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 Retail Technology 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.
Parminder Basran
Co-founder and Managing Director of Velos Partners
Parminder Basran is the Founder & Managing Partner at VGC Partners.
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About Iconic Images, Kick Game, Round World Entertainment, Twenty Ten Capital, Velos Partners, VGC Partners, WIT Fitness: Velos Partners is a consumer growth capital firm investing in retail innovation, health & wellness, and luxury & entertainment.
Damian McGloughlin
Managing Director of HomeBase
Damian McGloughlin is CEO at Homebase UK &Ireland.
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About HomeBase: HomeBase is a home improvement and garden retailer.
Pierre Sapin
Managing Director of BORN
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About BORN: BORN is the world’s first private B2B platform that connects a global network of design-led lifestyle brands and retail buyers.
Xavier Bellouard
Co-Founder, Managing Director & Board Member of ActiveViam
Xavier Bellouard is Managing Director of ActiveViam and one of its founders. Based in London, Xavier manages the UK operations and oversees the commercial efforts of the company across EMEA and Asia/Pacific. Before founding ActiveViam, Xavier was a key contributor to the development of Summit Systems, a software vendor of applications for front-office operations and trading desks. Xavier is passionate about the contribution that ActiveViam’s technology can make to the bottom-line of companies operating in highly demanding and complex markets. “Their bottom-up, experience-driven approach to innovation is a fundamental component of the company’s DNA. Since ActiveViam was created in 2005, they have valued it as a prerequisite to delivering cutting-edge technology to their clients”.
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About ActiveViam: ActiveViam provides operational analytics solutions to business users in need of timely decision-making.
Paul Archer
Founder and Managing Director of Duel
World Record-breaking Adventurer, Best-selling Author and founder of Duel. Aside from his expeditions and writing, he has spent his career building technology, including the Daredevil Project app development studio, and consulting for advertising agencies and tech companies. He founded Duel to democratise and decentralise marketing for brands. Duel is solving the lack of emotional connection and social proof in often clinical looking online stores by rewarding customers for creating visual testimonials and advocating among their friends, rather than wasting millions on advertising to drive sales. Before this Paul conceived and implemented the It’s on the Meter Expedition to drive to London taxi around the World. The expedition broke two Guinness World Records, raised over £20,000 and passed through 50 countries after driving 80,000 miles from London to London in Hannah, a 1992 London Taxi bought of eBay. Paul is also an experienced speaker, moderator and a conference host. Including TEDx, SXSW, Festival of Media, Cannes Lions, Social Media Week, GenerationE, the Content Marketing Institute and Retail.Tech, as well as guest lecturing at the British School of Fashion.
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About Duel: Brand Advocacy Platform that enables purpose-led brands to drive organic growth & retention through word-of-mouth & advocacy
Ian Cowley
Co-Founder & Managing Director of Cartridge Save
Ian Cowley is the managing director of Cartridge Save.
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About Cartridge Save: Cartridge Save is an online printer cartridge retail shop.
Peter Lukes
Managing Director & Founder of Wanstor
Peter established Wanstor in 2002 to provide a more proactive approach to IT support services than the then established ‘maintenance’ companies. Following an early career as a research chemist working at the universities of St Andrews, Durham and Rome, Peter changed track in the mid-90s and began the second phase of his career, in IT. Spells in Italy with a small system builder then back in the UK as technical director of an IT service and integration business followed, before the ambitious launch of Wanstor. Over ten years later, Peter has led the company through continuing success and growth by focusing on their dedication to “service and technical excellence”. Peter has kept Wanstor at the forefront of developments in cloud and hosting services, while adding a focus on core IT infrastructure, networking and front office support.
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About Wanstor: Wanstor are a trusted IT Services company that supports organisations of all sizes in all industries.
Ken Platt
Managing Director of Elevaate
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About Elevaate: Elevaate is the most efficient way for retailers and their suppliers to execute trade funded activity online.
