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 Managing Director operating in the Impact Investing space. If you think a Managing 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.
John Tang
Managing Director, Head of EMEA, Cerberus Technology Solutions of Cerberus Capital Management
Follow John Tang:
About Cerberus Capital Management: Cerberus Capital Management is a private investment firm that focuses on operational private equity investments.
Nestor Paz Galindo
Managing Director of UBS
Nestor Paz Galindo as managing director and head of sell-side and financial sponsors M&A for EMEA. Paz Galindo will join the bank from JP Morgan in March next year. Paz Galindo has spent all of his professional career to date at JP Morgan. He has held a range of M&A-related roles over 22 years, most recently including managing director of the bank’s European financial sponsors group.
Follow Nestor Paz Galindo:
About UBS: UBS is a global financial services company that engages in the provision of financial management solutions.
Marc Wursdorfer
Managing Director of UBS
Follow Marc Wursdorfer:
About UBS: UBS is a global financial services company that engages in the provision of financial management solutions.
Anthony Forshaw
Managing Director, Capital Markets Group of Houlihan Lokey
Follow Anthony Forshaw:
About Houlihan Lokey: Houlihan Lokey is a global investment bank that focuses on capital markets, financial restructuring, valuation, and strategic consulting.
Sandy Purcell
Senior Managing Director of Houlihan Lokey
Sandy Purcell is the Board Member at AudioEye.
Follow Sandy Purcell:
About Houlihan Lokey: Houlihan Lokey is a global investment bank that focuses on capital markets, financial restructuring, valuation, and strategic consulting.
Ann Sharkey
Managing Director of Houlihan Lokey
Follow Ann Sharkey:
About Houlihan Lokey: Houlihan Lokey is a global investment bank that focuses on capital markets, financial restructuring, valuation, and strategic consulting.
Charles Miller-Jones
Managing Director, London of OMERS Private Equity
Charles is a Managing Director in the London office of OMERS Private Equity, having joined the team in September 2017. He is part of the investment team focusing on direct investments in Europe. He was involved in the acquisition of Alexander Mann Solutions in 2018, and is now a non-executive board director with that asset. Before joining OMERS, Charles spent 12 years at Cinven, where he was involved in a range of private equity transactions and investments, including Smurfit Kappa, PizzaExpress, Gala Coral, CPA Global and Kurt Geiger. Charles has an MA (Cantab) in Natural Sciences from Cambridge University.
Follow Charles Miller-Jones:
About OMERS Private Equity: OMERS Private Equity has been making private equity investments for OMERS, one of Canada’s largest plans with in excess of $50 billion of
Orla Ralston
Managing Director, Investment Tax, London of OMERS Private Equity
Orla is Managing Director, Investment Tax in the London office, advising the Infrastructure and Private Equity investment teams in relation to the tax and structuring aspects of their transactions across Europe. Orla joined OMERS in July 2016. Prior to joining OMERS, Orla spent 11 years at Goldman Sachs, working alongside the Merchant Banking Division on their European investments in real estate, infrastructure, debt and equity. Orla was previously a tax associate at Slaughter and May, from 1998 until 2005. Orla holds a joint honours degree (LLB) in Law & Accountancy from Queen’s University Belfast and is qualified as a solicitor in Northern Ireland, and in England and Wales.
Follow Orla Ralston:
About OMERS Private Equity: OMERS Private Equity has been making private equity investments for OMERS, one of Canada’s largest plans with in excess of $50 billion of
Isabelle Pagnotta
Managing Director, London of OMERS Private Equity
Isabelle is Managing Director at OMERS Private Equity Europe, based in London. She leads sourcing, execution and portfolio management of private equity investments in Europe, and is responsible for the origination of deals in France. Since joining in 2012, Isabelle has been involved in OMERS Private Equity’s investments in V. Group, Civica, ERM and Trescal, and has served as Director of Civica and Trescal. Before joining OMERS Private Equity, Isabelle worked at Bridgepoint for four years, and Arcapita for six years, where she assessed and invested in businesses across a range of sectors in both the U.K. and France. Isabelle received a Master’s in Management and a Diplome de Grande Ecole, both from ESCP Europe.
