Pablo Fernandez Blanco
Investment Director
Pablo has spent 15 years in Investment Banking in the UK and Spain in various areas, including strategy, investments and digital transformation. He is an MBA graduate and has spent the last six years focussing on Venture Capital and EIS investments, fuelling his passion for investing in impactful and transformative companies. In his spare time, he is a huge sports fan, both as a participant and a spectator, including golf, rugby (former Spanish pro player) and water sports (diving, sailing, paddle surf). Outside of the sports arena, he loves reading, travelling and cooking.
Paul Boon
Head of Financial Analysis
Paul has 10 years’ experience advising entrepreneurial SME clients across many sectors, running the corporate finance departments of a Top 15 accountancy practice and a private equity boutique. Building on his nanotechnology and fuel cell research at Oxford University he focuses on the technology, engineering, medical and renewable energy sectors.
Anna Daniels
Relationship Director
Anna is an experienced CEO (most recently with Involved Investors), as well as an entrepreneur, angel investor, board advisor and mentor. Outside of work, Anna is passionate about skiing, sailing and salsa and has a love for theatre having previously had a career on the stage and screen which included Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express in the West End.
Simon Emary
Director and Head of Portfolio
Simon has venture capital experience from both sides of the fence, as an experienced investor and as a director of VC backed technology businesses. A Stanford MBA, Simon was a founding partner of Hotbed, which became the UK’s leading private investor network. He is also an FCA who has specialised in corporate finance with Grant Thornton and as an independent advisor. In his spare time, Simon loves taking his dog Billy (named after Bremner) for long walks in the Northamptonshire countryside.
Stepan Galaev
Non-Executive Director
Stepan is a Cranfield MBA graduate who specialises in portfolio management and deal sourcing. Some of his clients include past and present Dragons: Nick Jenkins, Sarah Willingham, Jenny Campbell, Tej Lalvani, and Touker Suleyman. In his free time he is either cycling, reading or talks nonsense at the Wandsworth local.
Toby Ganguli
Investment Manager
After graduating university with a First Class Mathematics degree, Toby immediately got involved in the UK’s SME investment landscape. Having been with Growthdeck for the last two years, his responsibilities encompass the entire deal process. When Toby’s not putting his aptitude for numbers to good use, you can find him out on the golf course or at his local 7-a-side football pitch.
Frederick Hamilton
Investment Director
Frederick has over seven years' experience sourcing, analysing and executing deals with UK Pre-Seed through to Series B investments, predominantly in the DeepTech space. During this time, he has acted as a Board member for Oxford University spin-out companies Brill Power, Oxford Quantum Circuits and Salience Labs. Whenever possible, Frederick can be found in the mountains skiing or hiking, out on the water sailing, or reading and writing.
Becky Hodges
Director and Head of Business Development
Becky has spent 16 years in Investment Banking in the UK and Hong Kong, in various trade support and client facing roles. Most recently, Becky created and ran Client Relationship Management teams. When she isn’t busy working, you’ll find her hot footing it after her three young children and unruly Dalmatian puppy.
Kieron Launder
Chairman and Head of Investment
Kieron has over 30 years of experience working in the financial sector, with wide ranging senior roles and responsibilities. His background includes quantitative proprietary trading and positions such as Head of Strategic Advisory Services at Rothschild (advising UHNW families on long-term investing and specific risk mitigation), Chief Investment Officer at Schroder Private Banking and Head of Investment Strategy at Cazenove Capital. While these roles required multi-disciplinary skills across most asset classes, investing in unlisted private companies has been a personal passion for over 20 years.
Gaelle Lebray
Relationship Director
Gaelle has 20 years’ experience in Investment Banking, mainly in client facing roles (sales and sales trading equities) servicing UK and European clients. In more recent years, Gaelle has been more on the consulting side, focusing on coaching and mentoring. Gaelle’s other passion is triathlon which she fell into in her late teens. Alongside her IB job, she thrived racing in triathlon for GB as a non-professional (age grouper) and is a former Triathlon World and European Champion. Outside of work, you will still find her leisurely training and occasionally racing. Gaelle is outdoorsy and active, and loves hiking, travelling abroad, discovering new places and meeting new people.
