Leadership team

The senior leadership team at Pelican includes experts from the Fintech and payments industries. Our leaders specialise in Artificial Intelligence, payments, and compliance – having worked in these areas for over 25 years.

Sasha Grujicic,

CEO

  • Former CEO of NowVertical Group.
  • Former Chief Strategy Officer, 1QBit Advanced Quantum Computing.
  • Former Chief Strategy and Digital Officer, Dentsu Aegis Network running product and service development delivery, M&A integration, financial and operational oversight and business development.

Daren Trousdell,

Executive Chairman

  • Founder and Managing Partner at KOAT Capital, a firm committed to strategic investment across diverse industries, focusing on emerging growth opportunities.
  • Serial Entrepreneur: Over 20 years of experience in founding, growing, and exiting technology companies, including NowVertical Group and Clip Money Inc.

Mahesh Patankar,

Global Head of Sales

  • Over two decades in transaction banking and financial technology.
  • A seasoned leader in payments, sanctions compliance, AML, fraud, and cash management—supporting major institutions across the US, UK, Europe, and APAC with mission-critical solutions.
  • Mahesh has held senior executive roles spanning business development, pre-sales, and product strategy, including his current mandate as Global Head of Sales at Pelican AI, building major client relationships and delivering innovative technology solutions.

John Desmond,

Chair of Audit Committee

  • Over 40 years in public accounting, serving mid-cap public and private equity-backed companies across industries including manufacturing, banking, and technology.
  • Former Partner-in-Charge and Senior Audit Partner, Grant Thornton LLP (New York & Long Island).

John Adamovich,

Director

  • Public company CFO with over 30 years exp. in senior public accounting
  • Former CFO of  Aeroflex Holding Corporation (NYSE), Pall Corporation (NYSE)
  • Former Sr. Partner at KPMG.

Marcel J. Van der Wal,

Director

  • Former Chief Revenue Officer, COO, and Board Member at Pelican.ai,
  • Past Director at ViaData, spearheading its transition to an “As a Service” business model and overseeing market leadership in the Dutch housing corporation sector.
  • Partner at Quadrum Capital, focusing on private equity investments, MBOs, and business growth strategies.