OUR PEOPLE
Meet the team behind Albany
THE TEAM
ANDREW SMITH
MANAGING DIRECTOR & FOUNDING PARTNER
Andrew Smith is the founder of Albany Investment Limited and its Managing Director, with a particular focus on the sourcing of potential investment opportunities. Prior to founding Albany, Andrew was a director at a corporate finance boutique in Mayfair and previously worked in private equity with a focus on infrastructure, energy and SME investments. Andrew's strategic leadership and planning capabilities have been honed after a dynamic career in the British Army, where he served in the Parachute Regiment operationally in the UK, Sierra Leone, Latin America, the Middle East and South Asia. During his military career, he acquired an extensive knowledge of both the operation and the acquisition of cyber security technologies. Andrew was responsible for a £1.2bn, predominantly technology-focused equipment programme in the British Army. Andrew holds an MBA from the Open University and is a graduate of the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst.
HAROLD GITTELMON
CHAIRMAN
Harold Gittelmon has more than 20 years of experience in the private equity, banking and retail sectors within Europe and the US. He held several executive roles in his career, beginning with 3i Group plc, where he was in charge of several successful acquisitions, IPOs and AIM listings, generating outstanding returns for his team. He was also a co-founder and Managing Director of the private equity firm Eclipse Investment Partners, where he transacted on a considerable number of private equity deals. He then went on to run Harding Brothers Limited as CEO and was CEO Europe for Flemingo thereafter. Harold is an enthusiastic private investor and currently holds stakes in a number of companies. He holds an MBA from Cass Business School and a BA (Hons) in banking, insurance and finance from the University of Wales.
JOTHAN WEBB
PRINCIPAL
Jothan Webb has over 10 years of experience as a technology investor, entrepreneur and finance professional. He has founded several technology companies, most notably GraduRates Ltd, which was acquired by RateSetter Ltd in 2015. Prior to joining Albany, Jothan worked on private equity and venture capital investments globally at ACE & Company, Khazanah, Oxford Seed Fund and SeedNet Ventures. Jothan started his career on the trading floor, trading equities, ETFs and options at Peel Hunt and Cantor Fitzgerald. Beyond investments, Jothan is passionate about helping entrepreneurs and is a mentor at the Virgin StartUp programme. Jothan holds an MA (Hons) in Economics from the University of St Andrews and an MBA from the University of Oxford.
BEN GHANI
ANALYST
Ben joined Albany as an analyst in March 2025. Prior to Albany, Ben worked for Nevastar Finance, a London-based asset and wealth management firm, and gained experience in alternative investment with Janus Protocol. Ben graduated from Hatfield College, Durham, in 2024 with a 2.1 in Biological Sciences.
ADVISORY BOARD
MAJOR GENERAL (RETD) CHIP CHAPMAN CB
Chip Chapman served for 33 years in the British Army, mostly in counter-terrorism, working closely with UK and international agencies. Between 2010 and 2012, he served as the Senior British Military Advisor to US Central Command, responsible for geo-political and geo-strategic analysis and contingency planning. In 2013, he published his memoir, ‘Notes From A Small Military’, and, in 2014, he authored ‘The Chapman Review’ - a strategic analysis tilted ‘An Independent Review of the Police Disciplinary System in England and Wales’ for the then Home Secretary, Theresa May. He is a regular analyst/commentator on TV/radio on terrorism, cyber security, government counter-terrorist policies and Middle East strategies.
CONRAD PRINCE
Conrad Prince was formerly the Director General for Operations and deputy head of the UK Government’s signals intelligence and cyber security agency, GCHQ, and, subsequently, held a role as Cyber Security Ambassador for the UK Government, specialising in international capacity building. Conrad led the intelligence and cyber operations at GCHQ for seven years, during which time the agency transformed for the cyber age. As Cyber Ambassador, he led UK cyber capacity building and strategic advisory work with a number of foreign governments. He was also a strategic advisor on the UK Government’s agenda to build a strong UK Cyber Eco-System, including working on issues relating to national cyber skills, the UK cyber industry and regulation.