Obediah Ayton was raised in the UK but began his professional career studying accounting in the United States of America. Upon his return to the UK, he got a job working at a Family Office under a German entrepreneur, learning about buying companies and becoming a keen Investment Analyst. He then set up shop in the Middle East with a dream of building his own companies.
Despite starting with nothing, he set up several businesses including an accounting company and a media company, before moving into food and beverage management. Now, he runs a holding company that invests in start-ups and has amassed a loyal LinkedIn following of over 64,000 people. He covers topics such as tips for entrepreneurs looking for funding in the UAE and explanations of ruling families, local family offices and groups.
We talk to Obediah about why companies should aim to be camels, not unicorns, how the Family Office ecosystem works in the UAE, and more.
Here's what we discussed:
Thanks to Chloe from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.
Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jake Humphrey: Redefining High Performance
Wayne Griffiths: Redefining automotive leadership
Neil Mullarkey: How improv can transform your leadership
Sokratis Papafloratos: Overcoming failure to transform men's healthcare
Louise Hill: GoHenry's disruption in the world of fintech
Dr Leslie Kanthan: Navigating the transition from builder to leader
Kelly Hoppen: Bullied schoolgirl to global icon
Natascha van Boetzelaer: Insights from a seasoned talent expert
Michael Yormark: Growing an unstoppable global force
Alessandro Savelli: The remarkable journey from failure to flourishing
Oliver Shah: Inside the world of business journalism
Harriet Green OBE: The leader's battle cry for innovation-led growth
Oliver Chapman: The leader behind the UK's fastest-growing company
Lewis Raymond Taylor: From felon to founder of a multi-million pound coaching business
Timo Armoo: The art of exit planning
Fred Reichheld: the Godfather of customer loyalty
John Amaechi OBE: The psychologist and 'Everyday Jedi' inspiring change
Jordan Schwarzenberger: Managing the world's biggest content creators
John Caudwell: The Making of a Billionaire
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The emPOWERed Half Hour
NABOR® TALKS
U.S Property Podcast
Aligned Money Show
The Ramsey Show
Planet Money