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 Chairman operating in the Risk Management space. If you think a Chairman 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.
Wim Bushell
Chairman of the Reinsurance Arm of Gallagher
Wim is the Deputy Chairman of Gallagher London, a global insurance company. His education at Millfield as a boarder in Walton (1970 – 1973) fuelled his passion for sports and as well as participating in a wide variety of sports (amongst which football, cricket and rugby) he gained first team colours in football. After leaving Millfield, his interest in sports did not dwindle and he continued to play for two seasons for Corinthian Casuals AFC, swapping sports afterwards to play for Richmond RFC, also captaining the infamous Richmond ‘Heavies’. Additionally, he was captain of Lloyd’s Gentlemen’s Rugby XV. Wim is a keen golfer and is also a member of the MCC. In 1974, Wim went to work for a small insurance brokerage firm (Wigham, Richardson and Bevington) in the City. In 1987 he became a partner in a company called MRC Limited, which sold itself, in 1996 to a Chicago based brokerage firm, Arthur J. Gallagher, where he became Managing Director, then Chairman of the Reinsurance arm. After this company was acquired by Aon Corporation, another Chicago based operation, Wim became Deputy Chairman for Aon Re UK and has since returned to Arthur J Gallagher as Deputy Chairman of Gallagher London. As well as having been educated at Millfield, Wim was an Old Millfieldian Society committee member in 2003 – 2006. He joined the Foundation Committee from 2007 – 2008 and was appointed a Governor in 2009.
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About Gallagher: Gallagher is an international insurance brokerage and risk management services firm.
William E. Matthews
Vice Chairman & Chief Financial Officer of National Commerce
William E. Matthews, IV serves as Chief Financial Officer for South State Corporation. Prior to the merger with South State, Mr. Matthews was the Chief Financial Officer of CenterState Bank. Before joining CenterState Bank, Mr. Matthews served as the President of National Commerce Corporation (“NCOM”), the Chief Financial Officer and the Vice Chairman of NCOM; the Executive Vice President of NCOM and its subsidiary bank, National Bank of Commerce (“NBC”), and the Vice Chairman and the Chief Financial Officer at NBC and as a Director of both NCOM and NBC. Mr. Matthews also served as the Executive Vice President and the Chief Financial Officer at First American Bank and was a Partner at New Capital Partners. Prior to joining New Capital Partners, Mr. Matthews was the Executive Vice President and the Chief Financial Officer at Alabama National Bancorporation, Chief Financial Officer at RBC Bank (USA), and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at NBC He has over 20 years of experience in mergers and acquisitions, corporate financing and investment management in privately owned and publicly traded companies Mr. Matthews earned an M.B.A. degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an A.B. in Economics from Princeton University.
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About National Commerce, South State Bank: National Commerce is a a financial holding company that provides various financial services to individuals, businesses, and business owners.
Garry Wilson
co founder & Executive Chairman of Endless LLP
Garry, one of our Founders, has over 20 years experience in transforming businesses and private equity. He spends his days sourcing new investment opportunities, looking after a few of our portfolio businesses and keeping our investors up to date.
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About Endless LLP: Endless is an investor that specializes in supporting management buyouts, acquisition of non-core businesses, and turnaround investments.
David Campbell
Chairman of Global Reach Group
With an exceptional career spanning four decades with leading global finance and investment firms, David was appointed Chairman of Global Reach Group in 2016. He joined JP Morgan in 1980, progressing to the role of Managing Director before moving to Deutsche Bank, initially joining as Managing Director and later becoming its Co-Head of European Fixed Income Trading. Moving into the entrepreneurial financial services sector, he was appointed as CEO at Tilney Investment Management, where he led several significant international deals including the £355m sale of the business to Deutsche Bank. Returning to his former employer, he took on responsibility for Global Investment Solutions. In 2013 he was appointed as Chairman of Enterprise Finance which, under his tenure, was ranked as one of the UK’s 50 fastest growing SMEs for three consecutive years.
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About Global Reach Group: Global Reach Group is a leading foreign currency provider for corporates and personal clients.
