Seonaid Mackenzie

Seonaid Mackenzie (pronounced Shona), has had a 40 year career in the City, having been a stockbroker, fund manager, corporate financier and entrepreneur.

Seonaid founded Sturgeon Ventures LLP as a “single family office” in 1998 investing in public and private companies. The Principal died in 2004, leaving behind a trust for a child. Those funds today are passively managed, and so Sturgeon, took a new active business line and became the pioneer coining the phrase “the regulatory incubator” in the year 2001, known by some as an FCA Umbrella, or Regulatory Hosting Platform. In 2013, Sturgeon Ventures became an Investment Advisor with the SEC in America, and in 2014 an AIFM (Alternative Investment Fund Manager) and Operator of Collective Investment Schemes and AIFM Solutions their trade mark was launched in 2014.

The firm has ‘incubated over 100 startups since this business model began’. The clients include fund managers with various strategies, third party fund raisers, corporate finance firms, family offices, amongst others. Seonaid stated The Sturgeon Group Limited which is a sister company, giving services such as ongoing compliance, recruitment and design.

Sturgeon’s team offer regulatory and risk services, within their incubation model and start up mentoring and often assist overseas, especially US firms starting in London. They work with leading law firms, accountancy firms, and most well-known compliance firms. Although jurisdiction neutral; Sturgeon have assisted in a number of firms with funds all over the world.

Sturgeon Ventures LLP and The Sturgeon Group are award winning firms, with awards over 25 years. Seonaid was at the end of 2014 voted by Brummell as one of the top 30 most inspirational female entrepreneurs in financial services in the United Kingdom. Seonaid was a finalist in 2012 Women of Achievement in the City won by American Express, and the winner of Enterprising Women of 2013, Seonaid is a Fellow of The Chartered Institute of Securities and Investments, a Member of the Corporate Finance Faculty of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Seonaid has been a guest speaker at several London secondary schools, speaking to 17/18 year olds about a career in financial services and being a female entrepreneur. Focusing on issues such as her predominantly female workforce of working mothers, with flexible hours.

Seonaid is a Trustee of Crosslight Advice a Debt Counselling Charity. www.crosslightadvice.org

www.sturgeonventures.com www.sturgeoncompliance.com www.sturgeonstudio.com