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 United Kingdom based Executive Director operating in the Venture Capital space. If you think a Executive 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.
Kirk A. Lepke
Executive Director, GS Growth of Goldman Sachs
Kirk A. Lepke is an Executive Director, GS Growth at Goldman Sachs. He was a member of the firm’s investment activities in Europe. Prior to Summit, Kirk worked for Torch Partners and Morgan Keegan Technology Group. He received a BA in commerce, organizations and entrepreneurship, magna cum laude, from Brown University.
Follow Kirk A. Lepke:
About Goldman Sachs: Goldman Sachs is a multinational financial services firm providing securities, investment banking, and management services.
Sarah Card
Executive Director of Goldman Sachs
Follow Sarah Card:
About Goldman Sachs: Goldman Sachs is a multinational financial services firm providing securities, investment banking, and management services.
Russell Berry
Executive Director of Goldman Sachs
Follow Russell Berry:
About Goldman Sachs: Goldman Sachs is a multinational financial services firm providing securities, investment banking, and management services.
Thomas Teichman
Chairman and Executive Director of Spark Ventures
Tom is the Chairman of SPARK Venture Management and has a long track record in backing, chairing and developing some of Europe’s most successful internet, technology, music, games and software businesses. Additionally, he has 20 years’ prior investment banking experience acquired at Credit Suisse, Bank of Montreal Nesbitt and Mitsubishi Bank, where he held various positions including Head of Corporate Finance, Trading and Syndicate. Tom was Executive Chairman of SPARK Ventures plc for 10 years until 2011 and now chairs SPARK Venture Management, which manages the SPARK Ventures plc portfolio and other significant technology and life sciences portfolios including funds from major institutions and 27 Oxford University colleges and the UK Government. Tom has operated hands-on after his City days in many small and fast growing businesses from start up to IPO or trade sale. Thus, unusually, he combines awareness of the capital markets and the M&A environments with that of entrepreneurial, rapid growth companies with mould-breaking ideas.
Follow Thomas Teichman:
About Simba Sleep, The Garage Soho: SPARK Venture is an early-stage venture capital investor in Europe.
Alexis Scorer
Executive Director of GP Bullhound
Alexis is an Executive Director at GP Bullhound. He has broad experience across the technology industry and has led successful M&A transactions in sectors including software, IT services, telecoms, internet and digital media. Prior to joining GP Bullhound, Alexis was Director of corporate development at Experian where he was responsible for deal origination and execution for the EMEA region. He previously spent more than 10 years working in the technology sector and held international Corporate Development roles at HP Enterprise Services and EDS, where he worked on numerous acquisitions and divestments across Europe. Alexis holds a BSc Joint Hons. in International Management and Modern Languages from the University of Bath and an MBA from Imperial College Business School.
Follow Alexis Scorer:
About GP Bullhound: GP Bullhound is a technology advisory and investment firm that provides transaction advice and capital to entrepreneurs and founders.
Alice Avis
Non-Executive Director of Business Growth Fund
Alice Avis joined the board of BGF in April 2016 and brings a wealth of marketing, e-commerce and executive experience. During her time as Chief Executive and Chair at The Sanctuary Spa, Alice oversaw a trebling of the business’s value and its sale to PZ Cussons. Most recently she served as Executive Chairman for Lumene Oy, a Finnish skincare and cosmetics company. She is currently a Non-Executive Director at The Edrington Group, a privately-owned international spirits company, and Cyden Limited, a British beauty and health company, as well as serving as an advisor to the National Trust. Alice’s experience includes stints as Director of Marketing and e-Commerce at Marks and Spencer, and as Global Brand Director at Johnnie Walker. In 2009 she was awarded an MBE for services to the beauty industry.
Follow Alice Avis:
About Business Growth Fund: Business Growth Fund is an influential investor in small and mid-sized businesses.
Adrian White
Non Executive Director of Business Growth Fund
Follow Adrian White:
About Business Growth Fund, Lloyds Banking Group: Business Growth Fund is an influential investor in small and mid-sized businesses.
James Chew
Non Executive Director of Business Growth Fund
Follow James Chew:
About Business Growth Fund: Business Growth Fund is an influential investor in small and mid-sized businesses.
Coline McConville
Non Executive Director of 3i Group
Follow Coline McConville:
About 3i Group: 3i is an international investment manager focused on mid-market Private Equity, Infrastructure & Debt Management.
Mark Stokes
Non-Executive Director of Pembroke VCT
Mark Stokes has over 30 years of experience in financial services, and 20 years at the Executive Committee level. He is currently Chief Commercial Officer at United Trust Bank, and previously held Managing Director positions at Lloyds Corporate and Commercial Banking, Williams & Glyn, and Metro Bank. He has a deep understanding of business strategy, execution, performance management, risk management, and governance. Mark has broad business experience from a career lending into commercial and SME markets, and consumer and asset finance markets, which includes M&A execution and capital markets fundraising. He has also previously served as a Non-Executive Director Alternate with Motobility Operations Group plc. Mark is a member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers and has completed their Green and Sustainable Finance certification. He also holds a Diploma in Company Direction and Board Development from the Institute of Directors.
