Meet the Startup Board Member: David Peters

In the “Meet the Board Member” we profile a member of our ScaleUpBoard alumni community. Today we are speaking with Class 11 alumni, David Peters!

David is a driven all-around finance leader with expertise in building and optimising the finance, tax, legal and HR functions in various stages of a company’s lifecycle: from start-up through scale-up to maturity, privately owned or backed by external or corporate investors. He has specialised in business development and M&A. He has managed full acquisition processes and funding rounds: from initial negotiations, valuation, funding, (legal and financial) due diligence, closing and integration.

David is based in Haarlem and enjoys spending his free time with his wife and two daughters. Learn more about David below!

Meet… David Peters

What is your headline? 

Finance | Hands-on | Transformation

What are you passionate about professionally?

I am passionate about guiding organizations through various growth stages and helping them to keep an eye on the long term viability of their business model and goals.

What are your insights on board effectiveness that you received from going through the program? 

I found Natailia Blagburn’s session on Board Effectiveness and Anne Mieke Eggenkamp’s session on Ambidextrous Leadership very insightful. Both presentations outlined the importance of investing time and resources in the composition and training of the board. In addition, it reconfirmed the importance of a diverse board (e.g. experience, background, and perspective).

How do you add value to a board?

I have 20+ years of experience working in management & finance in fast-growing international companies and in working with entrepreneurs in the e-commerce and tech industries. Therefore, I believe I have a lot of valuable insight that would be helpful to scaling companies.

If you are on or have been on a board, how did you encounter the opportunity?

I have mentored a variety of companies with a focus on sustainability. I have helped them with questions around funding, strategy, finance and creating viable business models.

What is the best piece of advice some gave to you?

“Bad news will always travel significantly faster than good news.”

What do you want your impact to be through your work? 

I believe sustainability should be an integral part of any business model. My mission as a board member is to advise and mentor companies who have sustainability as part of their DNA. Through helping these companies flourish, I will be able to make the world a better place by protecting our planet’s resources.

You can connect with David here!