Meet the Team

Stefan Allesch-Taylor CBE KFC

  • Investor, entrepreneur, and 35+ years UK-FCE regulated finance veteran

  • Founded, scaled and exited businesses across multiple sectors

  • Fellow and Professor of the Practice of Entrepreneurship (2016-2025), King’s College London

  • Recognised start-up, scale-up, frontier and emerging markets specialist

  • Co-founded, served as CEO and Chair of asset management and lending businesses with $14bn+ AUM

  • 20 years’ experience in C-suite leadership in commercial banking, investment banking and asset management

EXECUTIVE CHAIR & DIRECTOR, CO-FOUNDER

Max Ziff, BA Econ (Hons), ACA

  • Finance veteran with 40+ years’ experienc

  • Held senior roles at Houlihan Lokey, Deutsche Bank, Barclays Capital, UBS, and NatWest

  • Part of the President’s Scheme, which rules on complex dispute valuation matters

  • Quantum expert for complex cases involving the UK High Court, ICC, UNICITRAL, and ICSID

NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

John Howchin, BSc

  • Global Ambassador for the United Nations convened Global Tailings (Mining) Management Institute
    Expert in responsible investment and mining with 20+ years’ experience across ethical supply chains, climate risk and safety

  • Special Advisor to the Global Investor Commission on Mining 2030
    Former Secretary-General at the Council on Ethics for the $200bn Swedish National Pension Funds

  • Previously with Norges Bank Investment Management

STRATEGIC ADVISOR

Caroline Osborn BSc (Hons), ACA

  • Chartered accountant with 20 years’ experience advising and running companies across multiple sectors and jurisdictions

  • Specialisms include; audit, strategic, financial and operational risk mitigation, systems implementation, analysis and modelling; financial controls and financial reporting

  • Led $650m+ international M&A transaction

  • Led the due diligence team securing $100m financing for non-bank financial lender (CEE, South America, Africa) MFG

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Zara Shirwan BA, MA, MPhil Camb, MSc UCL

  • 20+ years’ international experience across tech, finance and advisory

  • Track record scaling go-to-market and strategic partnerships for global listed companies

  • 4+ years focused on Web3 and blockchain- based capital markets

  • Leads business development, digital ecosystem and communications

  • Structures and manages SigraFi’s loan note programme and leads strategic partnerships

DIRECTOR OF CAPITAL MARKETS, CO-FOUNDER

Ashley Lopez, BA, MA, MSC

  • Leads global gold sourcing and trading operations with over a decade of commodity experience

  • Former CEO of award-winning FMCG business scaling turnover from £500k - £50m

  • 10+ years’ experience managing global supply chains and volume procurement from both South America and Africa

  • Served on the Boards of several African NGOs providing entrepreneurial interventions for millions of beneficiaries

DIRECTOR OF GOLD OPERATIONS, CO-FOUNDER