Galin Ganchev

Galin Ganchev is a chartered accountant and finance executive based in London. He read Mathematics at the University of Cambridge and represented Ireland at the International Mathematical Olympiad in 2006 and 2007, earning honourable mentions. He began his career at PwC, qualifying as a chartered accountant in 2014, then moved into fintech and risk at Octopus Investments, where he was Head of Risk and Compliance of Octopus Labs and later oversaw growth at Octopus Ventures. He was Finance Director of Oberon Investments from May 2023, and became Finance Director of VSA Capital Group plc in October 2024. His employment history is in professional services, asset/wealth management, venture capital and investment banking/broking.

Notes4

• Quant employment verification: NOT CONFIRMED. No role or internship at a quantitative investment, trading, market-making, hedge-fund, or systematic/algorithmic trading firm was found for this individual. The full confirmed employment timeline - PwC (risk assurance/audit, 2011-2018), Octopus Investments (Head of Risk and Compliance, 2018-2023), Octopus Ventures (Business Manager, 2021-2023), Oberon Investments (Finance Director, 2023-2024), VSA Capital (Finance Director, 2024-) - sits entirely in professional services, asset/wealth management, venture capital and investment banking/broking; none is a quantitative or systematic trading employer. Octopus Labs is a fintech R&D division and University of Limerick MACSI is academic mathematics research, neither a quant trading role. Identity is supported by the official IMO records matching the same subject and by the VSA/Oberon announcements stating the same Cambridge mathematics education; no evidence of a competing identity for the Ireland IMO contestant of this name and period was found.Sep 25, 2024
• Finance Director of VSA Capital Group plc (AQSE: VSA), an international investment banking and broking firm; appointment announced 25 Sep 2024 effective 14 Oct 2024, subject to a 3-6 month probation and 500,000 options at 10p. The employer is an investment bank/broker, not a quantitative trading firm.Sep 25, 2024
• Began his career at PwC (Risk Assurance Manager, 2011-2018), qualifying as a chartered accountant in 2014; work spanned audit, consulting, insurance and investment management before shifting to fintech. PwC is professional-services/audit, not a quant trading employer.Sep 25, 2024
• Head of Risk and Compliance at Octopus Investments (2018-2023), specifically of Octopus Labs, its fintech division, and also oversaw strategic and operational growth of Octopus Ventures, the VC arm. A compliance/operations role at an asset manager and venture investor, not a systematic trading seat.
• Represented Ireland at the International Mathematical Olympiad in 2006 (honourable mention, 12 points) and 2007 (honourable mention, 10 points), per official IMO results. Contest participation only; not employment.Jul 26, 2007
• Finance Director at Oberon Investments Ltd. from May 2023 to Oct 2024, leading the integration of Logic Investments into the Oberon Group; Oberon is a wealth/investment management group.
• Education: BA Hons in Mathematics, University of Cambridge; secondary schooling at Castletroy College, Limerick, Ireland. The same education is stated both on his LinkedIn and in the company's regulatory announcement.
• Listed as a VSA Capital director on the firm's own team/board page alongside CEO Andrew Monk; the firm focuses on Natural Resources and Transitional Energy. A finance/board seat, not a trading seat.
• Winner of the Irish Mathematical Olympiad (IrMO), awarded the cup for top national performer. A competition honour, not a role.
• Researcher at University of Limerick MACSI (Mathematics Applications Consortium for Science and Industry) in 2009-2010; academic mathematics research predating the PwC career start.