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 CEO’ operating in the Digital Media 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.
Marc Boyan
Founder & CEO of Miroma Ventures
Marc began his career in marketing with the Goldsmith family, creating and selling events such as World Wrestling Federation, Net Aid, Smash Hits & Route of Kings. His first business venture started in 2000, setting up tourist information channel, City Tour TV. The concept can now be found in various airlines, black taxis and hotels in the UK. In 2003, Marc spotted an opportunity to use barter in all areas of modern commerce and set up corporate barter company, Miroma International. He has grown the business into one of the leading corporate barter companies in Europe with Miroma International’s growth trajectory recognized in The Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 report on UK businesses for four years in a row between 2008 and 2011. Outside of Miroma International, Marc has also focused on building out the Miroma Ventures portfolio, focusing on media, technology and consumer investments. Marc is a dedicated supporter of the Rays of Sunshine Children’s Charity, sitting on its Executive Board.
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About Miroma Group, Miroma Ventures: Miroma Ventures is the investment arm of The Miroma Group, predominantly investing in growth stage consumer brands and media platforms.
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John O’Nolan
Founder & CEO of Ghost
Founder at @TryGhost. Tweets about open source, startup life, non-profits, and publishing platforms. Travels the world with a bag of kites.
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About Ghost: Professional, modern, open source publishing
Dylan Collins
Co-Founder and CEO of SuperAwesome
Dylan Collins is one of Europe’s most experienced digital media entrepreneurs, focusing on games, kids entertainment and the technology which underpins them. He is CEO of SuperAwesome, the #1 kid-safe brand engagement platform. SuperAwesome works with the biggest kids entertainment brands in the world including Disney, Hasbro, Warner Bros and Activision ensuring they connect safely with over a quarter of a billion kids each month. An active investor and advisor across both kids media and technology companies, he is Venture Partner with Hoxton Ventures and sits on the board of the UK’s top-rated marketing technology agency, Potato and Brown Bag Films, Europe’s leading kids animation studio. Previously Collins founded Jolt Online Gaming which became one of the pioneering social games publishers in Europe. Jolt was acquired by GameStop (NYSE: GME), the largest video games retailer in the world in 2009 to spearhead their digital media strategy. As founder and CEO of DemonWare in 2003, he led the company to become the leading online games technology firm in the global console games market. In 2007, DemonWare was acquired by Activision Blizzard (NYSE: ATVI), the world’s biggest video games publisher and is now the multiplayer backbone of the billion-dollar Call of Duty franchise.
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About Box of Awesome, brown bag films, Hoxton Ventures, Potato, SuperAwesome: SuperAwesome offers kid-safe tools and technology for the children’s digital media ecosystem.
Nico Perez
Co-founder & CEO of Mixcloud
Nico Perez is a co-founder of Mixcloud.com He graduated from Cambridge University with a Masters in Engineering and has worked for multinational companies in both the green tech and travel sectors before setting up Mixcloud in the summer of 2008. With a background in freelance webdesign, he has a wide range of client experience working with various small and medium size organisations. He has a passion for great design and a strong understanding of information architecture and user experience.
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About Mixcloud: Mixcloud is an online long-form audio platform providing content such as radio shows, podcasts and DJ mixes.
Priyanka Gill
Founder & CEO of POPxo
Priyanka Gill is the Co-Founder and President of MyGlamm. She is also the Founder & CEO of POPxo, India’s largest community of women.
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About MyGlamm, POPxo: POPxo is India’s online community for women that deals everything from fashion, beauty, lifestyle, work, and etc.
Ido Erlichman
Group CEO of Kape Technologies
Group CEO at Crossrider
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About Kape Technologies: Kape Technologies is an online distribution and digital product hub.
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.
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About Financial Times: Financial Times is a business news organization providing essential news, comments, data, and analysis for the global business community.
