Vestd founder Ifty Nasir awarded OBE for share schemes

Vestd founder and CEO Ifty Nasir has been recognised in the King's Birthday Honours 2026 with an OBE for services to Share Schemes and the Energy Sector.

Our founder and CEO, Ifty Nasir, has been awarded an OBE in the King's Birthday Honours 2026 for services to share schemes (and a nod to his earlier work in the energy sector too). The honour was announced by the Cabinet Office on 13 June.

From energy to equity

For those who don't know Ifty's backstory: before all this, he was Vice President at BP and chief executive of Essar Energy, where, among other things, he led the acquisition of the Stanlow Refinery from Shell and helped turn it from a loss-making old asset into a modern energy complex looking at things like Blue Hydrogen.

He also led major projects in the North Sea and represented Britain at the World Economic Forum. (No pressure on the rest of us to have interesting LinkedIn profiles!).

When Ifty retired from energy, he didn't exactly slow down. He'd landed on an idea he couldn't shake: that broader equity ownership, for employees and the other people who actually build a business's success, was one of the most underused tools for growth in the UK.

That idea became Vestd.

Years on, we've helped thousands of companies set up and run share schemes, creating ownership opportunities for tens of thousands of employees across the country. And in India too, following our acquisition of Trica Equity last year.

A royal recognition

Ifty's take on the OBE is humble and modest, as we’ve come to expect from him:

“The OBE is a recognition that share schemes really matter. Motivating employees with a real stake in the businesses they help build is one of the most powerful ideas in British business today.

“I'm hugely grateful, but this honour also belongs to the Vestd team and to the thousands of founders who've trusted us to help them share ownership with their employees.

Part of a bigger story

But Ifty’s not about to take his foot off the gas:

"Most UK businesses still don't offer share schemes to their employees, and the case for changing that has never been stronger; for productivity, for retention, and for fairness. We feel like we're just getting started."

That's the bit that matters most to us.

A large proportion of UK companies still don't run a share scheme, despite many being eligible for the most tax-friendly incentives His Majesty has to offer. And that's a genuine missed opportunity, not just for them but for the country.

For every 100,000 UK companies operating a meaningful scheme, around £1bn gets added to the economy through faster growth, better retention, and a wider spread of the wealth that successful businesses create.

There's a simpler version of the argument too, and it's the one we keep coming back to: share schemes are one of the few routes in British business that give ordinary employees, including people from backgrounds that have historically been shut out of wealth creation, a genuine stake in what they help build.

A string of milestones

This recognition also comes hot on the heels of another big moment: earlier this month, we announced a growth investment from Foresight Group, one of the UK's leading investment managers.

Combined with our recent status as one of the first PISCES operators under the FCA's new framework for trading private company shares, it's fair to say it's been a defining year for us so far.

So: a big thank you to everyone who's backed us, believed in us and used Vestd along the way. Congratulations, Ifty.

Here’s where you come in

See how a share scheme could transform your business. Book a call with our team, and we'll talk you through your options, no jargon, no pressure.