What and when did you study at INSEAD?
MBA D’06: I started in Singapore and did P4 in Fonty
Tell us about your career to date.
Before INSEAD, I was doing entrepreneurial things: I built one business from idea to exit and then did lots of consulting in the media, telco, and eCommerce spaces.
I was hell-bent to join Google and after 14 interviews I got hired but not in a job I liked and so it was a short stint. I then went back into consulting and was hired by one of my clients, Brent Hobermann, the founder of Lastminute.com. I did some work for him as a product director and then became the CEO of Mydeco. Mydeco funded and cofounded Made.com and as Made.com grew faster we decided to sell Mydeco in parts.
Bored with the UK weather, we decided to move somewhere different and that brought us to Australia. Here I have worked in leadership positions at Sensis, Target and Aussie Farmers Direct, but entrepreneurship pulled again and I started Unhedged.
Unhedged is an algorithmic investing platform for everyday investors. We basically bring advanced investment techniques in a simple way to people who want a better result.
How did INSEAD transform your life?
I met my wife at INSEAD, and we now have INSEAD babies. For me, INSEAD solidified and connected all my knowledge and experiences, and awakened my interest in algorithmic trading. The friends we made are amazing: everywhere where I go, I have people to visit and a core part of the class is still in weekly contact through social media.
Have you any hidden talents?
I like to create things so I started woodworking. I have made most of the furniture in our house as well as a boat. I’m also an amateur oil painter but need more time…
How can the INSEAD community help you?
Invest through unhedged.com.au of course. As we are ramping up our business in the B2B space, we are looking for people who run funds and do not have a Quant desk and would like to explore our Quant-as-a-service. Finally, as an entrepreneur, I’m always raising to be able to grow faster, so INSEADers who are involved as angels or VCs/family offices, get in touch
How can you help the INSEAD community?
I’m always ready to help budding entrepreneurs to think about their business plans and sometimes I invest myself in those businesses, or take a board seat to help out.