Lachlan Murdoch
CEO of Nova Entertainment
Lachlan K. Murdoch is Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors at 21st Century Fox, the world’s premier portfolio of cable, broadcast, film, pay-TV and satellite assets. From 2014 to 2015, he served as the Company’s Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors. Lachlan has spent the past two decades building, operating and investing in many of the world’s most prominent television and publishing businesses and also currently serves as Co-Chairman of News Corp, Executive Chairman of NOVA Entertainment and Executive Chairman of Illyria Pty Ltd. Lachlan is a Director of Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art and a Trustee of the Commando Welfare Trust. Lachlan previously served as Non-Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors Ten Network Holdings. Prior to his current role, Lachlan has served as Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors at 21st Century Fox beginning in March 2014 and has served the Company as a Member of the Board of Directors since 1996, as well as in a number of senior executive roles from 1994-2005. From 2000 – 2005, Lachlan served as Deputy Chief Operating Officer of 21st Century Fox (previously known as News Corporation), a role in which he was directly responsible for the Company’s U.S. television stations group and publishing assets. As part of his duties as Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Lachlan was Chairman of the Board of Directors at Fox Television Stations (FTS) and Publisher of the New York Post and also oversaw HarperCollins and the Company’s lines of business in Australia, including REA, Australia’s leading online real estate business. Lachlan led the Company’s purchase of a controlling stake in REA, which began with an approximate $1 million cash investment and resulted in a corporate asset that is currently valued at more than $3 billion. At FTS, Lachlan oversaw the Company’s 35 owned-and-operated television stations, where he raised the bar on local news coverage across the nation, increasing the total number of local news hours across the group to more than 850 per week. At the New York Post, Lachlan overhauled the tabloid and grew its circulation by more than 40 percent. During his tenure, the Post became the nation’s fastest-growing newspaper and the seventh largest in the United States. In 2005, Lachlan founded Illyria Pty, a successful private investment company. In 2009, Illyria acquired 50 percent of DMG Radio, a network of radio stations, which later expanded to include pay television assets and was renamed NOVA Entertainment. After Lachlan became its Chairman of the Board of Directors in 2009, NOVA grew exponentially, nearly doubling in value during the first three years of his tenure, while its EBITDA rose more than threefold from $16M in 2009 to $52M in 2014. In 2012, Illyria purchased the remaining 50 percent and under Lachlan’s leadership, NOVA Entertainment became Australia’s leading network of FM stations. Lachlan holds a B.A. from Princeton University.
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About 21st Century Fox, Fox Corporation, Nova Entertainment: NOVA Entertainment is an entertainment company in Australia.
Ivan Gazidis
CEO of Arsenal Football Club
Ivan Gazidis was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Arsenal Football Club in January 2009. He was previously deputy commissioner of Major League Soccer in the United States. Ivan, an Oxford-educated lawyer, was a member of the founding management team of MLS and central to developing the stature and reputation of the league. Ivan has developed Arsenal Football Club within the football community and international commercial markets. He sits on the European Club Association (ECA) Executive Board, which represents the interests of Europe’s leading 207 teams. He is chairman of the Legal Advisory Panel for the ECA, and is a member of FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber. Ivan contributes to the domestic game’s development as a member of the Professional Game Board (PGB), FA Council and the Premier League Working Group for Elite Player Performance. He also serves as the Chairman of the FA’s International Committee.
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About Arsenal Football Club: Arsenal Football Club is a multi media production company representing a diverse & exciting international talent roster including Director.
Paul Zwillenberg
CEO of Daily Mail and General Trust
Paul Zwillenberg has over 25 years’ experience as an operator and advisor across the media, technology and telco sectors. He has a breadth of experience across the B2B and media sectors of DMGT’s portfolio and a broad knowledge of the Group, having set up the digital division of dmg media (formerly Associated Newspapers digital) in 1996. Prior to joining DMGT, Paul was the Global Leader Media Sector at The Boston Consulting Group and before that founded an early interactive media company and launched a European technology services firm.
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About Daily Mail and General Trust: DMGT provides businesses and consumers with compelling information, analysis, insight, events, news, and entertainment.
Karen Peett
EA to Global COO & EMEA CEO of IPG Mediabrands
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About IPG Mediabrands: IPG Mediabrands is committed to driving automated buying, pay-for-performance, and digital innovation solutions.
Dominic Wheatley
CEO of Catalis
Co-Founder & CEO at Bright Things .
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About Bright Things, Catalis: Catalis provides high-end technical services relating to the creation of digital content for the digital media & entertainment industries.
