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Xan Wood
After selling his UK based events business, Xan spent seven years in Asia, investing across the capital structure. He worked in Private Equity with Development Finance Asia and in Private Credit with TransAsia Private Capital. During this time, he completed deals in 19 countries, from Mongolia to Australia, working closely with businesses from investment structuring to value creation. Over the course of this time, he lived in Hong Kong, Ho Chi Minh, and Bangkok.
Xan joined Canvas as a consultant while completing his MBA at Berkeley Haas; upon graduation, he moved into a role as a full-time investor. While at Berkeley, Xan raised Courtyard Ventures, a $1M fund from his classmates and Berkeley alumni, to invest in Berkeley-founded businesses. In addition to his MBA, Xan holds an MA in History from the University of Edinburgh and is a Chartered Financial Analyst.
Biography
After selling his UK based events business, Xan spent seven years in Asia, investing across the capital structure. He worked in Private Equity with Development Finance Asia and in Private Credit with TransAsia Private Capital. During this time, he completed deals in 19 countries, from Mongolia to Australia, working closely with businesses from investment structuring to value creation. Over the course of this time, he lived in Hong Kong, Ho Chi Minh, and Bangkok.
Xan joined Canvas as a consultant while completing his MBA at Berkeley Haas; upon graduation, he moved into a role as a full-time investor. While at Berkeley, Xan raised Courtyard Ventures, a $1M fund from his classmates and Berkeley alumni, to invest in Berkeley-founded businesses. In addition to his MBA, Xan holds an MA in History from the University of Edinburgh and is a Chartered Financial Analyst.
Xan loves reading—everything from Roman history to research papers. His all-time favorite book is Any Human Heart by William Boyd, which highlights how everyone has their own unique journey. Xan spends his weekends exploring the Bay Area’s hiking trails with his Partner, Soraia.
Xan has done all manner of long drives—from London to Mongolia, in a questionable $1,000 car no less, and from Philadelphia to Las Vegas. And yet, upon arriving in the US a couple of years ago, he failed his driving test twice.