David Ward ^Leaders

Executive leader (CEO, Managing Director, Business Development & Sales), entrepreneur & an institutional VC investor, passionate about growing technology-based companies. I've been responsible for growing revenue lines in companies that ranged from $0 to $50m with M&A and public listing experience that naturally follows. My experience and enthusiasm has been around environmental responsibility, renewable energy and products enabling sustainability.

I’ve seen and learnt from the repetitive pattern of challenges that the introduction of new technologies and growing businesses face, the lure and lag of large corporate opportunities for smaller companies and in particular the critical role funding strategy plays in every aspect of a company’s operations, not just the obvious ones. Companies that I’ve been a director of have together raised over $300m, and associated trade-sales and IPOs, so I have the experience (and scars) to back that assertion up…

In my operational career I’m a convert to the use of OKRs to measure and manage business performance in all areas of the organization and using EQ as a key success tool since Daniel Goleman's original book was published.

My current role is as CEO of Oxford PV, a pioneer in perovskite solar photovoltaics. Previously I was CEO at Adaptive Surface Technologies, a coatings and additives business spun-out of Harvard University, and an active VC investor with MTI, a UK/US Venture Capital firm. I have traditionally split my time between the US and Europe, although the Boston area is now “home”.

Specialties:
Growing technology businesses
Investing in, and M&A for, growing technology businesses
Sustainability/Cleantech/Renewable Energy/Tough Tech/Materials & Engineering
(and, by necessity, airline frequent flyer schemes - paused Mar 2020, restarted Sep 2021!)

LinkedIn member # 72,225