Evren Kacar
Founder, CEO of DAN Global
15 years of experience in digital marketing and agency business. Established Synergy, one of the first generation of digital marketing agencies in 2002. In line with the rising trends, Co-founded Boomerang Social Media Agency in 2010. Managed both agencies and supported the development of digital marketing industry in Turkey with DijitalAjanslar.com which began as a local network for digital agencies in 2013. Witnessed the rise of the digital age. Gained deep experience in all areas of digital marketing, working with global brands and Turkey’s most respectable brands since 2002, as the definiton of web agencies became interactive agencies with web 2.0, and digital agencies as of today. Established DAN Global in Turkey to provide online platforms, industry knowledge and various tools to support digital marketing agencies and global community of marketers. Expanded his business to the UK in 2017, and established DAN Global (UK) Ltd. in London which owns and operates the Digital Agency Network (DAN), an all-in-one platform to discover the best digital marketing agencies in the world.
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About DAN Global, Digital Agency Network: DAN Global provides online platforms, industry knowledge and various tools to support digital agencies and global community of marketers.
Mark Read
CEO of WPP
Mark Read is the CEO at WPP Digital. Mark was appointed a director in March 2005. He is chief executive of WPP Digital, and was previously WPP’s Director of Strategy.Mark is a director of CHI&Partners. Mark worked at WPP between 1989 and 1995 in both parent company and operating company roles.Prior to rejoining WPP in 2002, Mark was a principal at the consultancy firm of Booz-Allen & Hamilton and founded and developed the company WebRewards in the UK. Mark is a trustee of the Natural History Museum Development Trust.
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About WPP: WPP creates transformative ideas and outcomes for its clients through an integrated offer of communications, commerce, and technology.
Adrian Pearmund
Founding Partner & CEO of Cablato
Adrian has been working in programmatic marketing since 2010. Founded Intelligent Futures independent trading desk in 2013 and subsequently Cablato in 2015. Strong media and business background (LBi, KPMG, WPP) proven success at building innovative businesses.
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About Cablato, Conviva: Cablato develops and deploys broadcast quality video personalisation technology for OTT & addressable TV industries.
Govind Balakrishnan
Co-Founder & CEO of Curio
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About Curio: Listen to the world’s best journalism on the go
James Henderson
Co-founder and CEO of Zephr
James Henderson is co-founder and CEO of Zephr, the dynamic Subscription Experience Platform built for the effective optimisation and personalisation of the user experience, in order to drive conversion.
After a decade of building custom technologies for clients such as The Telegraph, Discovery and HSBC, James co-founded Zephr in 2018.
James and co-founder Chris Scott raised $3M in funding in 2018 to build Zephr, and then raised another $8M in 2020 on the back of huge success. Today, Zephr operates out of London and New York, with employees representing all corners of the world, and serves a host of international digital publishing and media brands by enabling them to create dynamic experiences for their customers.
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About Zephr: Zephr is a technology platform for media companies to grow their subscription revenue.
Rebecca Lammers
CEO of Laika Network
A customer funded business, helping content owners manage and monetize their online content on YouTube, Facebook and other platforms. Our clients are spread across several sectors including music, TV, film, gaming, education and general entertainment. Corporate clients include Sony ATV, BMG, Kobalt Labels Services and Concord Music Publishing. Artist clients include The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Iron Maiden, Phil Collins and Genesis.
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About Laika Network: Laika Network helps content owners manage and monetize their online videos.
Justin Hsu
CEO / Founder of MarcoPolo Learning
Justin Hsu is one of the founders of Marco Polo Learning.
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About MarcoPolo Learning: MarcoPolo Learning is an award-winning digital curriculum developer for early learners.
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.
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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.
Andrea Manfredi
Founder & CEO of Blasting News
After graduating from Bocconi University in 2005, Andrea earned an MBA at INSEAD, studying in Paris and Singapore. He spent several years working as a manager in top strategic consulting firms mainly in the UK and Italy. Working as a journalist since 1998, Andrea is the Founder & CEO and the Editor-in-Chief of Blasting News.
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About Blasting News: Blasting News is the leading social news publisher. Where every voice counts.
Jonathon Whiteley
CEO of Incisive Media
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About Incisive Media, Investment Week, V3 co uk: Tweeting Career Opportunities at Incisive Media! Media Sales, Events, Marketing and Editorial / Journalism Jobs. Find us on facebook.
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.
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About 90min, Minute Media: Minute Media is a media and technology brand focused on two main pillars—platform and content.
Jesse Shemen
Co-founder and CEO of Papercup
Jesse Shemen is CEO and Co-founder at Papercup.ai.
