You took over at Rémy Martin at a time when its stock had taken a slight fall, when you arrived what were and are your priorities to bring it back to full profitability and raise its brand profile? At Rémy Martin, we have a clear vision of what the future of luxury looks like. Our…
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Interview With Tom Britton, Co-Founder, SyndicateRoom, an ‘Investor In Ambitious Startups’
You have a strong background both in economics and technology, what is the importance of data analysis in Syndicate Room’s process? Data is essential to all that we do, though it has played the biggest role in our indexing and analysis of the startup market and the design of our fund. We indexed every private…
Read MoreInterview With Fernando Sulichin, Argentine Filmmaker and Philanthropist
How has your upbringing in Buenos Aires influenced your approach to filmmaking? Yes, it had a lot of influence because Buenos Aires is very far away. There was no internet, no communications so whatever you got was nothing to do with what could be the truth or the facts. There was misinformation. But the movies…
Read MoreStephen Dunbar-Johnson, President, International, The New York Times
What do you think the fundamentals of leadership are? I think there are a few. The first is uniting people around an exciting, aspirational vision. That is actually not a tough task at The New York Times where there is a huge passion for the mission throughout the organization. The second is building a strategy…
Read MoreAn Evening With Emma Kane, CEO at Newgate Communications
You are currently CEO of Newgate Communications, part of SEC Newgate S.p.A., the world’s fastest growing global communications consultancy which you are Deputy Group CEO of. What challenges did you face in your previous position or positions which made you a success in your current role as you occupy today? The negative experiences that shaped…
Read MoreThe Future of European Businesses Launching in London, By Andrea Rasca CEO Mercato Metropolitano
As an Italian, I’m used to dealing with a restless political system. The UK to me has always represented a show of legitimate actions, of individual rights, of correctness and savvy political judgement. That all changed on June 24th. Now we find a country, adored for the freedom it represents, for its liberal culture and economy, utterly…
Read MoreThe War of the Generations, by Baroness Perry of Southwark
‘Old Age is honourable’ – so says the old proverb. Do we still believe this today? Of the many sad outcomes of this year’s battle with the Coronavirus, perhaps one which bodes most ill for the future is the divide which has opened up between the old and young in our society. The numbers are…
Read MoreI-MAGAZINE Speaks to Polo & Tweed Founder, Lucy Challenger
With a client list that includes A listers, captains of industry and royalty, Polo & Tweed is no ordinary recruitment agency. Instead it has forged a global reputation for finding and placing the crème de la crème of domestic staff, whether that be butlers, chefs, housekeepers, nannies, chauffeurs, estate managers or security. Polo & Tweed…
Read MoreBritain’s Future is in the Commonwealth, by Lord Marland, Chairman CWEIC
There are just over two months till Britain has its remaining ties with the European Union severed. As the world enters 2021, the UK will leave the post-Brexit implementation period and, unless a new treaty is signed before then, will be treated by the EU like every other non-member nation. It has been hard to…
Read MoreI-MAGAZINE Interviews London-based Art Dealer, Curator And Founder of the JD Malat Gallery in Mayfair, Jean-David Malat
How did you start your career journey in the art world? I started my career in the art business back in 2005. I was in fashion for many years before that and in 2005 I took up the opportunity to jump into the art world. After only a few weeks in the industry I started…
Read MoreI-MAGAZINE Interviews Justin Lunny, Founder, Ionic Cars
What was your inspiration for ionic cars? I have been a car enthusiast for as long as I can remember. My grandfather was a motorcycle dispatch rider in the Second World War, and was involved & thankfully survived Dunkirk, he had a passion for motorcycles, and motor-based exhilaration was always in me. My mother successfully…
Read MoreThe Women of Westminster, by Rachel Reeves MP
