Born in Canada, Gavin graduated with an Honours B.A. in French Language and Literature from Trinity College, University of Toronto. Originally a software developer working on government and private sector contracts, after moving to the UK and graduating from the London Film School, he worked as an Acquisitions and Finance executive with the Film Trustees/Glinwood Group, where he was involved in the financing and licensing of The Sheltering Sky, Naked Lunch, A Rage In Harlem, Howard’s End and The Crying Game. 

In 1994, Gavin was appointed Head of Development at sales agency Mayfair Entertainment International (Jefferson in Paris, Vanya On 42nd Street, Richard III).

In 1996, he established Apollo Media Limited together with investment banker Mark Beilby. Apollo's first film, The Zookeeper, starring Sam Neill, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and won Grand Prize at the Taos Film Festival 2002. Apollo's second film, Festival Express, produced together with John Trapman, was released in the USA in July 2005 and to combined critical acclaim and commercial success. 

In 2006 – 2008, working together with LA-based Grand Army Entertainment, he was involved in the financing of 11 independent US feature films and 18 TV movies, all of which were financed by Bank of America and Wachovia Bank using a structure based on Section 181 of the US Labour Tax Code.

In 2008, he co-founded Lumi Technologies Ltd. (www.lumimobile.com), a provider of real-time mobile interactive services that enables media and research companies to engage audiences across all mobile device types and platforms to clients including WPP, Ipsos, Mediaset, SVT, YLE, EMI, Teliasonera, and YouGov.

In 2012, together with Ingenious Media, Apollo launched the Ingenious Senior Film Fund, a data-driven fund that invests in films with budgets between $10M - $60M, which Gavin now co-manages.