Ops, commercials, start-ups, scaling, fundraising
You could say that Alex Preece has always had a daredevil streak. Having started his career in the British Army jumping out of military planes in Bosnia and Iraq, he has since become a serial entrepreneur, co-founding and selling multiple companies, before growing his current multi-million-pound venture. Recognising the potential of the humble mobile phone to connect millions of people, in 2010 Alex and his business partner Gareth created Local Daily Deals to offer consumers the best deals from local businesses. It was acquired by Moneysupermarket.com within a year. Five years ago they started Brighton-based digital gift card platform Tillo and it has quickly become the market leader. Tillo connects the world's most popular brands with businesses looking to reward their customers and incentivise their employees. Alex has recently found himself right at the heart of the nation’s response to the pandemic. Tillo was chosen to process the eGift cards used for free school meal vouchers to support disadvantaged families during the coronavirus lockdown in England, and has issued £385m worth of vouchers to 95% of all UK schools. The irony is not lost on Alex, given that as a child he and his siblings went to school with free school meal tokens in their pockets.