In the one hundred years that women have taken seats as MPs in the House of Commons, vast progress has been made for women’s rights both within and outside of Parliament. At the beginning of 1919, no women MPs sat in the Commons, despite legislation being passed in the previous year enabling women to serve…
Read MoreAnthony Lassman, Founder, Nota Bene Global, Interviewed by Vincent Abrams
You originally started as a travel publishing house, what was behind the move to make Nota Bene into an exclusive – members travel club? We built up an impressive A-B international database with several subscribers asking if we would curate their travels because their agents never understood it as we wrote it. It made sense…
Read MoreStrong Leadership Vital In The Fight Against COVID-19, Gain Competitive Advantage
As the world begins to come out of lockdown businesses from across the globe are beginning to reopen, readjusting to the new normal we all now face. Strong leadership has never been more important as companies look for that competitive edge that will help them navigate through all the uncertainty. Alex Ellinis, founder and director…
Read MoreInterview With Nicolas Bos, President CEO at Van Cleef & Arpels, The Seven Seas Collection
The French Maison Van Cleef & Arpels is recognised all over the world for its exquisite and poetic jewels. Nicolas Bos, President and CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels, talks about the new collection, inspirations for the distinct jewels and the signature style of the Maison and his vision for the House. What guides the style of Van Cleef & Arpels and its creations? What aspects of design,…
Read MoreChoosing The Right Watch For You, By Christopher Ward, Co-Founder, Christopher Ward
By Chris Ward, Co-founder of English watch brand Christopher Ward, gives his advice on what to look out for when buying a quality timepiece With so many watch brands and models widely available and advertised, venturing into the horology market can often prove an overwhelming experience for both new and seasoned watch enthusiasts alike. To…
Read MoreCity Giving Day Blends Offline and Online In London’s Biggest Celebration of Charity & Philanthropy
City workers are being asked to celebrate their firms’ community and volunteering initiatives this year by taking part in online and offline activities as part of The Lord Mayor’s Appeal’s City Giving Day 2020. The annual event, this year on Tuesday 22 September 2020, celebrates the value of the City to society and shows how…
Read MoreCalling All Business and Political Leaders – There’s Been a Customer Takeover, By Daniel Bausor
Step back ten years and leaders from all walks of life, from those in business to party political leaders, were in a very different place: they were in control of their organisations and their customers. They were the ones to set the agenda with customers and constituents following swiftly behind. Fast forward to today and…
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Assouline’s St. Tropez Soleil by Simon Liberati
The legend of St. Tropez starts with a dog, a rooster, and a martyr; and it leads to movie stars, world-renowned artists and distinguished writers. Located on the sparkling French Riviera, St. Tropez has enjoyed the spotlight for more than half a century, for better or worse, with celebrities flocking to this idyllic locale for…
Read MoreCollecting Rare Modern Literature and Identifying First Editions, By Pom Harrington
Collecting rare books might feel like something of an intimidating project – how does one decide which books are worth buying and which are to be passedover to wait for a better copy? In terms of modern literature, the number of books which are published in any given year that become collectable represent a tiny…
Read MoreThe Characteristics of Leadership, By Lord Watson of Richmond CBE FRTS, Chairman of CTN Group
For the past 20 years I have spent much of my time counselling capitalism. In practice, this has meant counselling capitalists—most of whom have been or are CEOs of very large, often interntional businesses. To do this successfully my necessary self-discipline is discretion. A consultant’s task is to speak truth to power. To do this…
Read MoreIncredible Africa, ‘Africa Focused Business’, By Will Adoasi, Founder, Vitae London