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About Papercup: Papercup translates videos using AI by generating voices that sound like the original speaker
Sam Jones
Chief Executive Officer of OverTier of Bruin Sports Capital
Sam Jones is the CEO of Overtier, a venture formed by Bruin Sports Capital to build and operate next-generation multiplatform streaming services globally.
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About Bruin Sports Capital: Bruin Sports Capital seeks to invest in companies that operates in the media, sports, marketing, and branded lifestyle sectors.
Tim Bleakley
CEO of Ocean Outdoor
Tim specialises in media brand building and turnarounds, with first hand experience of leading businesses through private equity consolidation and exit and leading large business units within blue chip corporates. Tim has held senior roles in TV, radio and outdoor including CBS Outdoor, Viacom and Emap Advertising. Tim led the Ocean Group through an MBO backed by LDC and LDC’s equity sale in 2014 to Searchlight Capital.
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About Ocean Outdoor: Ocean is a media advertising company specialized in designing iconic landmark large-format digital banners in super-premium locations.
Daniel Berg
CEO & Co-Founder of NextUp
Daniel Berg joined NextUp Comedy as CEO & Co-Founder in 2016.
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About ComComedy, NextUp: The home of stand-up, showcasing all the wonders of live comedy worldwide.
Jake Cossington
Founder & CEO of Terrabyte Studios Limited
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About Terrabyte Studios Limited: Terrabyte Studios Limited is a Media Company powering online services.
Steve Callanan
CEO and Founder of WIREWAX
Steve was once the youngest TV producer in the UK, creating his first six-part series with record-breaking audience share while still at university. He established his first production company in 2001 and was also producing over 400 hours of branded, short-form content for the four biggest UK lifestyle publishers. During this time, he proposed that online video content should be as “connected” as the rest of the web; linking pixels to people, products and information was the goal. He engineered the world’s first “shoppable” video tool, which led to the most powerful interactive video platform to help hundreds of global brands realise their connected-video potential.
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About WIREWAX: WIREWAX is the leading interactive video technology company.
Tom Bureau
Chief Executive Officer of Immediate Media Co.
Tom has extensive experience of running print, cross-media and digital content and platform companies. He was co-founder and CEO of digital start-up Silicon Media Group. After its acquisition by CNET Networks, Tom led the expansion of this highly profitable digital content pure play in Europe. Tom joined cross-media platform business Magicalia as CEO in mid 2008, working with Exponent Private Equity. The merger of Magicalia, BBC Magazines and Origin Publishing in November 2011 created Immediate Media Co. Tom has steered the company to fast growth in both profitability and digital innovation since then.
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About Immediate Media Co.: Immediate Media Co. is a special interest content and platform company.
James B Gambrell
CEO of Supponor
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About Supponor: Supponor transforms real world mass-audience TV visible signage into highly targeted virtual brand messaging in sports broadcasting.
Mohamed Dabbour
CEO Millicom Africa & Executive Vice President of Millicom Systems
Mohamed was appointed as Executive Vice President Africa for Millicom on February 1st 2017. In his role he is responsible for ensuring profitable growth and cash flow for Millicom Africa. Mohamed joined Millicom in 2008 and has held a broad variety of roles in the Africa region, including Chief Financial Officer in Chad in 2009 and Chief Financial Officer in Ghana in 2011. Most recently he was appointed Chief Financial Officer for the Africa region in August 2015. Mohamed holds an Executive MBA degree from London Business School.
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About Millicom Systems: Millicom Systems offers a range of digital services to over 50 million customers primarily under the Tigo brand.
Rory Brown
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of AgriBriefing
Rory co-founded Briefing Media in 2010. Prior to that, Rory has spent over 20 years in senior positions across a wide range of international business media companies.Rory began his career in marketing at commodities and financial information specialist Metal Bulletin before joining Emap to help develop a digital subscription business for the Middle East. After marketing director positions at Risk Waters Group and Incisive Media. Rory became a divisional managing director for Incisive Media in 2005 leading an acquired division in North America. Rory currently serves as the company’s CMO with specific responsibility for agribusiness content, price discovery, subscription development and the event portfolio. He is a former director of the Specialised Information Publishers Association.
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About AgriBriefing, SIPA, The Media Briefing: AgriBriefing is a business media company that specializes in pricing, data, marketing solutions, news, market intelligence, and insight.
