London, England
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(1980 - 1986)
(1975 - 1980)
2023
gunnercooke is a high-growth, high-performance professional services firm, with a rapidly growing network of corporate, legal and functional experts. Every Operating Partner within our organisation has held senior positions within established organisations and many have also owned or run their own businesses, bringing with them real world experience. We have lived through the very challenges and opportunities businesses and their leadership teams need help and support with, by providing and implementing solutions to our clients’ toughest challenges – or preventing them from happening in the first place, we implement and deliver high-impact results.
1998
1998
Have served on Executive Governance and/or Advisory Boards of more than 12 early- and growth-stage private companies in several industries. Among these: Lexica Holdings (systems integration); Lexica Software (fintech software); InsureZone (online insurance); Conversus Group (corporate & VC advisory); InnerCircuit (real estate fintech); 1World1Tribe (nonprofit); Brightline Bags (durable goods); Barnraiser (foodtech); Pocket Sentinel (personal security automation); The EARN Group (home finance tech); Eventerprise (digital event management); Seed Milestone Mgmt Co (venture capital & private equity).
2016
Founded Act 5 Ventures to bridge the gap between funders and startups, improve the outcomes and success rates within the startup ecosystem, and facilitate successful investments that de-risk and maximize expected portfolio returns. Initially a syndicate lead as an outgrowth of my angel investing activities, Act 5 deployed a private equity approach of high engagement, adapted to the unique economics and operational needs of companies ranging from seed stage to A-round and beyond. Experience-based deep diligence and operational engagement is the "secret sauce". Today, Act5 works with companies where we can dive in to assess circumstances, and provide critical operational support to address the inevitable needs beyond just capital of evolving ventures. The focus is on recognizing primary as well as undiscovered opportunities as well as risks related to the business and its markets, making the most of the former while mitigating the latter. Act5 helps companies launch, scale, or pivot, bringing a network of essential, transformative resources in the areas of marketing, operations, sales, technology, finance, human capital, and content/IP. specialized work performed in several business segments including: fintech, deeptech, ecommerce, multi-way marketplaces, retail, services, business process automation, consumer durables, and more.
2020
2020
Founder and General Partner of a high-engagement investment management and advisory consortium, and fund, targeting technology-driven, socially accretive solutions addressing present and future challenges, and tomorrow's growth markets. See more at Seed Milestone Fund's page on LinkedIn, or at seedmilestone.com
2011
2011
Keiretsu Forum is a global investment community of accredited private equity angel investors, venture capitalists and corporate/institutional investors. We are a worldwide network of capital, resources and deal flow with 50+ chapters on 4 continents. Keiretsu Forum members invest in high-quality, diverse investment opportunities. As an active member, I've participated in screening and diligence on hundreds of companies, and provided mentorship to innumerable founders. I am also an LP in the first fund launched by Keiretsu Capital in 2015, investing in more than 40 startups in diverse industries, screened and selected by Forum members and the Fund.
2001 - 2017
2001 - 2017
C-suite consultant and mentor, specializing in business execution and growth strategy, technology, and marketing. Frequently take a role as interim CEO/CSO/CTO/CIO/COO, or operating/governance/advisory board member, while starting up, in turnaround or scaling mode. Have engaged with companies ranging from pre-seed startups to more than $1B revenue.
2006 - 2008
2006 - 2008
The EARN Group envisioned and created the first financial instrument, the Equity Asset Redeployment Note (EARN), allowing homeowner liquidity through sale of a fractional interest in one's own home, with repayment to the holder of the Note deferred to the sale of the property by the primary owner. The instrument was superior in every respect to reverse mortgages, and had no repayment cash flow until home sale, unlike a traditional first or second mortgage or home equity line of credit. I developed primary business and growth strategies for the company, and participated in the refinement of the product into an instrument that could be bundled and securitized for resale to public or private markets. While widely praised for its vision and potential benefit to homeowners, the business was hampered by the financial and housing crisis of 2007-8.
2004 - 2006
2004 - 2006
Group CIO and consultant reporting to the CEO of a $2B (revenue) multi-line insurance company, organized and directed the activities of 4 CIOs of corporate divisions nationwide. Also helped define the role and hire a permanent Group CIO, and supported the transition.
2001 - 2003
2001 - 2003
Conversus Group started in the wake of the first dotcom meltdown in 2001, with the mission of providing C-level diagnosis and advisory to companies in VC portfolios that were reeling in the wake of the downturn. We engaged with dozens of companies, some of which needed to wind-down or hibernate, some where we identified turnaround potential and appropriate strategies. Following a proprietary comprehensive rapid diagnosis process (done in days not weeks by "SWAT teams" of ultra senior and deeply-experienced corporate executives and advisors, we offered as-needed engagement with fractional CxO capability from our team and network.
1999 - 2001
1999 - 2001
InsureZone started as a venture building exercise undertaken by Lexica Software and its backers, to create a proof-case operation for Lexica's information delivery platform and the shop-and-buy insurance application that used it. We acquired a top-100 national insurance brokerage operation (Higginbotham), as well as another technology developer, and proceeded to deliver InsureZone as one of the first websites where a customer could shop for, apply and get binding coverage (initially auto). I was co-founder and CTO of InsureZone, guiding technology strategy, and also a member of the Board of Directors.