Follow Mark Stokes:
About Pembroke VCT: Pembroke is a venture capital trust focusing on growth stage companies in the health and fitness, apparel, media, and technology sectors.
Louise Wolfson
Non-Executive Director of Pembroke VCT
Louise is a senior corporate lawyer who was previously a partner at Allen & Overy LLP and Pinsent Masons LLP. She has a particular focus on corporate finance transactions and has wider experience including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic investments, capital raisings, and listings. Louise currently works as a freelance legal consultant and sits as a tribunal judge hearing social security and immigration appeals. Louise is also a director of Women’s Pioneer Housing, a housing association that supports women in West London.
Follow Louise Wolfson:
About Pembroke VCT: Pembroke is a venture capital trust focusing on growth stage companies in the health and fitness, apparel, media, and technology sectors.
Liz Hewitt
Non Executive Director of National Grid Partners
Follow Liz Hewitt:
About National Grid Partners: National Grid Partners makes and manages strategically and financially attractive investments and leads company-wide innovation efforts.
Thomas Munk
Executive Director of Goldman Sachs Asset Management
Thomas Munk was the Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer at Compare Europe Group. He currently serves as an Executive Director at Goldman Sachs Asset Management.
Follow Thomas Munk:
About Goldman Sachs Asset Management: Goldman Sachs Asset Management provides institutional and individual investors with investment and advisory solutions.
Peter Williams
Non-Executive Director of Bridges Fund Management
Peter Williams has 34 years experience in private equity. Until recently he was a group board member and head of UK at 3i, Europe’s leading quoted venture capital company. He qualified as a chartered accountant with PriceWaterhouseCoopers in Birmingham. In 1970 he joined 3i where he spent his career working in their offices in Birmingham, Liverpool, Brighton and London until he retired in 2002. He has been a council member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and the CBI Small Firms Council as well as a non-executive director of a number of companies.
Follow Peter Williams:
About : Bridges Fund Management is a specialist fund manager dedicated to sustainable and impact investment.
Govind Pindoria
Executive Director of Imperial Innovations
Follow Govind Pindoria:
About Imperial Innovations: Imperial Innovations is a technology commercialization and venture capital investor that focuses on technology.
Clive John
Non Executive Director of Development Bank of Wales
Clive has over 25 years’ experience in the private equity industry and spent a significant part of this as a senior director of Lloyds TSB Development Capital (LDC). He has considerable experience of investing in and growing private companies across many sectors, in many cases as a board member. Since leaving LDC he has chaired a thriving diagnostic business, worked with the BVCA in training private equity executives and acted as advisor to a major hedge fund.
Follow Clive John:
About Development Bank of Wales, SELDOC Healthcare: Development Bank of Wales provides flexible finance for businesses based in Wales.
James Witter
Non-Executive Director of Oxford Capital Partners
James joined the Board of Oxford Capital at the beginning of 2013 and contributes broad experience of the institutional capital and private equity markets in Europe and around the world. Following a 15 year career with Dresdner Kleinwort Benson merchant bank in London in origination and utilities financing, James became a managing director with Merrill Lynch International before joining Nomura International as Director of Private Equity Capital Markets. Since 2007 he has served SVG Advisers, an affiliate of the Schroders Group and a subsidiary of SVG Capital plc, as a member of the Executive Management Committee and Head of Investment Advisory and Solutions. James read Natural Sciences at Cambridge University and won an MBA at the London Business School. He is a Cambridge Rowing Blue and active sportsman.
Follow James Witter:
About Oxford Capital Partners, SVG Advisers: Oxford Capital is a technology venture capital investor based in London and Oxford.
Julian Taylor
Executive Director – Asia Pacific of Scottish Enterprise
Julian Taylor is Scottish Enterprise’s Executive Director, Strategy and Economics. He is responsible for helping set the overall direction of SE – in response to the Government Economic Strategy – and the evidence base that supports this. He works closely with a range of public and private partners and his experience includes advising a number of major companies at a senior level. Julian has over 20 years’ experience of international economic development in a wide variety of roles and has been with Scottish Enterprise since 1997. He was educated at the Universities of Sheffield, Newcastle upon Tyne, Dortmund and Herriot Watt and is a member of Glasgow University’s Adam Smith Business School Advisory Board.
Follow Julian Taylor:
About Scottish Enterprise: Scottish Enterprise is Scotland’s main economic, enterprise, innovation and investment agency.
Sue Hunter
Non-Executive Director of Frog Capital
Sue Hunter is the Chairman of Investment Committee at Frog Capital Ltd. Sue began her career as an accountant with KPMG, and holds a BSc (Hons) in Economics from the University of St. Andrews.
Follow Sue Hunter:
About Frog Capital, Scotts Project Trust: Frog invests in software enabled scale-up stage tech companies in Europe.
