About Me
Will is a creative problem solver. He specialises in turning creative ideas into fledgeling projects, whether an entrepreneur taking their product to market for the first time or a city government looking to stimulate economic growth.
Will is Venture Director at Zag, a hands-on, early-stage investment fund nested within a growth consulting firm. Zag helps some of the worlds largest companies unlock top-line growth by identifying new product opportunities, entering new markets and redefining existing brands. Alongside its consulting activity, Zag invests its expertise, cash and corporate connections into seed-stage startups in order to slingshot them to success. As Venture Director Will oversees Zag's investments through its pioneering Seed Fund. Since 2014 Zag has invested in 25 companies, with its investments doubling in value every 12 months.
Prior to Zag, Will founded Mission-Led, a consultancy that helps organisations and governments create impact-led projects to help emerging entrepreneurs become successful. Projects included advising USAID in Ukraine, which led to the creation of a $5m startup programme to help early stage entrepreneurs, advising the government of the Chinese city of Lingang on how to turn their newly built city into a thriving entrepreneurial hub and helping the European Creative Hubs Network develop a strategy that established them as a respected independent institution.
In 2017 Will founded Chateau de La Salle, a residential work and event space located in a fairy tale chateau in Burgundy, France. La Salle has over 9,000 sqm of buildings and 2.4sqkm of land, being used by creative entrepreneurs looking to escape the confines of dense urban environments to work on their ideas. Since 2017, La Salle has welcomed over 300 guests and played host to numerous events around the theme of creativity and wellbeing.
Will cut his commercial teeth turning around underperforming businesses during the financial crisis whilst at Lloyds bank. He went on to work in impactful venture capital, before taking on a string of interim executive appointments, each aimed at turning-around or growing under capitalised businesses.
Will holds a masters in Physics from the University of Reading and a Diploma in Finance and Organisational Management from the London Institute of Banking and Finance. Will is a guest lecturer at ESCP Europe, the world’s oldest business school. He continues to advise early-stage startups and spends his spare time climbing mountains and DJing at music festivals across the UK and Europe.