Conrad Poulson
CEO of Huq Industries
Founder of Huq Industries.
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About Huq Industries: Huq is building the world’s largest consumer research network, helping businesses understand their offline markets with digital precision.
Joel Silverman
CEO / Co-Founder of KidsKnowBest
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About KidsKnowBest: A full-service creative agency; driven by insights; powered by youth. Delivering effective and results-led solutions.
Chris Havemann
Chief Executive Officer of RealityMine
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About RealityMine: RealityMine is a tech leader in high quality passive research, enabling clients to reveal unique insights from real life consumer behaviour.
Melissa Fernandez
Co-Founder & CEO of Bookalook
Co Founder and CEO of Bookalook.
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About Bookalook, Vibia: Bookalook is the platform for the new generation of fashion professionals.
Jonathan Thompson
CEO of Digital UK
Jonathan Thompson is Chief Executive of Digital UK. He took up the role on 22 July 2013. Prior to joining Digital UK Jonathan worked in the Office of the Chairman at DMGT plc, advising on group strategy. He is also a former Director of Strategy of both media regulator Ofcom and Channel 4, and represented the broadcaster on the board of Freeview. Between 2007-2010 Jonathan was also a non-executive Director of Which?, the commercial arm and consumer brand for the Consumer Association
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About Digital UK: Digital UK provides operational support for the platform, including management of the Freeview electronic program guide and more.
Lee Cassingham
CEO and Founder of Viewex
Founder at Viewex
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About Viewex: Find hidden ad revenue on your website
Paola Marinone
Founder & CEO of BuzzMyVideos
Founder & CEO at BuzzMyVideos.
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About Blackbox, BuzzMyVideos, TechItalia:Lab: BuzzMyVideos is leading martech company that drives hyper-growth & new revenue from and on YouTube.
Pierre Figeat
CEO and Co-Founder of Admo.tv
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About Admo.tv: Admo.tv is the best TV analytics platform that helps TV & radio advertisers to measure and optimise the online impact.
Olga Egorsheva
CEO & Co-Founder of Lobster
Entrepreneur at Lobster. Building a bridge between every individual online and creative professionals. Inspired by independent creativity. Inspiring by breaking the rules. The world is my home country to learn, work and start companies.
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About Lobster: Lobster is a platform which enables brands, agencies and the media to licence visual content directly from social media users.
Duncan Horton
CEO of Jacobs Media Group
Duncan Horton is CEO at Travel Weekly Group.
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About Jacobs Media Group, Travel Weekly Group: Jacobs Media Group develops a portfolio of brands based in London but with a truly multinational footprint spanning five continents.
Michal Marcinik
Founder & Chief Executive Officer of AdTonos
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About AdTonos, E2E: Creating innovative technologies for voice commerce, enabling voice transactions. Bringing the power like Adwords has to audio advertising.
Guido Meardi
CEO & Co-founder of V-Nova
Former senior Partner at McKinsey, where he was head of the Organization and Operations Practices of the Mediterranean Complex, Guido has a breadth of business experience and access to senior executives in a variety of industries and geographies, with well-established experience in telecoms, technology, healthcare, insurance, aerospace and defence. He led transformational projects in all continents, and was instrumental in setting up some of McKinsey’s own innovation-related business building activities. Guido is also a serial entrepreneur and angel investor, with many previous business ventures and half a dozen exits. Having retained his engineering expertise, he contributed to the foundational development work for PERSEUS of his co-founder Luca Rossato and is joint inventor of a number of essential aspects of the technology as well as of several of its latest developments, with over 200 patents co-authored and filed. Guido holds an MBA from MIT Sloan, where he was a Siebel scholar, and a M.Sc. in Computer Engineering from Politecnico di Milano, where he was an Intel scholar, and University of Texas at Austin.
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About : Next-generation video and image compression that works today
David Creuzot
Founder and CEO of Konbini
David Creuzot is a Founder at Konbini.
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About Konbini: Konbini is a media company and an advertising agency focused on delivering creative content over the internet.
