Meet the team: 2 mins with Elliott Gaspar
Get to know our UK Finance Director
He’s a family man with big plans. That’s our UK Finance Director, Elliott Gaspar, in one sentence.
Head down for a few more sentences about what makes him tick and why he’s chosen the startup world.
1. Why did you join our team?
I’ve joined to be a founding partner of the Standard Ledger UK journey. It’s an exciting and ambitious goal, and one I believe in.
When I met Remco and Michael, it felt right. Their enthusiasm for and experience in the startup ecosystem matched my ambition and background in helping high growth companies achieve their goals.
Standard Ledger’s processes, structure and knowledge means we can offer something in the UK that is really needed, but rarely seen.
2. Tell us a bit about yourself
I grew up in rural Oxfordshire and now live just next to the Cotswolds, west of Oxford.
I’m getting married in a few months (after a five-year engagement!). I have a young son and a dog so most of my time outside work is spent keeping up with family life.
When I do get some spare time, I’m an amateur wood worker so you’ll find me making piles of sawdust in the ‘shop’.
I’ve also been experiencing some health issues, with early onset arthritis in my hip. It’s developed over the last few years to significantly affect my mobility. My friends like to joke that because I’ve always acted like an old man, my body has now caught up. Hopefully a new hip at the age of 33 will fix that!
3. What’s your professional background?
I’m a chartered accountant with a degree in computer science (specialising in data).
I spent the early part of my career working for large higher education institutions (Oxford and UCL) where I led teams and managed financial systems.
After that I worked in startups and high growth companies, focusing on capital/debt raising, cash management, business valuations and building teams.
To date, I’ve helped raise more than £500 million in funding for different businesses.
4. What’s your startup super power?
I’m an operator first and an accountant second.
That means I bring practical operational advice to startups, based on my experience helping businesses go from pre-revenue to £40 million EBITDA.
While debits and credits are important, my main focus is always looking forward and helping clients achieve growth, sustainably. I work with founders and their teams, looking at cash, valuations and pitch decks for example, and helping them set and achieve their goals.
5. What’s the hardest but most rewarding thing you’ve ever done?
Personally – Being a present and engaged father.
I enjoy working and the challenges it brings, but it does mean long hours. That, combined with my limited mobility and pain means fatherhood has had its challenges, too. So I’m proud to see my son growing into a wonderful, happy and energetic boy who has a great relationship with his mum and dad.
Professionally – Being part of a team, and leading parts of that team, to bring a company from pre-revenue to having hundreds of millions of dollars invested in it.
6. How do people get in touch with you?
I’m a sucker for social media! You can find me on LinkedIn where I try to stay active and post things I believe are interesting.
You can also get me on email or choose a time to chat.
I love talking startups, growth plans, R&D, valuations and all things finance. I’m always happy to talk so please do reach out!
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