AI Magazine Issue 3 2018

22 Acquisition International - Issue 3 2018 Nucleus is an alternative business finance provider, set up by Chirag Shah with a clear vision to disrupt the status quo of SME lending with a finance business that served a long-underserved part of the market. Chirag explains a bit more about his company, as he has been selected in the CEO of the Year Awards as the UK CEO of the Year in Corporate Finance. orking with a wealth of clients of all shapes and sizes, Nucleus aims to provide funding options to customers which are practical and sustainable. These tailored solutions are structured from a carefully considered combination of the various products on offer, and are act as an alternative to a traditional bank loan. Chirag starts off by telling us how it feels to have been selected in the CEO of the Year Awards as the UK CEO of the Year in Corporate Finance, commenting on the excitement he feels at being selected, considering all the hard work he has put in. “One of the greatest challenges of being an entrepreneurial CEO is the constant balance you must strike. Between big picture thinking and realistic execution, adaptability and sticking to your guns, and pragmatism versus the courage to roll the dice and risk it all at the right moment. It’s wonderful to be recognised as the head of the business that I feel so passionately about.” As a CEO, Chirag boasts a lot of experience, but he too had to start somewhere and develop his experience and skillset. He touches base on his education, his first role and discusses how his career has progressed and led to him becoming CEO of Nucleus. “Early in my career, I spent some time at Merrill Lynch, but after three months, it became frustratingly clear that it would be incredibly difficult to drive any real change in this enormous organisation. I jumped at the chance to help open a branch of financial services firm Wachovia in London. Company: Nucleus Commercial Finance Address: 2 Gees Court, London, W1U 1JA, UK Phone: 0207 839 1980 Email: [email protected] Innovation is the Centre ofNucleus’ Success W 1802AI22 “That experience gave me the confidence to set up my first business, a deliberately short-term venture designed to fulfil a window of opportunity that I saw during the turmoil of the financial crisis to be the person buying not selling. I learned a lot about how to set up a business, and the value of your most important asset – human capital. Also, I still draw a great deal on these learnings and experiences in my current role. “Relatively young, I was just 26 when I founded Nucleus. In 2009, alternative lending was still a very new sector, following the crisis when banks were afraid to lend. By this stage, I had already had the opportunity to collect a lot of experience on both sides of the Atlantic. I could see the differences between the two markets – both in the traditional landscape for financial players, and the business mind-set. For me, the UK presented the greatest opportunity to disrupt and have an impact, in a market which was dominated by the big banks.” Contributing to the success of the company is its ability to stand out amongst others in the industry, attracting the best business and long-term clients, with Chirag explaining how it is able to do so. “Essentially, our sector specialist knowledge is one of our key competitive differentiators. These experts combine years of experience in their industry with an in-depth understanding of commercial finance. This is particularly valuable in markets such as education and construction which are not well served by banks, who do not have the deep understanding of the nuances that come with financing these sectors, and so see them as too risky.” Regarding his leadership style, Chirag tells us about the techniques he employs to ensure that staff are all working in the same direction, and how he sets out a clear vision in which everyone tries to hit their targets and achieve their goals. An aspect of his leadership is that he creates a thriving work environment, in which employees have the freedom to work and come up with creative ideas, something he is keen to point out. “My job is to ensure that the business has a clear direction and strategy, and that we are continually “Contributing to the success of the company is its ability to stand out amongst others in the industry, attracting the best business and long-term clients, with Chirag explaining how it is able to do so.”