Bill Fitzgerald
Chairman of Featurespace
Bill Fitzgerald is a Co-founder at Featurespace.
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About Featurespace, University of Cambridge: Featurespace provides an adaptive behavioral analytics technology and automated deep behavioral networks for risk management.
Colette Ballou
Chairman of Ballou
I am an entrepreneur, a limited partner and the founder and chairman of Ballou. I advise and mentor CEOs and often speak about topics I care very much about: the importance of reputation, civility in the workplace, the importance of a strong and warm corporate culture, and the responsibilities of investors, be they angels or limited partners. I founded Ballou in 2002, a European communications and strategy agency that works with high-growth technology and technology-enabled companies, as well as technology investors. Ballou’s success has enabled me to invest in venture capital firms, and has also given me exposure to thousands of different business models, so that along with my colleagues, we know what works, what doesn’t, and what to watch for. Thus, we forecast trends, understand and examine human behavior, and use these insights to position businesses for high growth. I invest in venture capital and private equity firms including Cavalry Ventures, Asia Partners and Connect Ventures.
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About Ballou: International communications agency for high-growth technology companies
Stephen O’Connor
Chairman & Founder of Quantile Technologies
Co-founded Quantile in 2015. Previously, during a 20-year career at Morgan Stanley, Stephen, a member of the Fixed Income Management Committee, held a number of senior roles including Global Head of Counterparty Portfolio Management and Global Head of Client Clearing. Stephen has served on numerous industry bodies including as Chairman of ISDA and he was a board member of GE Capital International Holdings Limited. He is currently a board member of the London Stock Exchange Group PLC, where he is Chair of the Risk Committee. He serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of the London School of Economics Systemic Risk Centre.
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About Quantile Technologies: Quantile helps market participants reduce their counterparty risk.
Donal Smith
Co-Founder & Executive Chairman of Credit Benchmark
Donal Smith Co-founded Credit Benchmark Ltd., in 2012. Donal Smith served as the Chief Executive Officer at Markit Securities Finance Analytics Ltd. from March 2008 to April 2012. He served as the Chief Executive Officer of Thomson Financial’s businesses in Europe and Asia at Thomson Reuters. He joined Data Explorers in March 2008. He served as the Managing Director of Thomson Financial’s banking and brokerage division joined at the end of 2001. He also served as the President and Chief Operating Officer for European and Asia Operations of Thomson Financial, Inc. He worked for the Financial Times Group as Managing Director of Business Information at FT Information and then as Director of Electronic Publishing for the FT Group. Donal Smith was responsible for the integration of Pearson’s portfolio of business and financial information services as well as the expansion of FT Group through acquisition and he was also responsible for the launch of FT.com as a global financial resource which quickly became the number one business website in Europe. He served as Chief Executive Officer of FT.com and member the Financial Times Group’s management board. He Co-founded eCountries.com in 1999 and served as its Chief Executive Officer and also FT Group’s Member of the Management Board. He serves as Non-Executive Chairman of Pirum Systems Limited. He serves as Chairman of BI-SAM Technologies S.A. He served as Chairman of Selerity, Inc. He serves as a Director of Selerity, Inc. He serves as a Non Executive Director of Commodity Vectors Ltd. Donal Smith serves as an Executive Member and Member of the Board at Data Explorers Limited. He served as a Non Executive Director of Trinity Mirror plc from March 1, 2012 to May 7, 2015. He holds a Degree in the History of Art and English Literature from University College Dublin.
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About Credit Benchmark, Pirum Systems, RIMES Technologies, Web Financial Group: Credit Benchmark is a financial data analytics company.
Ashwin Mistry
Executive Chairman of BHIB Insurance Brokers
Ashwin has over 30 years experience in the insurance industry, having started his broking career with GRE at the age of 17. As well as driving the development of BHIB, Ashwin handles a book of clients, and was also instrumental in establishing Brokerbility over 10 years ago. He is a prominent member of the local business community and has been involved in a number of local initiatives.
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About BHIB Insurance Brokers: BHIB Insurance Brokers provides insurance brokerage services.
