With extensive experience in content, technology and analytics, Cort Williams joined Connectd’s Transition to Portfolio programme to expand his reach in the advisory space, providing strategic insight into revenue growth, market expansion and product innovation.
With extensive experience in scaling SaaS and PE/VC-backed ventures, Michael Horsley joined Connectd’s Transition to Portfolio programme to launch his board advisory career. He showcased his expertise through a pro bono placement at one of our startups, eventually turning it into a paid fractional role.
Luke is an experienced creative and brand leader with nearly two decades at Marshall Amplification, where he held roles spanning product, brand, and A&R leadership. With a deep foundation in the music industry, he now applies his expertise to support businesses through long-term, strategic advisory and consultancy work.
With extensive experience in People & Culture, Dani Saadu joined Connectd’s Transition to Portfolio programme to transition into a successful advisory board career, bringing strategic insight to startup growth.
With over 40 years of experience in mycotoxin control, Ray has advised organisations like the UK’s Food Standards Agency and UN agencies. His pro bono board advisory role with a startup has allowed him to further refine his skills in navigating advisor-founder dynamics. My experience of acting as a pro bono board advisor to a small startup company has enabled me to hone my skills by carefully examining the outcome of slightly different approaches to the advisor/founder relationship.
Nadir has a background in immersive and emerging technologies, with experience leading both technical and strategic projects. He now uses those skills to support early-stage businesses through hands-on advisory and consultancy work, bringing a balanced mix of technical insight and team leadership.
Carlotta is a seasoned professional with deep expertise in the consumer wellness space. Through Connectd's portfolio programme, she was matched with a startup at a pivotal moment in its journey, allowing her to quickly bring strategic value through her industry knowledge, network, and advisory experience.
Liz has extensive experience in audit, fraud/forensics, and risk management, working with global financial services and fintech clients. She is passionate about team building, staff development, and delivering value through quality professional services.
With a 35-year career in global energy and petrochemicals, Paul brings deep expertise across operations, strategy, and energy transition. He’s held senior roles across continents and advised boards, governments, and NGOs on shaping the future of the sector.
Darryl is a seasoned technology leader with extensive experience across software development, data communications, cloud, and AI. Having worked in the UK, Europe, and the US, he specialises in product management, marketing, and operations leadership—helping companies scale and optimise their go-to-market strategies through B2B consultancy.
Shivram Balachandar, a certified Business Analyst Consultant with 15+ years of experience across sectors like energy and FinTech, leveraged Connectd’s Transition to Portfolio programme to refine his advisory profile and secure a board advisory role, aligning his expertise in digital transformation and governance with strategic growth initiatives.
Hidai is an experienced mentor & advisor with a global background including tech, fintech, and e-commerce. Having worked in six countries and across product, marketing, and commercial roles, he now supports SMEs as a board advisor—helping founders grow with strategic, hands-on guidance.
With 15 years in AdTech, Rae brings deep expertise in media buying, user acquisition and data-led growth strategy.
David is a seasoned sales leader with 15 years of experience building and scaling remote sales organisations, from establishing inside sales teams from scratch to driving growth that generates hundreds of millions. He now applies his expertise to startups and portfolio companies, supporting founders with strategy, go-to-market models, and advisory guidance.
Oskar joined Connectd’s Transition to Portfolio programme and secured his placement with Sharely through the platform. Working with their team and a group of specialised advisors helped him strengthen Sharely’s product and move it toward scale, while giving him the experience, confidence and structure to build his own fractional career.
Fractional CEO Rick Haslam, an expert in the UK health and wellbeing sector, was connected to Genesis Health through Connectd. He provided hands-on leadership when the founder-led business needed to scale without hiring a full-time executive. Rick's partnership delivered clearer strategy, stronger commercial focus, and more structure, giving Genesis the critical confidence to grow.
PLUGG turned to Connectd at a critical growth stage, needing a strategic injection and experienced operational guidance. Through the platform, they connected with Board Advisor Pete Smith. Drawing on his two decades as a management consultant and experience helping organizations find efficiency, Pete gave Founder & CEO Rodney Kabuye the high-level perspective and practical support he needed. He quickly adapted to the startup's pace, provided structured insight on key challenges, and helped Rodney think through operational strategy and growth, ensuring the business was prepared to accelerate its journey.
PLUGG turned to Connectd at a critical growth stage, needing a strategic injection and experienced operational guidance. Through the platform, they connected with Non-Executive Director Eric Wansong. With deep experience in business development, operations, and 11 mergers and acquisitions, Eric gave Founder & CEO Rodney Kabuye the holistic view and sounding board he needed. Eric's expertise was vital in guiding Rodney on operational growth, tackling compliance issues early, and strategically positioning PLUGG to attract investment dollars, ensuring the business was prepared for its next phase of growth.
Julie McFadden is a software engineer with 30 years of experience who, at this stage of her career, was looking to step into something new — moving from direct contributor to advisor and fractional executive. Through Connectd, she was matched with Otterkin, a fine art commissioning platform founded by Andrew White and Andrew B., and the connection was immediate. With a personal background in classics and a love of art, Julie found herself genuinely invested in the vision from the very first meeting. She came in to bring structure, cadence, and technical clarity to an MVP that was already in development, quickly taking ownership of the sprint process and dev team so that the founders could focus on growing the business. What started as an advisory engagement naturally evolved into a fractional CTO role — and in this success story, Julie reflects on what it takes to step into a founder's world with openness and respect, and why the Connectd model gave her the perfect environment to make that transition.
Grant Keller spent 30 years helping marketing teams harness data and technology to build capability and drive performance — first in an entrepreneurial environment, then in the corporate world. After three decades as an executive, he was ready for something different: more flexibility, more variety, and the freedom to work across multiple ventures rather than being locked into one. The Connectd T2P programme gave him the framework to make that transition, helping him define his value proposition, unlearn 30 years of executive muscle memory, and build a portfolio advisory career focused on startups and scale-ups in marketing, data, and AI. Within 18 months, he had converted two paid engagements through the Connectd platform — with a third in the pipeline.