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 COO’ operating in the Retail space. If you think a COO’ 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.
Louis Warner
Chief Operating Officer of Founders Factory
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About Founders Factory: Founders Factory is a global corporate-backed venture studio and accelerator.
Andrew Robb
Chief Operating Officer of Farfetch
Andrew Robb have a broad mix of experience gained from strategy consulting, an internet and mobile music startup, a leading e-commerce company and the UK’s largest magazine publisher. His strengths include general management, strategy analysis, creativity, marketing, product development, business development, strategic partnerships and team leadership & management. His focus is on general management and his goal is to create new businesses, products and services that add value to people and businesses. Specialties:Online marketing, affiliate marketing, product development, strategic partnerships, business development, sales management, customer segmentation, qualitative and quantitative research, financial analysis, economic modelling, project management, team management, leadership.
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About Farfetch: Farfetch is an online luxury fashion retail platform.
Tim Muir
Chief Operating Officer and Director Field Engagement of YOPA
Tim Muir is Chief Operating Officer and Product Director at YOPA. Prior to this, he was a freelance product management consultant. Tim bears a degree in Marketing.
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About YOPA: YOPA provides real estate agency services that assist clients in selling their properties.
Tony Hoggett
Chief Operating Officer of Tesco
Tony joined the Executive Committee on 1 April 2017. Tony is responsible for developing the operational capability and strategy across the Group as well as leading the operations of the UK business. Tony also has responsibility for Tesco’s joint ventures in both China and India. Tony joined Tesco in 1990 and has served in a range of leadership roles in the UK and Asia over the last three decades. Between 2007 and 2011 he held the roles of VP South China, as well as President North China, before moving to Turkey as Chief Operating Officer for Tesco Kipa. In 2011, Tony returned to the UK and held Managing Director roles across all of our large store formats. He also joined the board of Tesco Mobile in 2012. In 2014, he joined the UK Leadership Team as Retail Director and then was appointed Chief Operating Officer UK in 2016 and CEO, Asia in 2017. Tony was appointed to his current role on 1 June 2018.
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About Tesco: Tesco PLC is a British multinational grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, England.
Simon Brown
Chief Operating Officer of Lion Capital
Simon Brown is Lion Capital’s Chief Operating Officer. Prior to joining Lion Capital, Simon was Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer at private equity firms Equistone and Cognetas. Previously Simon was Chief Operating Officer of Lord Rothschild’s family office and Finance Director of Lawrence Graham. Simon received his BA in French and Spanish from Exeter University, he is also a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.
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About Lion Capital: Lion Capital is a consumer-focused investor passionate about investing in brands about which people are passionate.
Richard Evetts
COO of Bink
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About Bink: Bink develops a mobile application that links card payment to loyalty schemes.
Chris Bailey
COO of DisruptSports.com
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About DisruptSports.com: Disrupt is creating the words first fully customizable sport gear platform.
Joe Bonnaud
Global Markets COO and Head of Engineering of BNP Paribas Private Equity
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About BNP Paribas Private Equity, BNP Paribas Private Equity: BNP Paribas is a French private equity firm that provides a range of asset management services to its institutional and retail clients.
Jamie Powell-Tuck
Chief Operating Officer of ZigZag Global
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About Dolphin Finance Corporation, ZigZag Global: ZigZag Global is a software platform that helps retailers manage their returns globally.
Guy Farrant
Chief Operating Officer of Booker Group
Guy is the Group’s Chief Operating Officer. Guy has a wealth of food experience having worked in the food industry for 30 years rising to be Director of Food and, latterly, Operations and Retail Director at Marks and Spencer plc.
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About Booker Group: Booker Group plc is the United Kingdom’s largest food wholesale operator offering branded and private-label goods.
James Day
Chief Operating Officer & Co-Founder of Mous
James Day is the Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of Mous.
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About Mous: Mous is a fashion tech brand that designs and manufactures protective accessories.
Aditya Joshi
COO, Co-Founder of Greendeck
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About Greendeck: Greendeck uses AI to help brands and retailers with pricing optimisation and competitor intelligence.
Sohrab Jahanbani
Founder and COO of GoNabit
Sohrab Jahanbani is Founder and COO at GoNabit.
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About Bidvine, GoNabit: GoNabit is an internet retailer with a deal-a-day format, offering items at big discounts.
Filip Mihailovic
Co-founder,COO of Brisqq
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About Brisqq: Brisqq provides local logistics-as-a-service, enabling retailers to offer same day (or future date) deliveries in 1-hour timeslots.
Michael Michelis
Co-Founder & COO of Intelistyle
Michael Michelis joined Intelistyle as Co-Founder and COO in 2017.
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About Intelistyle: Intelistyle provides A.I. styling solutions to fashion retailers, helping them address the needs of customers looking for styling advice.
