Software has provoked much discussion and has been widely quoted. Before becoming a systems engineer, James trained as an architect and his experience in that profession provides inspiration for his work on innovation and creativity. He is co-author of Mastering the Requirements Process, Second Editions (Addison-Wesley 2006), Requirements-Led Project Management (Addison-Wesley 2005) and the Volere approach to requirements engineering. He is also a founder of The Atlantic Systems Guild, a think tank known for its innovative systems engineering techniques.
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About The Atlantic Systems Guild: Atlantic Systems Guild practice, teach, and improve the fields of system requirements definition, team leadership, and project management.
Martin Koderisch
Principal of Edgar, Dunn & Company
Martin is Manager at payments consulting firm Edgar, Dunn & Company based in London. With over 15 years of experience in banking and payments, Martin assists companies across the payments value chain in strategic decision making and responding to changes in consumer behaviour, regulations and innovation in digital financial technology. His expertise covers card as well as alternative forms of payments and more broadly digital financial services. He has advised on risk management covering both credit and fraud risk management. He also advises private equity firms and investment community on M&A transactions. Prior to joining Edgar, Dunn & Company in 2015, Martin held senior positions at MasterCard, Citibank, Luup mobile payments and consultancy Simon-Kucher & Partners. Martin holds a BSc from Manchester University and an MBA from Cass Business School, London.
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About Edgar, Dunn & Company: Edgar, Dunn & Company is an independent global financial services and payments consultancy.
Marie Gilmour
Principal Consultant of The Nichols Group
Marie Gilmour is a Management Consultant with the Nichols Group, currently engaged as Innovation Programme Manager within Crossrail’s Innovation programme, Innovate18.
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About The Nichols Group: Nichols is an elite company of strategic change specialists.
Matthew Pencharz
Principal of MSP Strategies
Matthew Pencharz is the co-founder of Air.Car, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tantalum Corporation, a connected car technology company. Working with Imperial College London, Air.Car is leveraging Tantalum’s heritage in understanding dynamic internal combustion emissions combined with air quality and traffic data to create tips and insights for the urban traveller to both reduce his or her exposure to pollution and environmental impact. Before Air.Car, Matthew was London’s Deputy Mayor for Environment & Energy, where among his responsibilities he led work to reduce air pollution and carbon emissions and the city’s Smart City development.
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About MSP Strategies: MSP Strategies advises companies working in the sustainable urban smart space.
Edgar Danielyan
Director & Principal Consultant of Danielyan Consulting Ltd
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About Danielyan Consulting Ltd: Security engineering & penetration testing consultancy helping start-ups deliver secure applications
Erkut Evirgen
CEO, Principal Consultant of Wisen
Erkut Evirgen is the founder and principal consultant at Wisen.
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About Wisen: Wisely Crafted Software Solutions
Louise Hart
Founder, Principal Consultant & Marketing Communications Consultant of STEADY ON
Louise Hart is the founder and CEO of Steady On Productions, a brand strategy and management consultancy based in Hollywood which focuses on film, fashion and new digital media. Hart is fluent in Japanese and this has taken her on many adventures in television, advertising and film. She started out in London working on the team that launched the UK’s first digital TV channels, BBC Choice and BBC Knowledge. When young media maverick Stuart Murphy started developing BBC Three, he entrusted Hart with the development and production of a weekend of programming on a Japan theme, including a series exploring youth culture in Tokyo (Music, Fashion, Sex, Shopping and the Future) and an English-dub of the cult anime Lum the Invader Girl. After working on various TV productions for the BBC and RDF Media, she set up a production division at the boutique London talent agency WSK Artists, representing art directors, stylists and photographers, where she produced various ad campaigns for the Japanese market, including Tokyo Beauty Center (TBC) ads featuring David and Victoria Beckham. In 2003, Hart returned to Los Angeles (where she had spent her teenage years) and joined the team launching Blu-ray at Sony Pictures. This placed her at the center of the notorious format war and as a result she is now known in the industry for her key role in defeating the HD DVD competition. Hart conceived of the idea to set up Steady On while at Sony and in 2009 she decided to strike out on her own as a consultant currently for Sony, Target, Adidas and various independent film producers and fashion designers. Hart holds a Bachelor of Arts Honors Degree in Drama and Theatre Arts from Goldsmiths, University of London.
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About STEADY ON: Audience Building for Indie Films
Ian Dowson
Founder and Principal of William Garrity Associates
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About William Garrity Associates: A focus on project delivery and transaction closure with sustainable results
Ian Dowson
Founder and Principal of William Garrity Associates
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About William Garrity Associates: A focus on project delivery and transaction closure with sustainable results
