Introducing Secfi's newest senior leaders
Exercising startup stock options can be one of the biggest financial decisions an employee ever makes — even more than buying a house. Yet many employees are left to fend for themselves. Not only to fully understand the process of exercising their options, and the complicated taxes it can trigger, but to also figure out how to actually afford it. In 2021, the average cost to exercise stock options was nearly $550,000.
That’s why more and more employees are relying on us to help them. That’s because, before they can own their options, they need to know their options. More than 20,000 startup employees — representing $25 billion — rely on our proprietary equity tools to better understand their equity. And we have provided over $500 million in financing to help them own their options.
Our four new senior leaders will help Secfi advance its mission of being the leading advocate for equity in the startup community.
Read the full announcement here, but we thought it would be fun to let David, Mow, Amrita, and Ashton-Duke introduce themselves in this article.
David Muckley, General Counsel
What is your professional background?
I'm a financial services lawyer with over a decade of experience supporting growth at both institutional investment firms and a Fintech broker dealer. This includes supporting new products, corporate work, regulatory work, and the development of legal and compliance functions.
Why did you want to join Secfi?
I joined Secfi because of the passion and personalities of the people and my intellectual curiosity of the work. I'm also a big believer in Secfi's value proposition to help employees own their stock options in a way that reduces their exposure to financial risk while potentially maximizing their gains after an exit.
What excites you most about your role at Secfi?
I pride myself on moving fast, being a business partner, and learning new things and Secfi provided that opportunity. This role gives me the chance to build a team and program of like-minded people.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Outside of work, you can typically find me hanging out with my wife, toddler and boxer. Other than that, anything outside that involves physical activity such as running or golfing.
Mow Wong Kofol, Head of Business Development
What is your professional background?
Prior to Secfi, I was a Partner at Section Partners where I invested on behalf of the technology fund's financing and venture activities. I also spent the better part of a decade working at two startups as Head of Finance and Operations, including the technology startup SixPlus. I began my career in investment banking, where I spent 10 years advising companies on M&A and capital raisings.
Why did you want to join Secfi?
I think the business that Secfi is building and the team being brought on to take it to the next level is really something special. I’ve spent the last four years partnering with executives and their teams, helping to finance their equity purchases and realize liquidity for some of life’s most important events. It’s been very encouraging to see the private markets embrace our solutions to give employees ownership over their hard-earned equity. As an asset class, startup investing is just in the beginning stages. I am thrilled to join a firm that is driving the market and will have an influence on how the industry is shaped going forward.
What excites you most about your role at Secfi?
One of the things I enjoy most about this job is connecting with and helping founders and C-level executives. The process is a very personal one for those looking for financing and, from the borrower's perspective, it can be difficult to find a trusted partner to help navigate the process. Secfi more than any other player has built tools to help the market understand financings, and it has the best platform to interact with employees and drive leads. I'm excited to lead the team in helping figure out the best way to handle dealflow at scale.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I'm a huge tennis fan. I watch tennis almost every day. The only thing I like more than watching is playing. It's tough to play in New York, especially in the winter, but I try to find the time. I'm also at the gym basically everyday and I enjoy keeping track of my strain, recovery, and sleep on my WHOOP. A bit addicting, but there are worse habits to have! I also have two kids; Cricket who just turned 5 and George who's 3. I love spending as much time as possible with them. Nothing makes me happier than some quality family time.
Amrita Banerjee, Head of Product, Financing
What is your professional background?
In my 15+ years working, I have played multiple roles from a software developer to sales and then product in payments.
With the first 8 years spent coding for and selling e-banking and payments products, I wanted to try my hand at building a product from scratch. My first product as a PM back in 2012 was a mobile wallet that enabled contactless payments through NFC and QR code at the point of sale as well as payment acceptance for online commerce. The thrill of seeing my product in the hands of users was so mind-blowing that I never looked back. #ProductForLife
Prior to Secfi, I led the Payments and Compliance product team at Uber. My team focused on enabling every user globally — Earners and Spenders — to pay and get paid seamlessly with a payment method of their choice.
Why did you want to join Secfi?
There were three main motivations: the people, the mission, and building the next unicorn. I can personally relate to Secfi’s mission and know that we can have a big impact on the lives of startup employees. Great products are great only because they solve a customer problem, and Secfi already has an impressive track record with existing clients.
What excites you most about your role at Secfi?
I am excited to join the team to continue building products that the startup community loves. I am also really excited about working with such a great crew.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Outside of work I am working with a couple of friends on building a platform called impactsharing.org to increase donations from non-institutional donors to charities. While there is high intention to contribute to causes, a lot of people rarely donate because of a lack of trust and the significant effort required to find the right charity to donate to and the cost of fundraising is as high as 20% for some charities. Our mission is to grow donations to trusted nonprofit partners by providing users a simple and secure platform to discover and support causes that matter to them.
I am also an avid reader (love a good sci-fi) and love to travel and explore new places.
Ashton-Duke François Bastian Axelsson, Head of Investments
What is your professional background?
I’m an experienced venture and growth equity investor as well as a corporate development / M&A executive across the fintech and blockchain, technology and cybersecurity, internet, and digital infrastructure sectors. I most recently led the Venture and Growth Equity Investment team for Rosewood, and served as a Corporate Development Consultant for 360 Trading Networks, where I created the M&A roadmap and advised on acquisition targets across blockchain and cryptocurrency platforms.
Why did you want to join Secfi?
Joining Secfi is an exciting opportunity to be a part of creating the next preeminent financial technology and wealth tech platform.
What excites you most about your role at Secfi?
This role will allow me to leverage my investing and corporate M&A background to create investment ideas and build products to provide access across venture, late-stage, and growth companies to a wide range of investors.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I enjoy surfing and playing a game of touch rugby or football during my free time. I am also interested in blockchain technology and the impact it is going to have over the next decade, so I spend time making seed investments in blockchain and cybersecurity. My other passions include sports cars, motor racing and following Chelsea FC, Paris Saint-Germain and Racing 92.