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 VP’ operating in the Product Design space. If you think a VP’ 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.
Arjun Purkayastha
Senior Vice President – eCommerce, Digital & Ventures of Reckitt
Arjun Purkayastha is a purpose driven leader with extensive global experience managing diverse businesses and multi-cultural teams at FTSE Top 10 and Fortune 100 companies – RB and P&G. He has a strong track record of building outperforming teams, iconic brands & innovative business models across 60+ countries having lived & worked in the UK, Singapore, South Korea and India. He currently leads eCommerce, CRM, digital, DNVB & start up ventures globally for RB with P&L, strategic and operational responsibility of all online channels & customers. He serves on the Board of Directors of 4 high growth, online focused companies – Pharmapacks.com (one of the largest and best 3P resellers on Amazon), Bombay Shaving Company (leading men’s wellness company in India), UpSpring (mom & baby products) and Healthily by Your.MD (AI powered self care). He is also an Investment Committee Member of Founders Factory & RB’s JV focused on Hygiene & Home start ups.
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About Reckitt: Reckitt Benckiser Group is a consumer goods company makes health, hygiene and home products.
Daniel Heaf
VP Nike Direct of Nike
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About Nike: Nike designs, develops, and markets footwear, apparel, equipment, and accessory products.
Steve Murray
Executive Vice President, Strategic Projects of VF
Steve Murray is Executive Vice President, Strategic Projects at VF Corporation. He has more than 30 years of experience in the apparel and footwear industry. In his current role, Steve partners with VF’s Senior Leadership Team and Brand Presidents to drive and deliver integrated strategic projects across brands, functions and the enterprise. Prior to his current role, Steve served as President of the Vans® brand following VF’s acquisition of the brand in 2004, during which time many of the Vans foundational strategies were established and annual revenue for the brand tripled to approximately $1 billion. In 2009, Steve was appointed President of VF’s Action Sports coalition, where he was responsible for overseeing the Vans , Reef and Pro-Tec brands . A British citizen, Steve left VF in 2010, moving back to his native UK, before re-joining the company in April 2018. He has held several leadership roles with iconic youth brands. Most recently, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Airwair International (Dr. Martens) and was responsible for leading the company’s transformation from a manufacturing-led, family owned entity to a consumer-focused, private equity-backed, global retailer. He also served as Global Brand President, Urban Outfitters and EMEA President for Deckers Brands. Earlier in his career, Steve was the Global Head of Apparel for Reebok International. Steve holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Studies from Middlesex University.
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About VF: VF offers a diverse portfolio of iconic outdoor and activity-based lifestyle and work-wear brands.
George Evers
Senior Vice President, Product, Realtime Payments of VocaLink
George has spent the last 15 years driving technology innovations, leading product and strategy development across emerging technologies and enabling digital banking channel transformation. He is a huge advocate of providing more businesses and consumers with access to immediate payments.George joined VocaLink in November 2014 as Immediate Payments Services Director. He oversees the international development of VocaLink’s real-time payments proposition and associated mobile payments solutions. Since joining, George has pioneered the development of international strategies for VocaLink in the US, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. Before joining VocaLink, George was Head of Channels within the Corporate Banking Division at RBS. It was there that he developed a Corporate Banking self-service channel strategy and managed existing core digital channel propositions. George also held the position of Head of Product Management & Development for RBS Global Transaction Services where he managed the growth development of the UK Domestic Cash product set. Building on VocaLink’s 2014 success of implementing Immediate Payments in Singapore, George’s most recent career highlight has been part of the team involved in the signing of a contract with The Clearing House- a partnership that will bring real-time payments to the United States.
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About VocaLink, VocaLink: VocaLink develops and operates payments infrastructure solutions in the United Kingdom.
Ian Gausden
EVP of VocaLink
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About VocaLink: VocaLink develops and operates payments infrastructure solutions in the United Kingdom.
Justin Kirby
VP/Strategic Content Marketing of Tenthwave Digital
Justin Kirby is an Internet veteran who has been writing about the impact of interactive technologies on business and marketing since the early 90s. His books include Connected Marketing (2005), Best of Branded Content Marketing: Volume I (2013), and Best of Branded Content Marketing: Volume II (2014). He chairs and speaks at conferences around the globe, and heads up strategic content marketing at Tenthwave, the new interactive agency from the US whose clients include Facebook, Google and eBay.
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About Tenthwave Digital: Tenthwave Digital is a full-service digital agency with market-leading expertise in promotions.
