Raw Business: A straight-talking account of what it means to be a successful entrepreneur

About Christian Nellemann

Christian Nellemann is a serial entrepreneur and the Founder and Executive Chairman of XLN a UK telecoms business valued at £250m. Originally from Denmark Christian started his career in San Francisco and settled in the UK in 1989. From a long line of entrepreneurs Christian was always interested in sales and business and started his first business a perfume company in Mile End at the age of 22. After a successful venture in the Office Supplies business he co-founded euroffice.com which led to him starting XLN in 2002. During the past 12 years XLN has partnered with Palatine Private Equity ECI Private Equity Blackstone Credit and recently Ares Capital Management. Christian has won too many awards to mention the most noteworthy being a finalist 4 years in a row for Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year winning the Technology & Communications in 2006 for the London & South East region Entrepreneur of the Year National UK Winner in 2010 and being inducted into the Entrepreneurs Hall of Fame in 2014 as one of only 14 people in the UK. In 2015 he was named CEO of the Year by the British Venture Capital and Private Equity Association. In 2011 he won the BVCA's Management Team of the Year for Private Equity backed companies having won the London & South East region the previous year. Christian has won a number of Entrepreneur of the Year and Tech Entrepreneur of the Year awards from various institutions and magazines.