Sigrida Petkeviciute
Creative Production & Multimedia Manager
With nearly 7 years' experience in marketing with Growthdeck, Sigrida has a keen eye for creative production across videography, photography, animation and branding. Sigrida trained in filming and editing interviews in London with the UK's largest Adobe Authorised, creative training company. She has thorough knowledge about various aspects of launching and marketing investment opportunities. When it's time for adventure, Sigrida enjoys cooking up a storm in cast iron (often outdoors!), cycling trails less travelled and growing carnivorous plants (despite being a long-time vegetarian).
Jonathan Price
Finance Director
Jonathan was a founding partner of two successful reverse logistics businesses (golf clubs and mobile phones). Having studied engineering at university and qualified as an accountant, his roles have typically had a technology focus and he is always keen to make best use of recent technological developments. Outside of work, sport is his main interest, and you can often find him on the golf course.
Carolyn Robertson
Head of Client Services
Carolyn has many years of client relationship management experience in the regulated alternative investment arena. With a background in the legal and corporate finance professions, she brings a wealth of procedural expertise to Growthdeck. Outside of work, Carolyn loves to read and aims to get through at least a couple of books every month. She is also passionate about the topic of mental health and is planning to undertake further training on the subject in her free time
Alex Robertson
Client Services Executive
Prior to working with Growthdeck, Alex worked with Boots Optician as a trainee Optical Consultant where he gained valuable skills in face-to-face customer service and administration. Alex is inspired by Elon Musk and his attitude to learning and creation. In his free time, Alex’s main interests are in Astronomy, Gaming and Music.
Emma Robins
Head of Content & Social
Emma has 13 years’ experience working in marketing (with a particular focus on copywriting), which includes roles with several prominent investor syndication businesses. She has a degree in English Literature and Journalism, for which she was awarded a Sir Ray Tindle scholarship, and this is how she first honed her copywriting skills. In her spare time, she is a major film buff and enjoys attending film festivals around the UK.
Gary Robins
Non-Executive Director
Gary has been in the private equity arena for nearly 40 years. After an MBA from Cranfield School of Management, he spent 15 years with 3i plc as an Investment Director. He went on to found two high profile private investor businesses which specialised in EIS investments. Gary is a proud Welshman and avid Chelsea supporter. He loves cooking, travel, and listening to old and new music.
Ally Clarke
Director of Investor Relations
Ally has 8 years of private equity experience in client-facing roles and has a genuine passion for early-stage business growth. Originally from the USA, Ally first joined Growthdeck from launch and is pleased to be part of its growth story – helping 32 companies raise capital (and counting). Before this, she worked as a Business Analyst for a consulting firm. She can speak, read and write Chinese, which she learned as a student at Duke University in the USA. By night, Ally enjoys property developing. On the weekends, she enjoys any activity that gets her outside – playing football, kayaking and swimming are among her favourites.
Steve Talbot
Portfolio Director
Steve is an experienced corporate financier with nineteen years’ lead advisory experience, firstly with Grant Thornton and latterly with Mazars LLP. His corporate finance experience was predominantly with owner managed businesses and he is now focussing on investments in early stage entrepreneurial businesses. Outside of work, Steve has a passion for live music and watching sport. He attends gigs whenever he gets the chance where you’ll “see him down the front”.
Aman Thind
Relationship Director
Over the last 5 years Aman has worked for one of The Big Four focusing on High Net Worth individuals and family business clients. Aman worked closely with the Head of Family Business to help build the firm’s Family Business Consulting practice and often assisted on consulting engagements. Originally from Canada, Aman moved to the UK over 5 years ago to travel Europe and visit as many countries on this side of the world as possible! Aman continues to travel and embraces the culture of every country she visits.
James Wrighton
CTO
James co-founded Growthdeck way back in 2015 and is responsible for the tech platform that underpins the front and back office. He has over 20 years of marketing and digital experience in the financial services industry, working with global institutions as well as early-stage companies.
Ian Zant-Boer
CEO
Ian is a well-known figure in entrepreneurial circles both in Milton Keynes and London. With huge experience as a corporate lawyer, business mentor, and co-founder of several private investor networks, Ian brings a wealth of expertise to his role at the head of the Growthdeck business. As a former player with Ipswich Town FC, hope of their return to the top flight remains undimmed.