Africa has always had a place in my heart, especially my motherland Ghana. There have been countless charities set up to help and develop the continent in so many different ways. From education to clean water, to fair trade and live aid. Although these charities have had an incredible impact on different parts of Africa,…
Read MoreAn Evening With Patrick Mouratoglou, Tennis Coach and Founder, Mouratoglou Tennis Academy
How did you first become involved with tennis and did you go on to play professionally? I started playing tennis when I was 4 years old while my parents were going to the country club on the weekends and I fell in love with the sport at first sight. I was a very shy and…
Read MoreGeopolitical Consultant Henry Kissinger Writes On ‘Varieties of World Order’
No truly global “world order” has ever existed. What passes for order in our time was devised in Western Europe nearly four centuries ago, at a peace conference in the German region of Westphalia, conducted without the involvement or even the awareness of most other continents or civilizations. A century of sectarian conflict and political…
Read More‘Our Mission’, by General Director of Scottish Opera, Alex Reedijk
I was appointed General Director of Scottish Opera, Scotland’s national opera company and largest performing arts organisation, in 2006. The Company was founded in 1962 by Sir Alexander Gibson, who wanted ‘to lay the treasures of opera at the feet of the people of Scotland’, and inaugurated with a production of Madama Butterfly at the…
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Assouline’s ‘Amalfi Coast, by Carlos Souza’
The Amalfi Coast is the pinnacle of the Italian dream. Tucked amongst the lemon blossoms and the bougainvillea is a line of thirteen towns that comprise the Amalfi Coast. Known for its vertical landscape, the villages are only accessible via the Strada Statale 163 — a narrow, winding, cliffside route that while unsettling to traverse,…
Read MoreReview – La Réserve Hotel and Spa, Paris
When it comes to very grand hotels, there is no more competitive arena than Paris. Eight hotels in the city now carry the French government-sanctioned “palace” status, the better-than-five star classification introduced in 2010 and granted only to hotels that “symbolise excellence and perfection”, to whose ranks the venerable Ritz and Crillon will surely be…
Read MoreThe Shadow Solicitor General for England And Wales, Nicklaus Thomas-Symonds MP on Clement Atlee
Clement Attlee bestrides the twentieth-century history of the Labour Party. Its greatest constructive achievements are his government’s achievements. The British welfare state, including the National Health Service, the nationaliz-ations, independence for India, and the Atlanticism of his government’s foreign policy were all central pillars of British politics for many years after his government left office.…
Read MoreI-MAGAZINE Interviews Radio Presenter and Journalist Vick Hope
What was studying at Cambridge like? Cambridge was an intense bubble, so unlike anything I’d experienced before. Study was rigorous and there was a lot of pressure, but it was the most stimulating environment, and the opportunity to focus solely on nurturing your mind is so unique. I made some really special friendships and got…
Read MoreAn Interview With Vartkess Knadijan, CEO of Luxury Watch Maker, Backes & Strauss
Can you tell me a bit about how Backes & Strauss began. Backes & Strauss began in 1789 when Mr. Backes registered as a goldsmith in Hanau, Germany. The business prospered and in 1814 his son moved to London to open a workshop in Holborn Viaduct. We have been present in London continuously since that…
Read MoreInterview With Robert Tateossian, Founder at Tateossian, Interviewed by Linda Kellner
How are you feeling as the brand enters its 30th year? It is difficult to be in a celebratory mood when the entire world is coming to a standstill. I had many plans for events during this year to mark this special milestone but it would be a lack of respect to do so in the…
Read MoreI-MAGAZINE Interviews The Wiener Holocaust Library’s New Director Dr Toby Simpson
The Wiener Holocaust Library has existed for over 80 years. How much has it changed since its beginnings? Alfred Wiener set up the Library in 1933 living in exile in the Netherlands. Facing the growing Nazi menace, Wiener ultimately chose to ship the organisation and its collections to London, just before the war. Once there,…
Read MorePaul Feeney – Quilter CEO Writes on Mental Health In The Workplace.
