Team

Sebastien is a VC investor with a passion for the sports, digital health, consumer & gaming industries. Over the last few years, he has been actively investing in and advising founders in the space, while supporting best-in-class and market-disruptive companies shaping the way we live, train & play.
He previously worked for Aser Ventures, the first European-based fund dedicated to sports and media investments, where he was responsible for the origination and execution of all investments as well as portfolio management. He was also director of portfolio and early-stage investments for leAD Sports, the global sports venture ecosystem founded by the grandchildren of Adi Dassler (Adidas), overlooking a portfolio of 30 early-stage start-ups ranging from pre-seed to series A.
Prior to becoming a VC investor, he spent 3 years at Accenture Strategy where he was part of the M&A / Corporate Strategy practice in the UK, with a focus on TMT clients internationally (UK, Germany, South Africa, Spain, US and France).
He holds a Masters Degree in Corporate Finance & Strategy from Grenoble Graduate School of Business, which he completed between France and Australia.
Bilingual English / French; Fluent in Spanish.

Dr. Christian Kruse started his career at the ETH Zurich and University of Zurich focusing his research on the Swiss Financial Center and IPOS’s in Switzerland. He was managing a small private family office before he joined Morgan Stanley with a focus on HNWI of which many were in the field of technology, sports, film and music.

After leaving Morgan Stanley he established his own entrepreneurial career continuing his work in the field of finance and business development in technology , sport, film and music. In 2011 he joined forces with Egon Habicher and both developed and established Ecotonian AG.

He also served as a senior researcher at the Swiss Banking Institute of the University of Zurich. In 2007, Christian and his partners founded the University Swiss Design Institute for Finance and Banking in Zurich, which specializes in the development of high-tech communication tools for banks and financial institutions. Christian graduated from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) and holds a Ph.D in science (economics).

Steve is highly motivated and driven with a proven track record in supporting businesses enabling them to maximise their potential. He has a broad range of experience covering retail, business, commercial and corporate banking across multiple facets of financial services. 

Mark is a former Group Finance Director of Orange and has over 30 years of experience across sectors that include Sport, Telecoms, Real Estate, Insurance and Banking. His expertise runs to -treasury, financing, and major operational change and he has been instrumental in multiple restructuring programmes.
Having been in European and ROW Football Club and Premiership Rugby Club financing over the last 10 years, he has a wide and varied network of direct and indirect club relationships.

A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales

Dr Gomes is a board certified Family Medicine Doctor with extensive experience in medical treatment in the acute and chronic diseases and has a passion for health education. 

Having lived and worked in Europe and the United States she is able to work across diverse multicultural communities and builds trust easily in her practices. 

Rahul holds a BA in Politics & Economics from Loughborough University. He started his career at Barclays Wealth Management in London and Switzerland where he constructed investment portfolios for high net worth clients. He is currently holding the position of Director at Parker Lloyd Group where he is involved in investments in hotels, restaurants, energy, technology, football and private jets.

Rahul has been involved in setting up football academies in India, advising clients on acquiring football clubs and wealth management for players and coaches. Rahul has developed contacts at clubs across Europe, Middle East, India, and South America. Rahul has been involved in arranging sponsorships for teams and drivers in Formula 1 and Formula E. Rahul also sits on the boards of Ingenta Capital Limited and Jet Connect DMCC. He also holds IMC qualifications and is accredited by the Swiss regulatory authority FINMA and the FCA.

Passionate, driven and ambitious with 6+ years’ experience managing various business projects and opportunities related to the football and real estate industry. A hardworking attitude, work ethic and “keen to learn” mentality helped e to develop and drive focus toward my objectives. Open-minded and people-person personality, outgoing and friendly. I enjoy networking and meeting new people.

In other words, I love to work hard toward my goals. I was born in Italy, moved to Spain when I was 11 years old, and then did my GCSEs and A Levels at Townshend International School in a small town in the heart of South Bohemia in the Czech Republic. In 2017 I moved to London to study Football Business & Marketing at UCFB Wembley. What’s next? I’m not sure about the location, but I’m very clear about my professional and life goals. I love to improvise the “how”.

Arabella is an experienced Operations specialised with demonstrated success in executing strategic and operational business programmes focusing on operational excellence both for internal departments as well as in a client-facing capacity. She brings a wealth of experience varying from diverse roles, organisations and sectors, with strong stakeholder management, a focus on organisational engagement, operational excellence and client deliverables. 

Eldo has extensive experience in business development, client management and sales. Over the last X years he has worked across different role and sectors giving him a wider range of diverse skills. Heading up the Business Development team for UCEA gives him a unique opportunity to expand his network of investors. 

Edward has over twenty years of experience in corporate finance, strategy and analysis, including 9 years at EY before launching his own company. His career spans several markets, including Brazil. 

Valeria Alejandra Megas Paez is a trained Economist and Policy Researcher from the London School of Economics and Political Science, with extensive experience in development of emerging markets. She is structuring Zurich investor knowledge base and surrounding ecosystem for UCEA Office Group in Zurich. Valeria offers experience in consultancy and project management for companies in Switzerland. Her wealth of knowledge within the private sector and civil society at different levels, has enabled her to successfully expand Venture Pole in Switzerland, Cefeida Sarl in Switzerland and Quarero, in Switzerland. Her consultancy background has allowed her to become an investor and shareholder of the companies that she collaborates with. 

Michael has a track record of proven success in delivering complex consumer and business lending, foreign exchange, and wealth solutions for High Net Worth (HNW) clients.
Demonstrated ability to source appropriate banking & investment opportunities tailored to client needs.
He is proficient in developing trusted relations with customers, senior management, and investors and has an innate ability to introduce financial services/products across potential markets to meet company sales/profitability targets

Investment Manager for the UCEA Family Office Group in Mayfair, London, where I engaged in investments in cutting-edge tech, real estate, and sports financing through Obsidian Sports Finance.

Co-founder of Mubanza Disruption Lab, which partnered with Oxford University’s 2021 Oxford Africa Conference for African Development.