Board of directors
Ben Tompkins, Non-Executive Director
Ben has 20 years’ experience advising and investing in privately-owned and venture capital-backed business in Europe and North America. Ben spent the first 18 years of his career in corporate finance, advising on over 75 transactions and specializing in the software and digital media sectors.
Ben worked in London and New York before joining Broadview International (now Jefferies Broadview) in 1993. At Broadview, Ben was a Managing Director in the European office, was Co-head of the software, services and media global market group and led the development of the global digital media group. He has advised on transactions involving Yahoo!, IAC, Vivendi, News Corp, Microsoft, Openwave, Lagardere, British Telecom, Cendant, E*trade and Experian.
A lawyer by training with a LLB business law degree and a barrister, Ben joined Eden in September 2006 and brings exceptional fund-raising and exit experience to the team.
Josh Hannah, Non-Executive Director
Josh Hannah is a general partner with Matrix Partners. His entrepreneurial career began in 1999 when he cofounded Flutter.com in London and later led a merger with his biggest competitor, Betfair.com. The combined entity revolutionized the gaming industry by building the world’s first online marketplace for sports betting. Today privately held Betfair manages more than $50 billion in transactions each year, is licensed in the UK and Australia, and operates legally in dozens of countries around the globe.
Josh returned to the States in 2004. Soon after, he and a partner purchased eHow, an ailing, Web 1.0, how-to directory. Josh and his partner outsourced content creation to the community and employed then-new advertising and search engine optimization techniques. They increased revenue and traffic 30-fold before selling the company to Demand Media in 2006 for a 400-X return. Josh has also advised and invested in Aardvark, Blingo (sold to Publisher’s Clearing House), Friendster, Minted.com, Ning, uShip and Wetpaint.
Charles Mcgregor, Chairman
Charles co-founded Fibernet in 1986, becoming Chief Executive in 1993 Initially a systems integrator, Charles has overseen the transformation of Fibernet into a leading UK communications business and its eventual sale to Global Crossing in 2006 for over £100m.
Charles graduated in business studies from John Moores University. After a brief period working in the finance sector, Charles settled into telecom sales. Prior to Fibernet, Charles spent six years working in the data communications at Telephone Rentals, Network Technology and Norand Ltd. Charles is Chairman of Gamma Telecom and investment partner in a new venture fund due to be launched later this year.