I believe mental health is the last great taboo in business and breaking it is central to creating a more prosperous and resilient society. If we fail then people will continue to suffer in silence. They will continue to fall back on the ever present self-destructive ‘coping devices’ of alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling and eating…
Read MoreSeven Dials, Covent Garden, London’s Most Original Shopping / Lifestyle Destination
‘The dial monument at the center of ‘Seven Dials’, Covent Garden is the main focal point of the area, each street leading off the round about hosts a different personality with a fantastic variety of brands on offer. Packed with independent boutiques, international fashion labels, heritage brands, beauty salons, men’s grooming specialists, traditional pubs, cool…
Read MoreInterview With Justice of The Supreme Court, and Author, Lord Jonathan Sumption OBE,
Justice of the Supreme Court, Jonathan Sumption talks to I-MAGAZINE’s Henry Hopwood-Phillips about language, history, politics and the fourth volume of his history on the Hundred Years’ War. Any hard won lessons in life? No it’s been terribly cushy. OK—any moderately difficult hurdles sur- mounted? I suppose I was in academia for long enough before…
Read MoreThe Dolder Grand Hotel – Zurich Beckons, by D.L Osborne
The Dolder Grand in Zurich was built in 1897 on top of the wooded Adlisberg Mountain in order to provide a place of regeneration. Basel architect Jacques Gros threw open its doors in 1899 and could not have picked a better location. The view from this hotel takes your breath away as the city cascades…
Read MoreInterview With Interior Designer and Author, Kelly Hoppen MBE
How did you first become involved with interior design? And has it always been a passion of yours? From a young age I’d been obsessed with design and interiors and when I was 16, I got my first big break designing the kitchen of a family friend. It was a big project and I was…
Read MoreThe Changing Face of Cardiff, by Jerald Solis, Business Development and Acquisitions Director at Experience Invest
The face of Cardiff has changed dramatically in the past thirty-two years. From Lord Crickhowell leading charge with the creation of the Cardiff Bay Development Corporation (CBDC) in 1987, to the ambitious new-build projects in the city centre, Cardiff appears to be in a constant state of change. Whilst the priorities of Cardiff’s regeneration have…
Read MoreRestaurant Review – Hakkasan, Hanway Place, London W1
Among the bustling side streets of Central London on a typical rainy Thursday in autumnal London, lies a hidden gem with a glittering red sign emblazing the word ‘Hakkasan.’ A Michelin star restaurant created by Syra Khan and Alan Yau, founder of Wagamama and Yauatcha. As you enter the door and you’re greeted with the…
Read MoreI-MAGAZINE Brand Ambassador / Polo Player George Meyrick Speaks To Editor Vincent Abrams
You are known as ‘’the best polo player in England’’, what kind of pressure does this bring? And does it affect your performance at all? That’s nice to hear, but it’s not true. There is a group of us – and we are all doing our best to be right at the top of polo…
Read MoreAmal Clooney, International Human Rights Lawyer, on Representing Former President of the Maldives, Mohammed Nasheed
Amal Clooney was a prominent international human rights lawyer long before she acquired a famous name from her husband, Hollywood actor George Clooney, she discusses the plight of her client Mohamed Nasheed, the former president, Democratically elected, of the Maldives, islands in the Indian Ocean, he has since been granted asylum in the UK. The…
Read MoreHotel Review – Le Bristol Paris, from The Oetker Collection
White marble floors glisten throughout the lobby and every Louis XIV style incidental table is adorned with a unique arrangement of freshly cut flowers. There is a garden at the back of the hotel that is large enough to be considered a park by most urban standards. There is a feeling of space and serenity…
Read MoreI-MAGAZINE speaks to Emma Moir, Director at Box Galleries, Kings Road, Chelsea
Can you tell us about your artistic background prior to opening Box Galleries? I started Box Galleries in 2012, having worked in a large commercial gallery and being given enough autonomy to have the belief I could do it myself! Although I studied Law I always had a creative side and, at one point, was…
Read MoreMarking the Bicentenary of The Entrance of Marie-Louise, Duchess of Parma Into Her Duchies in 1816