Follow Isabelle Pagnotta:
About OMERS Private Equity: OMERS Private Equity has been making private equity investments for OMERS, one of Canada’s largest plans with in excess of $50 billion of
Jonathan Mussellwhite
Senior Managing Director and Head of Europe of OMERS Private Equity
Follow Jonathan Mussellwhite:
About OMERS Private Equity: OMERS Private Equity has been making private equity investments for OMERS, one of Canada’s largest plans with in excess of $50 billion of
Matt Baird
Managing Director, Operations & Strategy, London of OMERS Private Equity
Matt is Managing Director, Operations & Strategy for OMERS Private Equity in Europe, having joined in April 2017. He works with the management teams leading OMERS portfolio companies to help them generate maximum value through the lifetime of the investment. Matt brings over 20 years’ experience working with and supporting senior executives in PE-backed businesses to deliver results. Prior to joining OMERS, he was a Managing Director in Alvarez & Marsal’s Private Equity Performance Improvement practice, where his work included serving in interim CFO/COO roles in client businesses as well as advising management teams. Prior to this, he was a consultant with McKinsey & Company. He started his career with Arthur Andersen. Matt holds a Masters in Engineering, Economics & Management from Oxford University and is a Chartered Accountant.
Follow Matt Baird:
About OMERS Private Equity: OMERS Private Equity has been making private equity investments for OMERS, one of Canada’s largest plans with in excess of $50 billion of
Eimear Palmer
Managing Director, Head of Responsible Investing of Intermediate Capital Group
Follow Eimear Palmer:
About Intermediate Capital Group: ICG is a specialist asset manager in private debt, credit and equity.
Luigi Bartone
Managing Director of Intermediate Capital Group
Follow Luigi Bartone:
About Intermediate Capital Group: ICG is a specialist asset manager in private debt, credit and equity.
Alex Stirling
Senior Managing Director of Centerbridge Partners LP
Alex joined Centerbridge in 2017 and is responsible for private equity investments across Europe. Prior to joining Centerbridge, Alex spent 17 years working in private equity. Most recently he was a Managing Director at the Carlyle Group in the European Buyout team, advising on business services and consumer sectors in UK and Northern Europe. Previously, Alex worked as an Investment Director with Texas Pacific Group and Apax Partners. Alex began his career with Bain & Company where he advised corporate and Private Equity Clients on strategy, restructuring and M&A across Europe.
Follow Alex Stirling:
About Centerbridge Partners LP: Centerbridge Partners, L.P. is a private investment firm with offices in New York and London.
Finula Cilliers
Managing Director of Evercore Partners
Follow Finula Cilliers:
About Evercore Partners: Evercore Partners is a New York-based investment banking firm that advises its clients on M&A, divestitures, and more.
Rodney Reid
Managing Director of Evercore Partners
Follow Rodney Reid:
About Evercore Partners: Evercore Partners is a New York-based investment banking firm that advises its clients on M&A, divestitures, and more.
Lea Lazaric Calvert
Managing Director of Evercore Partners
Follow Lea Lazaric Calvert:
About Evercore Partners: Evercore Partners is a New York-based investment banking firm that advises its clients on M&A, divestitures, and more.
Olivier Berment
Head of Global Debt Fund – Managing Director of Ardian
Olivier has 18 years of private equity experience including 13 years with Ardian. He began his career in 1996 as a junior investment manager in a private company, specializing in recovery investments. Olivier was also involved in M&A transactions and advised companies with respect to their IPOs. In 1999, he joined Renaissance Investissements, an investment fund specializing in turnaround situations. He joined Ardian in early 2001 where he was in charge of turnaround activities and also completed some direct transactions. He joined the Private Debt team at its inception in 2005.
Follow Olivier Berment:
About Ardian: Ardian is an independent private investment company with assets of US$55bn managed or advised.
Sophia Damianou
Managing Director of Northleaf Capital Partners
Sophia is responsible for Northleaf’s business development activities in Europe, working closely with existing and prospective investors and investment consultants to design, develop and monitor their private markets portfolios. Prior to joining Northleaf in 2019, Sophia was Director of Marketing at CapeView Capital where she had global sales coverage responsibility across all of CapeView’s products. Previously, Sophia was Vice President – EMEA Business Development for Mesirow Financial International where she was responsible for business development strategy for new markets in the EMEA region. Sophia began her career as an Associate on the Capital Introductions team at Credit Suisse. Sophia holds a B.Sc. from University College London, an M.Sc., Law and Economics, from the London School of Economics and an MBA, Finance from Columbia Business School.
