{{short description|British entrepreneur and investor}} {{Promotional|date=November 2023}} {{Use British English|date=December 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}} {{Infobox person | name = Gavin Dein | image = Gavin Dein at Clinton Foundation 2012.jpg | caption = Dein at the Clinton Foundation in 2012 | birth_name = Gavin Alexander Dein | birth_date = | birth_place = London, England | parents = David Dein Barbara Dein | spouse = Claire Guerlain | children = 2 | image_size = 140px | occupation = Founder and Deputy Chairman of Reward | alma_mater = Babson College | known_for = Founding Reward, developing Cardless Reward Technology | website = {{URL|rewardinsight.com/}} }}
'''Gavin Alexander Dein''' is a British entrepreneur and investor who pioneered card-linked rewards technology in Europe. He is the founder of Reward, EMEA's largest personalised card-linked offers platform,<ref name="collinson">{{cite web |url=https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/reward-and-collinson-valuedynamx-join-forces-to-deliver-personalised-card-linked-offers-across-the-middle-east-816822871.html |title=Reward and Collinson Valuedynamx Join Forces to Deliver Personalised Card-Linked Offers Across the Middle East |website=PR Newswire |date=2019}}</ref> which he led for over two decades before its acquisition by Rezolve Ai in February 2026 in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately US$230 million.<ref name="globenewswire">{{cite web |url=https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/02/10/3235266/0/en/Rezolve-Ai-PLC-Expands-Core-AI-Commerce-Platform-with-Acquisition-of-Reward-Loyalty-UK-Limited.html |title=Rezolve Ai PLC Expands Core AI Commerce Platform with Acquisition of Reward Loyalty UK Limited |website=GlobeNewsWire |date=10 February 2026}}</ref> Under Dein's leadership, Reward returned over $2.5 billion in rewards to customers and donated approximately $20 million to charitable causes.<ref name="businesscloud">{{cite web |url=https://businesscloud.co.uk/news/tech-firm-backed-by-bbc-dragon-rewarded-with-230m-takeover/ |title=Tech firm backed by BBC Dragon rewarded with $230m takeover |website=BusinessCloud |date=February 2026}}</ref>
== Early life and education ==
Gavin Dein is the son of David Dein MBE and Barbara Dein. David Dein is best known for co-owning Arsenal Football Club and founding the Premier League.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/arsenal/article2357110.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724060053/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/arsenal/article2357110.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 July 2008 |title=Dein sells Arsenal stake to Russian oligarch for £75m |work=The Times |accessdate=19 November 2012}}</ref> Dein has an older brother Darren,<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Birmingham Mail |website=www.birminghammail.co.uk |url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/birmingham-city-transfer-arsenal-dein-13170612|title=Transfer guru Darren Dein: Meet the man helping Harry Redknapp |date=31 August 2017 }}</ref> who is a football agent operating in Europe, and a younger sister Sasha.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/8619206/Agent-Darren-Dein-linked-to-Arsenal-transfer-deals-including-Cesc-Fabregas-Barcelona-move.html |work=The Daily Telegraph |title=Agent Darren Dein linked to Arsenal transfer deals including Cesc Fabregas Barcelona move |author=Paul Kelso |date=5 July 2011}}</ref> Dein attended Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School, The American School in London and graduated with honours in entrepreneurship at Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, the No. 1 MBA programme for entrepreneurship according to the ''U.S. News & World Report'' for over 30 consecutive years.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.babson.edu/|title=Babson College Official Website|publisher=Babson College|access-date=2023-08-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://entrepreneurship.babson.edu/babson-mba-top-usnwr/ |title=32 Years in a Row: Babson Tops MBA Entrepreneurship Rankings |website=Babson College |access-date=2026-03-27}}</ref>
== Career ==
=== Founding of Reward ===