Martin Kelly
CEO & Co-Founder of Infectious Media
Martin Kelly started as a press planner and buyer at Zenith Media before becoming a founding member of Zenith Interactive Solutions, and then a Board Media Director of Agency Republic. In 2008, he co-founded Infectious Media, a multi-award winning international programmatic agency that partners with global brands to deliver effective and efficient media campaigns. With this business Martin has developed a new model for the agency. One that has specialist teams and technology that exclusively focus on making data-driven advertising work for brands.
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About Infectious Media: Infectious Media is an international programmatic agency that partners with global brands to deliver effective & efficient media campaigns.
Leanne Kemp
Founder & CEO of Everledger
Leanne Kemp is the Founder & CEO of Everledger, a leading emerging technology enterprise that tracks the provenance of high-value assets on a global digital ledger in an authenticated immutable manner. Using her extensive background in emerging technology, business, jewellery and insurance, Leanne is pushing boundaries with Everledger in building a global verification system that asserts transparency along the entire supply chain process. This enables the tracking and protection of high-value assets, consequently mitigating risk and fraud in global marketplaces. Her leadership role in technology has been recognised, winning awards including Innovator of the Year 2018 at the Women in IT Awards (London) as well as being named in UK Business Insider’s 26 Coolest Women in UK Tech 2016 and Brummell Magazine’s Top 30 Female Innovators 2016 in Brummell Magazine. She has also been named an IBM Champion for 2018. Leanne is an appointed member of the World Economic Forum’s Blockchain Council and a Co-Chair for the World Trade Board’s Sustainable Trade Action Group. She is also on the IBM Blockchain Platform Board of Advisors.
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About Everledger: Everledger provides an immutable ledger for diamond and other asset ownership and related supply chain history.
Jonathan Morris
CEO of DriveTribe
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About DriveTribe: DriveTribe is a digital media platform that allows businesses to create & publish automobile-related contents to their customers.
Claire McArdle
Co-Chief Executive Officer of Collective Media Group
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About Collective Media Group, Comedy Central: Collective Media Group works collaboratively with on and off-screen talent to develop, produce and distribute compelling, premium content.
Damian Dutton
CEO (co-founder) of BeeLiked Media Ltd
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About BeeLiked Media Ltd: An interactive content platform for brands to engage their digital audience, build first-party data and drive sales
Gavin Poolman
CEO of Apollo Media
After 3 years as a software developer working on government and private sector contracts, Gavin moved to the UK to attend the London Film School. He spent 10 years working as a finance and acquisitions executive for companies including Oscar-winning producer Jeremy Thomas’s Glinwood Films/ Films Trustees, and Mayfair Entertainment International. In 1996, together with investment banker Mark Beilby, Gavin founded media finance boutique Apollo Media, where he has been involved in the production and/ or finance of over 14 films with an aggregate production value of over $350M, including The Zookeeper (w Sam Neill), Festival Express (w Janis Joplin, Grateful Dead, The Band), and Abel Ferrara’s Chelsea On The Rocks. In 2008, Gavin and Mark co-founded mobile tech company Lumi Insight (www.lumiinsight.com), based on a unique and proprietary state-of-the-art content management system enabling real-time interactivity on any mobile device. Lumi was awarded 5 innovation grants in 2010/ 2011 by the UK’s Technology Strategy Board. Originally created for viewers to interact in real time with live TV, Lumi’s patented software has been deployed in music, market research, digital polling, CRM, and meetings & events for clients including YLE, SVT, Mediaset and NBC, EMI, CI and Abbey Road Live, WPP, Kantar, Ipsos, IBM, Vodafone, and MBI (for Unilever, Pepsi, and London Transport), YouGov, and eBay. Lumi’s shareholders now include advertising giant WPP and Chris Morris, founder of Computershare. In June 2013, Lumi completed the acquisition of IML, a UK-based tech company providing software services to meetings & events. In 2013, together with Ingenious Media, Apollo developed and launched the Ingenious Senior Film Fund, a data-driven fund that finances independent films with budgets over $10M, which Gavin co-manages. Investments include The Dressmaker (w Kate Winslet), Hunter’s Prayer (w Sam Worthington), and director Jim Sheridan’s new film The Secret Scripture (w Rooney Mara). Specialties: Media and technology finance, investment and strategy
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About Apollo Media: Code name for Bevy, Inc. See Bevy Inc.
Svetlana Dragayeva
CEO of Fountain Digital Labs
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About Fountain Digital Labs: FDL is a tech company based in the UK.
