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 Manchester based Director operating in the Financial Services space. If you think a Director 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.
Nick Horrocks
Director of GP Bullhound
Nick is a Director at GP Bullhound. He has broad experience in general corporate finance across a range of sectors. Prior to joining GP Bullhound, Nick spent 9 years at Clearwater International in Manchester where he undertook numerous M&A and corporate finance projects working in private equity, debt and corporate transactions both in the UK and overseas. He began his career at HSBC Investment Bank and has also spent time as a strategy consultant. Nick holds a BA in Economics from Durham University and an MBA (with Distinction) from Manchester Business School.
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About GP Bullhound: GP Bullhound is a technology advisory and investment firm that provides transaction advice and capital to entrepreneurs and founders.
Ged Gould
Senior Director, North West of LDC
A graduate from Manchester University, Ged qualified as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG in 1991. Ged has over 20 years of experience from the advisory arena (with KPMG Corporate Finance), private equity (with Bridgepoint Capital), as well as being the Finance Director of two private equity backed businesses. He has experience of a wide range of sectors including support services, manufacturing and retail. Ged currently sits on the board of four investments, namely ATG Access, Bifold, Independent Group and Antler.
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About LDC: LDC is a private equity company which provides funds for buyouts and development capital transactions in UK unquoted companies.
Simon Braham
Investment Director of LDC
Simon has over 16 years experience in advisory, banking, restructuring and private equity. He graduated from UCL before qualifying as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG in Manchester where he specialised in due diligence for private equity transactions. He joined JP Morgan Cazenove’s Equity Capital Markets team in 2004 covering the small/mid-cap space before joining Bank of Scotland where he provided acquisition finance to support private equity transactions. More latterly Simon was a Director in Lloyd’s Banking Group’s restructuring team leading the restructure/workout of a portfolio of private equity assets. Simon joined LDC at the start of 2011, transactions to date include WRG, Kirona, Metronet and Angus Fire, in addition to a number of bolt-on acquisitions for portfolio companies.
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About LDC: LDC is a private equity company which provides funds for buyouts and development capital transactions in UK unquoted companies.
Lee Abbott
Director of Endless LLP
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About Endless LLP: Endless is an investor that specializes in supporting management buyouts, acquisition of non-core businesses, and turnaround investments.
Craig Hopwood
Investment Director of Maven Capital Partners
Based in our Manchester office, Craig is responsible for new private equity investments across the North of England and also works with portfolio companies in the region. He joined Maven in 2017 from HSBC‘s Leverage Portfolio Management team where he was a Relationship Director responsible for a portfolio of larger private equity-backed businesses across the region. Prior to this, Craig worked at Northstar Equity Investors where he set up and ran the Leeds office with overall responsibility for a new £48m Equity Investment Fund. Craig also previously worked with Aberdeen Asset Managements’ Private Equity team, where he was a colleague to a number of current Maven executives, prior to that Aberdeen team leading a buy-out to form Spirit Capital Partners LLP. Craig has a degree in Business Management from Bradford University and trained as a Chartered Accountant with Coopers & Lybrand before working within the Audit, Transaction Services and Corporate Finance practices at PriceWaterhouseCoopers, based in Leeds, Denver and London.
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About Maven Capital Partners: Maven Capital Partners is a private equity firm that provides a range of funding options to SMEs and investment opportunities.
Dave Furlong
Investment Director of Maven Capital Partners
Based in our Manchester office, Dave is responsible for the execution of new investments for the NPIF Equity Finance fund, and also works with portfolio companies across the region. He joined Maven in 2017 from Infinity Debt Capital Management LLP, where he oversaw the launch and overall management of a new SME/mid-market regional debt fund and originated new private equity opportunities. Previously, Dave held senior positions at HSBC across London and the UK regions, and ultimately ran the Leveraged Finance business in the North West, responsible for the origination, execution and monitoring of a £500m portfolio of leveraged facilities across a wide range of transaction sizes and types. He also held a similar role at Lloyds Banking Group in Manchester. Dave completed an MBA at the University of Liverpool in 2013.
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About Maven Capital Partners: Maven Capital Partners is a private equity firm that provides a range of funding options to SMEs and investment opportunities.
Ryan Bevington
Investment Director of Maven Capital Partners
Ryan is responsible for new investments in the north of England. He joined Aberdeen Asset Management in January 2007 having previously worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Manchester where he spent over 8 years in their Corporate Finance Private Equity team working as an Assistant Director on a wide range of transactions. Ryan qualified as a Chartered Accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers having graduated from Leeds University with an LLB (Hons) Law degree in 1998.
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About Healthpoint, Maven Capital Partners: Maven Capital Partners is a private equity firm that provides a range of funding options to SMEs and investment opportunities.
