As the Managing Partner for Belay Global in the United Kingdom, Arron Smyth leads the firm’s origination and investment activities, focusing on sourcing and executing strategic investments that drive transformative growth and innovation.

With over 20 years of experience in banking, deal structuring, and business leadership, Arron brings deep industry expertise to Belay Global’s investment platform. Prior to joining the firm, he was the Principal and Managing Director of a boutique management consultancy, where he originated and structured investment transactions for venture capital firms, private equity sponsors, and family office investors across the EMEA region. He also served as Managing Director of two startup companies in Europe where he led an international team of professionals in developing strategic infrastructure to facilitate the energy transition.

Earlier in his career, Arron co-led the origination and advisory desk at a corporate finance house in London, specializing in securing debt and trade finance for private and public companies in the natural resources and energy sectors, and was a Director, shareholder, and investment manager of an independent asset management firm.

Arron’s extensive experience and strategic vision make him a valuable contributor to Belay Global’s commitment to empowering companies to achieve their next level of success.

Chris van den Berg is a seasoned executive with over 30 years of global experience in leadership, strategy, and innovation across the agrifood, technology, and agtech sectors. As a founder, CEO, and strategic advisor, Chris has consistently driven value creation and operational transformation in companies spanning Europe, Asia, and North America.

At Belay Global, Chris leverages his unique expertise, having founded FarmTrace—a platform that seamlessly integrates advanced farm management systems and robotics to enhance agricultural sustainability and transparency. His entrepreneurial accomplishments also include Cowlinq, an ERP platform connecting key agricultural supply chains in Europe, successfully acquired by Vion. As the head of G&C Group in China, Chris advised international agrifood companies in establishing greenfield production facilities and guided cross-border M&A initiatives to facilitate market entry and growth.

Chris holds an M.Sc. in General Management from Nyenrode Business University and a B.A. in Food & Agribusiness. With deep expertise in M&A, strategic planning, and market expansion, he is a trusted partner for Belay’s clients, helping them unlock opportunities and scale their impact across the Benelux region and beyond

Managing Director and Senior Legal Counsel

Mr. Shah is an attorney with expertise in financial transactions and the federal securities laws and regulations. He served as a senior regulator at the Securities and Exchange Commission as Special Counsel to Commissioner Troy Paredes and to the Director of the Division of Investment Management.

At the SEC, Mr. Shah advised on a wide range of enforcement, accounting, examination, and policymaking activities and was involved in writing new rules regulating investment advisors to implement the Dodd-Frank Financial Reform Act. He also drafted the SEC’s initial framework for the regulation of robo-advisors. Before joining the Belay team, Mr. Shah was the Chief Compliance Officer and Regulatory Counsel at Hines, a global real estate investment firm. Mr. Shah has worked as an in-house counsel at Citigroup advising on strategic acquisitions and the development and distribution of alternative investments products and before that at Merrill Lynch negotiating the structure, terms, documentation, and closing of numerous private capital investments in technology companies. He began his career in the corporate department of the New York law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell where his practice focused on capital markets, mergers & acquisitions, and investment management.

Mr. Shah has a law degree from Harvard, a Master’s degree in international relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and a Bachelor’s degree in biology and political science from Rice University.

Mr. Dooley is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Belay International Corporation, a private equity sponsor which leverages the specialized expertise of its Advisory Board and management team to provide operational and strategic support to its partner companies.

Throughout his career, Mr. Dooley has spearheaded international transformation initiatives, significantly contributing to the expansion and development of several prominent publicly traded companies in the global financial services sector. Notably, he served as Head of Wealth Management at MetLife Europe, Managing Director and Country Manager of The Hartford United Kingdom, and Managing Director and Partner at Crossroads Capital Group where he facilitated joint ventures with leading investment management firms across North America, Europe, and the Middle East.

Mr. Dooley also serves as Chairman of the Board at Everest Consolidator Acquisition Corporation, a SPAC affiliated with Belay Associates. He received an MBA from IMD University and his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California, where he graduated from the highly regarded Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies.