Our advisory board brings decades of institutional investment experience, €600M+ in completed transactions, and board seats across 50+ companies. They've built, bought, turned around, and sold businesses across three continents — now they guide BlackpeakCFO's strategic finance leadership and CFO advisory practice.
Advisory Board Member
Levent Aydinoglu is a seasoned private equity investor and M&A specialist with over 20 years of experience executing complex cross-border transactions across Europe and Turkey. Currently a Partner at Bancroft Private Equity and Senior Advisor at Obsidian Capital Partners, Levent has led and closed some of the most significant mid-market deals in the Turkish and Central European private equity landscape.
Levent joined Bancroft in 2006, opened the firm's Istanbul office in 2007, and has since managed the majority of the fund's Turkish portfolio — deploying capital across manufacturing, financial services, consumer goods, and technology sectors. His career began in PricewaterhouseCoopers' Corporate Finance team in London, followed by five years as an equity and debt transaction banker at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), where he specialised in CEE food sector investments.
Levent holds a BSc in Economics from Bilkent University (Ankara) and an MSc in Economics from University College London. He is a dual British and Turkish citizen, fluent in both languages, and brings an exceptional network spanning institutional investors, sovereign funds, and corporate leaders across the UK, Turkey, and Europe.
Advisory Board Member
Valeri Petrov is recognised as one of the pioneers of private equity in Southeast Europe. With over 25 years spanning C-suite operations, institutional investing, and venture capital, Valeri has sat on 30+ company boards, led 19+ investments totalling ~€200M, and delivered 7 exits exceeding €80M in returns. His track record bridges operational leadership and financial engineering — a rare combination in private equity.
Valeri's career began at Royal Dutch Shell, where he rose to Commercial Director for Bulgaria and Romania. He then took the CEO seat at Orgachim, Bulgaria's largest paints and coatings manufacturer, executing a PE-backed turnaround that restored profitability and became a landmark case study in the region. This operational credibility led to senior investment roles at Global Finance, Bancroft Private Equity, and Axxess Capital, where he focused on growth equity and buyouts across Bulgaria and the Western Balkans.
Today, Valeri is a Partner at Eleven Ventures, leading their Healthcare investment team — backing technology-driven startups across Southeast Europe. He is also a mentor with Endeavor Bulgaria, shaping the next generation of high-growth founders. He holds an MSc in Engineering from the Technical University of Sofia, with additional management training from the Management Academy London and University of Delaware.
Additionally: 19+ total investments (~€200M deployed), 7 exits (>€80M returned), 30+ board seats across healthcare, fintech, consumer, industrial, and logistics sectors. Investments via Eleven Ventures include Pluria, Mentessa, Blue Longevity, Vivian Lab, Langaware, and others.
Stuart Wilson, Levent Aydinoglu, and Valeri Petrov worked together at Bancroft Private Equity under founder Fred Martin — managing €350M+ across three funds invested in 19+ companies spanning Central Europe, the Balkans, and Turkey. Stuart ran the finance function; Levent and Valeri led deal origination, execution, and portfolio management.
That shared foundation — the rigour of private equity due diligence, the discipline of institutional-grade financial reporting, and the pressure of managing capital on behalf of global LPs — is what underpins BlackpeakCFO's approach to every engagement.
Talk to Our Team