Dein founded Reward in 2001. The company initially operated in football club loyalty programmes before Dein invented Cardless Reward Technology (CRT) in 2006, a system that linked promotional offers directly to a consumer's payment card without requiring a separate loyalty card or voucher.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rewardinsight.com/WhoWeAre/OurTeam |title=Gavin Dein |accessdate=19 November 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121123020439/http://www.rewardinsight.com/WhoWeAre/OurTeam |archivedate=23 November 2012 }}</ref> The technology was among the first of its kind in Europe and established a model for card-linked commerce that would later be widely adopted across the financial services industry.<ref>{{cite news |author=Alex Donohue |title=TMN signs deal with Reward for offline loyalty programme |work=Brand Republic |date=11 February 2008 |accessdate=19 November 2012 |url=http://www.brandrepublic.com/News/782922/TMN-signs-deal-Reward-offline-loyalty-programme/}}</ref>
=== Growth and scale ===
Under Dein's leadership, Reward grew into EMEA's largest personalised card-linked offers provider,<ref name="collinson" /> with approximately 250 employees and operations spanning the United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific, with offices in Regent Street, London, Belfast, Dubai and Singapore.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rewardinsight.com/get-in-touch/|title=Get in Touch|website=Reward|accessdate=1 March 2019}}</ref>
The platform established partnerships with more than 30 banks globally, including NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Barclaycard, Virgin Money, Monzo, Mashreq and First Abu Dhabi Bank, the largest bank in the United Arab Emirates.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://navigate.visa.com/cemea/money-movement/listen-visa-and-rewards-innovative-approach-to-card-linked-loyalty/ |title=Visa and Reward's Innovative Approach to Card-Linked Loyalty |website=Visa Navigate}}</ref> Reward integrated with card scheme networks operated by Visa, Mastercard and American Express, processing card-linked offers across 14 international markets and reaching over 250 million Visa cardholders across Europe.<ref name="rezolve">{{cite web |url=https://rezolve.com/press-releases/rezolve-ai-plc-expands-core-ai-commerce-platform-with-acquisition-of-reward-loyalty-uk-limited/ |title=Rezolve Ai PLC Expands Core AI Commerce Platform with Acquisition of Reward Loyalty UK Limited |website=Rezolve.com |date=10 February 2026}}</ref><ref name="visapr">{{cite web |url=https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/visa-extends-partnership-with-reward-to-scale-personalised-card-linked-offers-across-europe-843770503.html |title=Visa Extends Partnership with Reward to Scale Personalised Card-Linked Offers Across Europe |website=PR Newswire}}</ref>
By March 2022, Reward had delivered over £1 billion in rewards to customers on behalf of banks and merchants, achieved nearly 12 months ahead of its five-year plan.<ref name="billion">{{cite web |url=https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/reward-has-delivered-over-ps1-billion-to-customers-on-behalf-of-banks-amp-merchants-and-is-accelerating-to-achieve-ps3-billion-by-2025-847923644.html |title=Reward Has Delivered Over £1 Billion to Customers on Behalf of Banks & Merchants and is Accelerating to Achieve £3 Billion by 2025 |website=PR Newswire |date=14 March 2022}}</ref> By the time of its acquisition in 2026, the company had returned over $2.5 billion to customers and donated approximately $20 million to charitable causes.<ref name="businesscloud" />
Reward launched full-service loyalty programmes in partnership with Virgin Money and Barclays Bank, the latter in collaboration with Visa.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://businessofpayments.com/2023/03/19/reward-loyalty-back-in-the-black-confident-about-future/ |title=Reward Loyalty Back in the Black, Confident About Future |date=19 March 2023 |publisher=Business of Payments |accessdate=29 August 2023 }}</ref>
=== Strategic investments ===
Reward attracted strategic investment from two of the three world's largest consumer credit data bureaus.
In November 2020, Verisk Financial, a division of Verisk Analytics, acquired a strategic minority stake in Reward in a transaction that valued the company at over £100 million. Sky News reported the deal as one of the largest UK fintech investments of that year.<ref name="skynews">{{Cite web|title=Ex-Arsenal chief Dein's son gets Reward in £100m UK fintech deal|url=https://news.sky.com/story/ex-arsenal-chief-deins-son-gets-reward-in-100m-uk-fintech-deal-12140464|access-date=2020-11-23|website=Sky News}}</ref> Verisk Financial was subsequently acquired by TransUnion, resulting in TransUnion holding a stake in Reward.