Ashwin Kumaraswamy
Investment Director of Mercia Asset Management PLC
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About Enterprise Ventures, Mercia Asset Management PLC, South Yorkshire Investment Fund: Mercia is a proactive, specialist asset manager focused on supporting regional businesses to achieve their growth aspirations.
Mark Wyatt
Investment Director of Mercia Asset Management PLC
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About Mercia Asset Management PLC: Mercia is a proactive, specialist asset manager focused on supporting regional businesses to achieve their growth aspirations.
Claire Alvarez
Director of Foresight Group
Claire joined Foresight’s Manchester office in 2016 from Deloitte’s Manchester practice where she spent six years advising banks and company directors and returning value from distressed SMEs. In this time Claire also completed an 18 month secondment to Barclays Bank Plc. Since graduating from Lancaster University with a 1st class degree in Management, Claire has worked extensively in the North West, initially for KPMG and subsequently at Altium Capital. In this time Claire also completed an MBA for Financial Professionals (with Distinction) through Manchester Business School.
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About Foresight Group: Foresight is an infrastructure and private equity investment manager that manages funds on behalf of institutions and retail clients.
Issac Qureshi
Founder & Director Of Client Services of Ogilvy & Haart
Based in London, Issac Qureshi is a skilled financial professional with expertise in areas including hedge funds and tax strategy. Issac’s involvement in hedge funds began during his time in Scotland, where he was working as a tax advisor. He had many clients inquire as to how they could use their tax savings more beneficially, and as interest grew, so did Issac’s desire to provide them with a solution. He created Hemingway, a wealth-focused investment firm with a global reach. They are focused on investing in unique global markets, providing clients with multiple streams of income, and producing generational wealth that will last long term. Additionally in his career, Issac Qureshi has served as a Director of Client Services and Founder of Ogilvy & Haart. He specializes in adaptation to the world of commerce: while he surely can run a company, he makes it a point to learn the language of a company that is already established, note its strengths, spot its weaknesses, and turn the whole establishment over to discover its untouched potential. After years of diligent work in his education and in the field, Issac Qureshi knows how to find and run a company built for success in an ever-changing market. Accorded with the LloydsTSB Asian Jewel Award, EMBF Rising Star Award, the Tiger Award, and Royal Mail’s title of Regional Direct Marketing Campaign of the Year, it is no surprise that NW Business Insider Magazine recognized Issac in their “Top 42 Under 42” list in 2006. Issac’s contribution to business and excellence put him at the top of this list, as well as on the radar as one of the best businessmen in the UK. The year he earned his BA and Honors in Social & Economic History from Liverpool University in the UK, Issac Qureshi hit the ground running as an Account Executive at Kaleidoscope ADM in 1995. Starting his career right out of college allowed him to get his foot in the door, and see what the business world consist of. He adjusted the way of the business world quickly, acquiring tools like advertising, design, and marketing strategy which he would later employ. Completing his formal education, Issac Qureshi obtained his diploma from Manchester University Institute of Direct Marketing in 1998, and graduated with an MA in Marketing from Canterbury University in Ontario, Canada, in 2003. He later went on to graduate first honors with his Bachelor of Laws from The London School of Economics and Political Science. He completed his Master of Laws, with a focus in International and Commercial Trust Law, from UCL, also first honors. Issac always put education first, and strived to be at the top of his class. He believes those who worked hard in their education will be greatly rewarded in the future. Wasting no time, Issac Qureshi co-founded Urban Logic UK in 2004, a professional authority in property investment. He served as the Chief Executive Officer of his own company for two years, honing his skills in marketing programs, customer services, income maximization, and intracompany relationships, here he learned valuable skills that come with running your own company. A few years later, and well-versed in company management, Issac Qureshi began as the Chief executive Officer of LAKAS Investments PLC, dedicated to retail investment. With a background in strategy and management, Issac can adapt to any type of business and strengthen it for profitability. Before founding his own enterprises, he moved on to Marvel Marketing as a Non-Executive Director, and exercised his prowess in fundraising, campaign analysis, and working with shareholders and brokers. In 2014, he founded the highly successful Ogilvy & Haart, a wealth management and taxation consultancy. This was the cultivation of all Issac Qureshi’s hard work. Almost 20 years after graduating from college, he was able to create a company that embodied all the education that he had received previously. Having worked as the Ambassador for a charity Karma Nirvana and Mix-d, Issac Qureshi works best in communities. It is easy for him to see the value in an organization with which he has had no previous experience, which explains his ability to raise more than 7m in fundraising for companies he has no personal affiliation with. Issac Qureshi knows the importance of fundraising for companies after being apart of so many, he understands that funding is what makes the company successful in the long term. So, he’s able to use his expertise to help organisations as he’s helped his own companies. With experience in asset protection, stock market strategy, and marketing technique, Issac Qureshi is an unparalleled expert in his field, who continuously acquires up-to-date knowledge and readjusts his view of the market for optimal outcomes. In the kinetic and ever-changing business world, Isaac Qureshi is a prime developer. Issac prides himself on not only his mastery of the business field, but his ability to see a company’s strengths and flaws so clearly that he can create a new and fool-proof marketing plan catered to the respective enterprise’s profile. Follow Issac Qureshi’s innovative ideas on LinkedIn, and his personal website for ideas and discussion that you can bring to your own business.