“I love man as my fellow; but his sceptre, real, or usurped, extends not to me, unless the reason of an individual demands my homage; and even then the submission is to reason, and not to man.” Mary Wollstonecraft, A vindication of the Rights of Woman, written in the year of Marie-Louise’s birth Today, we…
Read MoreInterview With Scottish Actor Craig McGinlay
I read that you studied sports science at the University of Stirling. You then became a rugby player, fitness coach and then model. How did you get into your career as an actor? I played rugby in a world cup at under 20’s level in Italy. I then studied a Masters Degree and stayed in sport…
Read MoreThe Athenaeum Hotel, Mayfair, London
The Athenaeum Hotel & Residences on Piccadilly in London’s Mayfair, is a stylish 5-star boutique Hotel, offering comfort with a luxurious touch. Overlooking Green Park, the hotel has a very natural feel, from the views over the park to the visually stunning vertical garden, running up the corner of the building. This “natural” feel is…
Read MoreGalvin at The Athenaeum, Mayfair, London – Restaurant Review
Housed in the five star hotel, entering Galvin at The Athenaeum is a lavish affair, as we made our way past the comfortable lounge area to the restaurant itself. The restaurant is sleek and classy and hasn’t been over-designed, syncing with the decor of the hotel itself. We were seated at a table for two…
Read MoreInterview with Jon Snow, Anchor, Channel 4 News
What do you think is special or unique about the way Channel 4 News delivers the news? We have an hour where most other TV news programmes have to settle for less than half that time. It means that we can go into subjects in depth and interview newsmakers at length. On the night the…
Read MoreInterview with Yossi Eliyahoo (co-founder) and Stephanie Pearson CEO at The Entourage Group
THE ENTOURAGE GROUP is renowned for creating internationally acclaimed food and beverage concepts across the world. Its wide range of expertise has been cultivated extensively through years of hospitality management, operations and fine dining experience. CEO Stephanie Pearson, originally from the UK, and husband, Founder and co-owner Yossi Eliyahoo, have raised the standard in the global hospitality sector, since…
Read MoreInterview With Adventurer Henry Cookson, Founder, Cookson Adventures
Hello Henry, you have achieved some remarkable feats. Have you always had an adventurous streak? My parents run a small travel business, so that inquisitive nature was with me from an early age, but it really all began after I left school and travelled to Kenya to work as a guide on a riding safari.…
Read MoreThe Importance of Hospitality, by BBC Home Editor, Mark Easton
The phrases ‘corporate hospitality’ and ‘hospitality industry’ make me uncomfortable. They seem to come from the dictionary of double-speak, loaded with contradiction that threatens to pervert our civil society. Hospitality must never be commercial or industrial – quite the reverse. It is generous and intimate: present in the sincerity of a smile, the twinkle of…
Read More‘Business. Human After All?..’ By Rita Clifton CBE
I received an email from Harvard Business Review recently. They were offering a series of books called ‘How to be human at work’. A six-volume HBR Emotional Intelligence Boxed Set.And a snip at just $99.99. I am not making this up. A lot of people are at it. In fact, you get over a thousand results…
Read MoreLord Jones of Birmingham, ‘Making The UK Fit For Purpose in The 21st Century’
It is at a time of enormous domestic & international geopolitical flux that I reflect on how the UK might become fit for purpose in the 21st Century. One has to be careful distinguishing between what is hoped for & what is likely to happen. For example, wouldn’t it be marvellous if the Korean…
Read MoreMario Draghi, President, European Central Bank, ‘Twenty Years of The ECB’s Monetary Policy’
Central banks were often established in the past with the aim of bringing stability in the aftermath of historic episodes. The Bank of England was established during the sovereign debt crisis of 1690, when the government was unable to obtain funding in the market. The Federal Reserve was created after a series of panics that…
Read MoreInterview with José Pizarro – ‘The Godfather of Spanish Cooking’
You’ve been called the Godfather of Spanish cooking here in the UK, how do you feel about that title and how has the British’s attitude towards Spanish cuisine changed from when you first arrived in London, 20 years ago. That’s very flattering! When I arrived in London 20 years ago I couldn’t speak a word…
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