Follow Sophia Damianou:
About Northleaf Capital Partners: Northleaf Capital Partners is private equity firm that manages pension plans, endowments, foundations, financial institutions accounts.
David Ross
Managing Director of Northleaf Capital Partners
David is head of Northleaf’s private credit program and a member of the Investment Committees for Northleaf’s private credit and private equity programs. He oversees all aspects of Northleaf’s private credit investment activities, with a focus on the origination, evaluation and monitoring of private credit investments globally. In addition, he is involved in Northleaf’s investor relations and business development activities. Prior to joining Northleaf, David was at Bain Capital Credit, a leading global credit specialist, as a Managing Director, Global Head of Sourcing and a member of Bain Capital’s Opportunistic Credit and Private Credit team. Previously, David served as the Co-Head of Bain Capital Credit’s London office from 2009 to 2013. David began his career with Credit Suisse First Boston in Investment Banking before joining Bain Capital Credit in 2003. David received a B.A. from Harvard College.
Follow David Ross:
About Northleaf Capital Partners: Northleaf Capital Partners is private equity firm that manages pension plans, endowments, foundations, financial institutions accounts.
Roderick Gadsby
Managing Director of Northleaf Capital Partners
Roderick leads Northleaf’s infrastructure investment activities in the UK and Europe, with a focus on transaction origination, due diligence, execution and asset management. Prior to joining Northleaf in 2018, Roderick held senior-level infrastructure investment and advisory roles at institutions such as UBS Investment Bank, Macquarie Group and Barclays Capital, and was most recently a Partner at Stormharbour LLP. With more than 20 years of corporate finance and principal investing experience in the UK and Europe, Roderick has led the origination, execution and financing of infrastructure and other real assets. In addition, Roderick has served on the corporate boards of several privately-held companies. Roderick received a Masters in Business Administration from London Business School and a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from the University of British Columbia.
Follow Roderick Gadsby:
About Northleaf Capital Partners: Northleaf Capital Partners is private equity firm that manages pension plans, endowments, foundations, financial institutions accounts.
Daniel Dupont
Managing Director of Northleaf Capital Partners
Daniel manages Northleaf’s London office and is a member of the Investment Committee for Northleaf’s private equity program. Daniel oversees the origination, evaluation and monitoring of Northleaf’s private equity investments, with a focus on secondary investments. In addition, Daniel is involved in Northleaf’s investor relations and business development activities. Prior to joining Northleaf in 2011, Daniel spent more than a decade at Coller Capital, a leading private equity firm focused on secondary market transactions, where he was responsible for deal sourcing and investment execution for primary and secondary private equity investments, as well as business development activities globally. Previously, Daniel held senior positions in the private equity group at the Caisse de Dépôt et Placement du Québec and in the International and Treasury Divisions at the National Bank of Canada. Daniel has served on various fund advisory boards in Europe, Asia and Canada, and is a guest lecturer in the Masters program at INSEAD. Daniel received a B.B.A. and an M.B.A. in International Finance from the École des Hautes Études Commerciales (HEC Montréal) and holds the Chartered Professional Accountant designation.
Follow Daniel Dupont:
About Northleaf Capital Partners: Northleaf Capital Partners is private equity firm that manages pension plans, endowments, foundations, financial institutions accounts.
Matthieu Ducharme
Managing Director of Northleaf Capital Partners
Matthieu participates in all aspects of Northleaf’s private equity investment activities, with a focus on the origination, evaluation and monitoring of secondary investments. Prior to joining Northleaf in 2013, Matthieu was a partner at PEFOX, a private equity secondaries and derivatives broker in Paris. Previously, Matthieu worked with Pantheon Ventures’ secondaries team in London where he was responsible for the sourcing, evaluation and negotiation of portfolio, fund and direct secondary transactions. Matthieu began his career with an expansion capital fund sponsored by Société Générale Asset Management in Paris. Matthieu received an M.Sc. in Financial Engineering from the Sorbonne University and a B.Sc. in Management Science & Finance from Dauphine University in Paris.
Follow Matthieu Ducharme:
About Northleaf Capital Partners: Northleaf Capital Partners is private equity firm that manages pension plans, endowments, foundations, financial institutions accounts.