Andy Randall
Group Chief Operating Officer of Halfords
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About Halfords: Halfords is the retailer of motoring, cycling, and leisure products and, through Halfords Autocentres.
Michael Williams
Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Glory Global Solutions
CFO since May 2014 and COO since April 2018, Michael is responsible for the company’s Finance, Supply Chain and IS functions. He joined Glory Global Solutions from Hitachi, where he was most recently European Finance Director. Michael’s extensive experience has included consistent delivery of growth and profitability in established global businesses as well as that of large-scale projects such as mergers, acquisitions and divestments. ‘Big Four’ accountancy firm qualified as a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants. Michael has led technical accounting conversion projects, process efficiency drives and IT implementations. He has also been instrumental in developing and bringing to market start-up solution businesses. He has experience across a range of sectors including retail, rail, manufacturing, leasing and motor.
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About Glory Global Solutions: Glory Global Solutions is a pioneer in the development and manufacture of money handling machines and systems.
Khai Vualnam
Chief Operating Officer of Satoshi Systems Limited
Khai, our Chief Operating Officer, brings nearly 2 decades of leadership experience in commodity supply chain to Satoshi. After his MBA from IIM Ahmedabad, Khai has worked in several locations across Africa, Asia and Europe. He is enthusiastic about applying the latest technologies to the commodity supply chain which he believes will bring a transformational change. Whenever possible Khai is delving into the world of cryptocurrency and its unique opportunities.
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About Satoshi Systems Limited: Satoshi Systems provides state of the art software solutions for the trading space, currently focusing on the commodity.
Adrian Maseda
Co-Founder & COO of Cheerfy
Adrian has worked for many years for large corporations like Nortel and Aricent Group in various Business Management and Sales roles. Adrian then became an entrepreneur: Co-Founder @ We2 (Social Wifi), Founder @ Protos (an advisory firm). Adrian is now focused is his latest project, Cheerfy. Adrian believes in using technology to solve problems and reshape how things work. In particular, he sees opportunity in the intersection between social and hyper-localised interactions in a mobile world.
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About Cheerfy, Protos Global Services: The new way restaurants sell post-COVID
Phil Hackney
Chief Operating Officer of The Very Group
Phil Hackney is the Chief Operating Officer at The Very Group.
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About The Very Group: The Very Group is an integrated digital retailer and financial services provider.
Steve Davies
Chief Operating Officer of eve Sleep
Steve Davies is the Chief Operating Officer at eve sleep.
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About eve Sleep: eve Sleep is a pioneer of luxury sleep solutions, promising the perfect start to every day thanks to a guaranteed great night’s sleep.
Daniel Burnham
Co-founder and Chief Operating Office of Sook
Daniel Burnham is the Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer at Sook.
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About Sook: Sook is a retail asset management solution that transforms vacant retail units into customizable digital spaces that are rented by the hour
Henrike Grund
COO of AtHashtags
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About AtHashtags: Combined Online and real world Marketplace that allows vendors to sell and connect with consumers online and in multiple physical locations
James Lewis
COO of DigitalBridge
James Lewis is the COO at DigitalBridge.
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About DigitalBridge: DigitalBridge is a Guided Design platform that enables retailers to help their customers design and buy their dream bathroom or kitchen.
Mike Gadd
Chief Operating Officer of Kindred
Mike Gadd is the Chief Operating Officer at Kindred.
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About Kindred: Kindred is an impact driven tech company that has developed the world’s first sustainable app monetization network.
Wang Feng
Chief Operating Officer of Aixuedai
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About Aixuedai: Aixuedai is an online payment platform that allows students to buy items using monthly installment plans.
Stephen Boyes
Founder and COO of Kurve Kiosks
As a devout technical engineer within IT businesses, I was thrown into the hospitality IT sector in 2000 when I acquired what later become known as, “EPoS Group”, growing it to become a thriving and well-known national player delivering solutions to household names including Chester Zoo, Parkdean Resorts, and Crussh. Following my successful sale and exit of EPoS Group (now re-branded Cunnighams Epos Group) in 2015, I’m now back in the hot seat as COO for Kurve, our vibrant self-serve and kiosk software solutions business which is shaping the UK’s adoption of self-serve across kiosk, online and mobile in the restaurant and hospitality sector.
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About Kurve Kiosks: Bringing the best-in-class self-serve solutions for quick service restaurants & the hospitality sector.
Massimo Rossi
COO and Co-Founder of Shoppi
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About Shoppi: Shoppi is a marketplace to connect local companies with travelers by overcoming existing cultural barriers.
Stephen Ross
Chief Operating Officer of Global Risk Partners
Stephen Ross is the chief operating officer at Global Risk Partners Limited.
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About Global Risk Partners: Global Risk Partners is an investment vehicle aimed at insurance brokers and managing general agents trading in the UK retail and global.