In May 2024, Experian acquired a strategic stake in Reward, with Experian's Head of Corporate Development joining the Reward board.<ref name="experian">{{Cite web|title=Experian Acquires Strategic Stake in Reward|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/ae/news-releases/experian-acquires-strategic-stake-in-reward-302152936.html|website=PR Newswire|date=22 May 2024}}</ref> The deal combined Experian's consumer data and audience activation capabilities with Reward's engagement platform across banks and retail.
=== Acquisition by Rezolve Ai ===
On 10 February 2026, Rezolve Ai announced the acquisition of Reward for approximately US$230 million in an all-cash transaction.<ref name="globenewswire" /> The deal expanded Rezolve Ai's commerce platform with Reward's card-linked offers infrastructure and banking partnerships across 14 markets.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pymnts.com/acquisitions/2026/rezolve-ai-acquires-reward-to-bolster-ai-commerce-strategy/ |title=Rezolve Ai Acquires Reward to Bolster AI Commerce Strategy |website=PYMNTS.com}}</ref>
Reward continues to operate as part of the Rezolve Ai group, maintaining its existing banking and scheme partnerships.
== Other ventures ==
Dein was a Non-Executive Director of IE Music, a talent representation agency, from 2016 to 2018.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/officers/3BixsiewWg5OB5dusbkAINJC9RA/appointments|title=Gavin Alexander DEIN|website=Companies House|accessdate=1 March 2019}}</ref> Clients include Robbie Williams, Ayda Field, Cher Lloyd, Craig Armstrong, Lemar, Lily Allen, Passenger and many more.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iemusic.co.uk|title=IE Music|accessdate=1 March 2019}}</ref>
== Personal life ==
Dein married Claire Guerlain in 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://announcements.telegraph.co.uk/marriages/194705/mr-g.a.-dein-and-miss-c.a.-guerlain |title=Telegraph Announcements |accessdate=8 January 2019}}</ref> The couple have two children, a girl and a boy, and currently live in Mayfair, London.
== Philanthropy ==
Dein has been involved with the NSPCC since 2012, chairing several boards including the Childline School Service and the National Development Board. He is currently a member of the Income Generation Committee.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nspcc.org.uk/get-involved/thank-you/national-development-board/national-development-board_wda73189.html |title=Thank you to our National Development Board |website=NSPCC |accessdate=19 November 2012}}</ref>
He has spoken at industry events on the future of card-linked commerce and the evolution of payment technology.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/rewarding-passion-gavin-dein-chief-executive-reward/780932 |title=Rewarding Passion: Gavin Dein, Chief Executive Reward |website=Campaign}}</ref>
== Recognition ==
* Young Gun Award (2008), ''Growing Business'' magazine<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.growingbusiness.co.uk/gavin-dein.html |publisher=Growing Business |accessdate=19 November 2012 |title=Gavin Dein, Reward |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121007034007/http://www.growingbusiness.co.uk/gavin-dein.html |archivedate=7 October 2012 }}</ref> * Best Card Benefits Programme of the Year (2014), Card & Payments Awards<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cardandpaymentsawards.com/winners/2014-2/|title=2014 Winners & Finalists|website=Card & Payments Awards|accessdate=1 March 2019}}</ref> * Publisher of the Year (2021), Rakuten Advertising Golden Link Awards * Best Use of Data (2022), Performance Marketing Awards * Partnership of the Year (2023), European Golden Link Awards * Industry Achievement Award (2023), Card & Payments Awards * Publisher of the Year (2024), European Golden Link Awards<ref>{{cite web |url=https://blog.rakutenadvertising.com/en-uk/events/euro-golden-link-award-winners-24/ |title=European Golden Link Award Winners 2024 |website=Rakuten Advertising}}</ref> * 5th fastest growing UK technology business (2024), E2E Tech 100 in association with ''The Independent''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/e2e-100/the-e2e-tech-100-track-2024-b2565890.html |title=Meet the top 100 business tech leaders contributing to the UK economy |work=The Independent |access-date=2024-06-29}}</ref> * Best Benefits or Loyalty Scheme (2025), Card & Payments Awards
== References == {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dein, Gavin Alexander}} Category:Living people Category:National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children people Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:British chief executives