Jim Agren
CEO of DigiZmart
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About DigiZmart: DigiZmart offers e-learning solutions to test the knowledge of children based on school curriculum.
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.
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About LiveTube: The world’s first Curated Live Video Platform.
Albin Serviant
CEO of I/O Media
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About I/O Media: I/O Media encourages media brands to embrace digitalization and diversify their channels.
Marius Anton
Chief Exec. Officer (CEO) of SMARTUNIT Digital Marketing Agency
Chief Exec. Officer (CEO) at SMARTUNIT Digital Marketing Agency.
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About SMARTUNIT Digital Marketing Agency: Smartunity Digital Marketing Agency utilizes search engine optimization to increase web traffic.
Bob Haynes
Founder & CEO of Ad Venture
Bob has acquired 15 years’ experience working with the world’s leading content owners, advertisers and technology providers [names]. In 2010 Bob worked with Nat West & Mediacom on the UK’s first addressable TV advertising campaign, winning the Thinkbox “Most Innovative Use of TV” award.
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About Ad Venture: Ad Venture is a firm that provide web influenced ad services to television.
Sam Hartnell
CEO / Founder of Xzero Entertainment
Sam Hartnell – YouTube Network Entrepreneur, Founder of Xzero Entertainment Xzero Entertainment Network (XEN) is a media & technology company that brings together content owners, network operators and advertisers to create economically sustainable online and mobile video business models. XEN specializes in the aggregation, optimization, protection and monetization of video content. We create compelling distribution opportunities for its content partners and income generation opportunities for its network and advertising partners.
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About Xzero Entertainment, YouTube: DigiYouTube MCN Network – Business Development & Music Distribution
Russell Clayton
CEO of Rosie Lee
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About Rosie Lee: Rosie Lee are a hybrid creative agency.
Anne Oesemann
CEO & Founder of Stellar Media – Global Media Experts
Anne has sound knowledge in all levels of advertising and marketing. She is passionate about marketing strategies, social media and the international media landscape and has a strong grasp of new technologies and market trends and is able to formulate strategies using these skills. Previously, she has worked for the leading media owners The Telegraph Media Group (TMG) and Gruner & Jahr International Media Sales, where she worked on cross media campaigns for brands like Prada, Versace, Michael Kors, Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan, Carmignac and different tourism boards amongst others. Earlier in her career, Anne worked in the Marketing and PR departments of Marc O’Polo, Philipp Plein and several Fashion Startups.
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About Stellar Media – Global Media Experts: International Media Consultancy Firm
Chris Pearce
Chief Executive Officer of MRM
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About MRM: MRM is a marketing agency that transforms businesses by helping brands grow meaningful relationships with people.
Chris Combemale
CEO of DMA UK
Chris is the CEO of the DMA Group, comprising the DMA, IDM and TPSL companies. He has over 35 years’ experience across advertising and marketing experience in Europe, the USA and Asia/Pacific including senior roles at agencies, brands and technology companies. Chris launched his career in New York with Young & Rubicam in 1982 after two years in TV production. His 12 years at Y&R included 5 years in Asia, from 1989, initially as regional account director for Dentsu Young & Rubicam (DY&R) and then as General Manager of Wunderman Hong Kong before founding the Wunderman office in Singapore in 1992. Chris moved to London in 1994 as European media and sourcing director for Franklin Mint and created his own on-line catalogue company (Living Heritage) in 1998. From 2000 to 2009, Chris developed Emailvision (now Smartfocus) into Europe’s leading email service provider (ESP) in his dual roles of Chief Operating Officer and UK Managing Director. In addition to his commercial activity, Chris has taken a lead in industry issues including legislation, best practice and education. His industry roles include being Co-Chair of FEDMA, Chair of the JIC Mail board, and seats on the boards of the Advertising Association, Asbof and CAP.
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About DMA UK: DMA UK is a trade body for the direct marketing industry.
Mario Vassiliades
Chief Executive Officer of Series Eight
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About Series Eight: Award-winning digital product studio specialising in branding, UX, UI and front-end development.
Kyle Ledermann
CEO/Founder of Grip The Edge
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About Grip The Edge: Creative Agency in London Ontario. Web Design and Development, Graphic Design, Photography and Video Production
Waqas Iqbal
CEO & Founder of Vix Solutions
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About Vix Solutions: IT & Digital Marketing company based in London
