Stewart Ford is a successful businessman, venture capitalist, mentor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. His business career spanning over 35 years to date has encompassed a variety of industries, from fintech to renewable energy Over the course of his career, he has helped to raise nearly £5 billion in structured investments, renewable energy projects, and venture capital funds.
Current Roles & Duties
Stewart has been a venture capitalist since 2004 He views this role as his chance to help other people bridge the gap between where they are and where they want to be. He has funded multiple businesses over the years; he's also willing to offer his advice based on many years of working in the business on every level Working with talented people has always been a top priority for Stewart, and on numerous occasions, he has been instrumental in helping his colleagues and peers to progress in their respective fields based on their expertise
Stewart’s experience and professional accomplishments make him the perfect VC partner, Wherever he is, Stewart identifies the most important assets of an organization and then leverages them to his best advantage He is flexible enough to adapt to any given situation, making him an asset in the business world.
For instance, when Stewart Ford was working with a particular fund manager, he quickly spotted the individual’s talent and encouraged him to market his own skills by establishing a special venture capitalist trust The manager went on to raise a considerable sum of money
Whether he’s consulting or contemplating a new course of action, Stewart trusts both his experience and his instincts to help him decide how to move forward
Career History
Steward has established multiple Income and Growth Venture Capital Trusts. He sat on the board of all of these PLC companies, where he would provide his practical thought process and business acumen, which would deliver quantifiable results These trusts had very different investment objectives, investing in AIM listed companies where substantial growth opportunities existed and also investing in renewable energy assets All of these investment Trusts benefited from Stewart’s ability to raise considerable amounts of investment funds through his financial distribution channels, particularly in relation to renewable energy assets.
Stewart also started several companies of his own, including New Media Marketing and Design Agency Zig-Zag Communications, with Stewart’s leadership. the company eventually grew to be the most prominent business of its kind at that time in Scotland Zig-Zag would publish magazines, design brochures, and even film and edit TV commercials for the Scottish Television Group
Stewart Ford climbed the entrepreneurial ladder, in part, by staying up to date with modern trends For instance, after he saw how commercial digital photographic studios were thriving in the US, he created his own facilities in the UK in 1991 By specializing in interactive CD-ROMs, digital corporate presentations, and data storage/warehousing in the 1990s, Stewart helped numerous companies transition into the internet age
After he gained traction in his space, Stewart created Keydata UK LTD, an offshoot that became the number one distributor of financial products and information to 30,000 financial investment professionals. This field, which moves incredibly rapidly thanks to shifting consumer patterns, has been a key interest of Stewart’s He has watched the changes in how people invest, what they invest in, and what's at the heart of these changes Sharing information with other people gives them the tools they need to allocate their clients’ money in a way that will help them build a stronger portfolio
Professional Skills and Experience
Stewart is a versatile professional with experience in everything from marketing, publishing, renewable energy, and life settlement assets For every organization he was involved in, he was constantly taking note of what was working and what wasn’t. His insights and advice helped turn businesses that were operating at a loss into successful multi-million-pound ventures Whilst at Keydata, he acquired a regulated business called Fedsure that was losing money, changed its name and focus, and turned it into a profitable multi-billion-pound investment business. Stewart was instrumental in building the infrastructure and management teams that would help spearhead a variety of initiatives he created, which would raise approximately 5 billion pounds of investment funds over the years.
From sales and marketing to client services to financial administration work, Stewart Ford works to establish order and efficiency before stepping back so the team can get on with the job. He is adept at finding people whose skills complement one another, so there’s less friction and more productivity. This is a skill that would prove to net some of the best returns over the course of his career To Stewart, being a leader isn't about trying to take all of the responsibility It's about establishing a company's basic 'shape' and then letting qualified people fill in the gaps from there.
Philanthropy/Charitable Involvement
Stewart established the Ring Chromosome 20 Charitable Trust in 2002 after his daughter was born with the condition. In 2006, Stewart also opened a medical practice in New York as a way to help those who suffer from constant seizures This organization continues to support research and information sharing regarding this disorder.
The Foundation is doing everything in its power to encourage people, whether that’s families, patients, or practitioners, to talk to one another about the symptoms and the treatment results The more people know, the more likely it will lead to meaningful discoveries about how to best care for people with the disorder.
Stewart is also very active with ‘Jeeps for Peace,’ a program that provides 4wd vehicles to Ukraine. These are sent to the frontline and used to retrieve wounded soldiers or displaced civilians The supporters of Jeeps for Peace have managed to send over 36 jeeps so far His goal is to supply at least 100 Jeeps.
Mentoring
The majority of Stewart’s business mentor relationships were with managing directors in the publishing, renewable, and financial services industries
As a mentor, Stewart Ford is excellent at establishing trust with people and then improving the connections he shares over time. The business world has been moving at the speed of light for quite some time, technology being at the heart of this Stewart’s experience and guidance are incredibly important to enable those he mentors to be able to pause and understand what's happening now so they have a better chance of predicting what's coming around the corner.
Accomplishments
Stewart is skilled and experienced in structured investments, fintech, venture capital, renewable energy, publishing, digital photography, new media, and advertising. In 2007 he recognized that his personal and business assets were in strong enough shape that he could step down from day-to-day operations With a net worth of over £500 million, he became a resident of Switzerland for the next ten years and focused more on perfecting his mentorship and philanthropic efforts