ADVISORY BOARD
Julian David is the CEO of techUK. He was appointed as the director-general of Intellect in March 2012 and led its transformation to techUK in November 2013. Julian leads techUK's 60 strong teams in representing more than 950 member companies, including multi-nationals and more than 500 SMEs to ensure that the digital tech industry is at the heart of modern society and economy in Britain.
He is a member of the government and industry Cyber Growth Partnership and Digital Advisory Council. He is also techUK’s representative on the National Trade Association Council of Digital Europe.
CEO of Tech UK
Julian David
Russ is an angel and ventures investor and non-executive director of a number of high growth businesses including Dialoga publicly-traded semiconductor company, AIM-listed Cupid plc and Unwire–a Danish, venture-backed mobile commerce business.
He is also a limited partner in Ariadne Capital’s ACE Fund and an investor in and advisor to Amazing Media Group. Russ is also a board member of the Tech City Advisory Group.
Founder of Tech London Advocates
Russ Shaw
CEO of UK Business Angels Association
Jenny Tooth
Jenny is CEO of the UK Business Angels Association, the trade body for angel and early-stage investing, representing over 18,000 investors around the UK. In 2009, Jenny co-founded Angel Capital Group which incorporates London Business Angels, one of the most established and active angel networks in the UK.
Jenny is an angel investor and in her role at UKBAA, she focuses on building the angel community around the UK, connecting investors to good deal flow and assisting entrepreneurs to attract investors.
Jenny is an experienced speaker on angel investing and entrepreneurship both in the UK and internationally. She was awarded an OBE in 2015 for services to small businesses.
CEO of Here East
Gavin Poole
Gavin is CEO of Here East (formerly iCITY) - creating Europe's most connected technology and innovation campus.
Gavin has considerable experience working within government and the political environment. First as a senior Royal Air Force officer working as a government advisor and then at the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), the independent think tank set up by Right Honourable Iain Duncan-Smith MP. Gavin spent 20 months as Executive Director supervising a period of intense business change including changes to a number of leadership positions and the launch of three new major policy initiatives.
Head of Corporate, London and Technology at Shoosmiths LLP, TLA Advisory Board
James Klein
James is a partner in the London corporate team and the technology sector group, handling a wide spectrum of corporate finance transactions, including domestic and cross-border M&A transactions, corporate restructurings and reorganisations and joint ventures. He also advises on private equity transactions, acting for management teams and institutional houses and has advised on numerous mid-market private equity deals.
Historic and recent key clients include RocketSpace Inc, 500 Startups, Tate & Lyle Plc, Fujitsu-Siemens, etc. James has a particular focus on the technology sector where he has a number of key international and domestic technology clients. He leads to Penningtons Manches’ digital business sector group.
Pietro Strada brings over two decades of experience of investment banking in the technology sector to the Silverpeak management team.
Having completed more than 60 transactions in his career, Pietro specialises in everything from high-profile trade sales, public takeovers and mergers to financing and divestitures. The majority of his portfolio has been cross-border deals spanning the globe, from Europe and North America to Africa and the UK.
Formerly a London office Principal at Broadview (now part of Jefferies), Pietro was also Managing Director at Torch Partners, before founding and running his own boutique firm, Centreboard Partners.
Managing Director at Silverpeak LLP
Pietro Strada
Hussein is a founding partner of Hoxton Ventures, a European venture capital firm based in London.
Hussein is also an angel investor in GoCardless, Halo Neuroscience, Popxo and Signpost. He helped Eros International (NYSE: EROS) build its digital strategy and launch ErosNow, its online video platform. Hussein has also occasionally assisted the UK government with technology policy.
Previously, Hussein was an associate at Accel Partners. He helped invest in OpenGamma, Playfish (acquired by EA) and Dapper (acquired by Yahoo). He also helped put together Safe-View (acquired by L-3), worked at Radiance Technologies (acquired by Comcast) and Studio Verso (acquired by KPMG).
Hussein Kanji