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About Ogilvy & Haart: Wealth management and taxation consultancy founded by Issac Qureshi
Jessica Jackson
Investment Director of GC Angels
Jessica Jackson serves as an Investment Director at GC Angels.
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About GC Angels: GC Angels is the angel investment arm of the Growth Company.
Nick Edgar
Senior Director of Clydesdale Bank
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About Clydesdale Bank: Clydesdale Bank growth finance provides a range of innovative debt solutions for early stage, high growth businesses.
Ian Williams
Director of Communications of Gregory Pennington
Ian Williams is a director of communications at Gregory Pennington. Prior to that, Ian has held positions at Think Money Group, Moneysupermarket.com, Lansons Communications, and Nationwide Building Society. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Portsmouth.
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About Gregory Pennington: Gregory Pennington is a privately held company that provides debt management plans.
Jonathan Farnell
Co-Founder and Director of Arro Money
With over 17 years’ experience working in the UK banking sector, Jonathan specialises in regulatory & operational risk management, compliance and the development of business performance and management information systems. He has undertaken a number of directorships and senior roles, including Risk Management Director at a UK based money remittance consultancy and Director of Management Information at a General Insurance Brokerage.
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About Arro Money: Arro Money is a fast-growing provider of personal and business accounts.
Muhammad Asim
Co-Founder and Director of Arro Money
Awarded the Youngest Successful Business Entrepreneur by the Ministry of Information, Government of Pakistan, Muhammad Asim is a business start-up expert having previously established and developed a number of successful companies. With a particular expertise in strategic planning, brand development and marketing, Muhammad Asim has undertaken a number of senior roles, including Finance Director and General Manager of Administration at AA Exchange Company (PVT).
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About Arro Money: Arro Money is a fast-growing provider of personal and business accounts.
Mahmood Kamran
Co-Founder and Director of Arro Money
A former Inspector of financial institutions for the State Bank of Pakistan, Mahmood Ali Kamran’s areas of expertise include finance, audit and business administration. He has held a number of senior leadership team roles in different multinational companies in United Arab Emirates and Pakistan.
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About Arro Money: Arro Money is a fast-growing provider of personal and business accounts.
Alan Wilson
Co-Founder and Director of Arro Money
Alan Wilson is the Co-Founder and Director at Arro Money. A financial services expert with over 30 years’ experience working in the UK banking sector, Alan has undertaken a number of directorships and senior roles, including Regulatory Compliance Director & Money Laundering Reporting Officer for a large UK based Money Services Business and Compliance Director for an FCA regulated Insurance Brokerage. Areas of expertise include the European Payment Services regulations, anti-money laundering policies and training & competency schemes.
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About Arro Money: Arro Money is a fast-growing provider of personal and business accounts.
Liam May
Investment Director of NVM Private Equity
Liam May joins NVM from Altium Capital where he worked for two years as a Corporate Finance Associate, with responsibility for advising clients on deal structuring, execution and negotiation strategy. In 2013, he worked closely with NVM’s Andy Leach to complete the management buy-out of North West based Buoyant Holdings. Prior to Altium, Liam spent three years at Ernst & Young LLP where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant. He then undertook a number of due-diligence assignments in both M&A and Transactions Services, including GlaxoSmithKline’s successful acquisition of Maximuscle.
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About NVM Private Equity: NVM Private Equity Limited is an independently-owned firm of venture capital managers with over 20 years experience of investing in UK.
Karl Cockwill
Portfolio Director of NVM Private Equity
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About NVM Private Equity, NVM Private Equity: NVM Private Equity Limited is an independently-owned firm of venture capital managers with over 20 years experience of investing in UK.
Sean Powell
National Sales Director & Commercial Finance of Secure Trust Bank
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About Secure Trust Bank: Secure Trust Bank provides simple, transparent savings accounts, mortgages and Business and Commercial Finance.
Laura Clarke
Founder and Director of FinTech Global Careers Ltd
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About FinTech Global Careers Ltd: FinTech Global Careers are an executive talent agency specialising in World-Class talent within the FinTech niche.
Stephen Dyson
Director of R&D Funding Group
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About R&D Funding Group: We help companies secure and maximise R&D Tax Credits, R&D Grants and Video Games Tax Relief