The Adam Handling Restaurant Group operates venues across the country, including Frog by Adam Handling, London; The Loch & The Tyne, Old Windsor; Ugly Butterfly, Cornwall; and Eve Bar, London. Adam’s passion and core ethos of his restaurant group is centred around sustainability and, by ensuring this, remains at the heart of his entire operation, he has become an industry spokesperson on the sustainability movement, zero-waste and the role that hospitality has to play. His methods and initiatives have now become standard practice in the industry, and he remains a leading figure in the field. Adam has a number of impressive awards under his belt and is a familiar face on our TV screens, having been named Champion of Champions on the BBC’s Great British Menu 2023, as well as appearing on BBC The One Show’s Coronation cooking contest.

Barbara Hans is a trilingual global marketing and China expert with 28 years of versatile experience in building and driving iconic luxury brands. Having held leadership positions on both the agency and corporate sides, Barbara has a deep understanding of the global affluent customer, evolution of brands in major markets, communication strategies, and touchpoints. She loves to bring her experience to life through transforming teams, processes, and storytelling by always keeping customer-centricity in mind. Barbara joined A. Lange & Söhne in September 2020 to transform marketing and communication for the new world and modern customer while keeping/focusing on the brand core around German craftsmanship. The global team behind Barbara is building precise touchpoint strategies and content on the need to ‘know each customer by the first name’.

Ben has spent his career understanding global consumer change in the context of culture, technology, and capital. Working with some of the world’s biggest brands from across financial services, automotive, and consumer sectors to launch, diversify and grow propositions across Europe, the US, Middle East and Asia. He co-founded the Modern Affluence Summit in 2019. Ben most recently exited a global marketing services business he grew across five territories for brands including Bentley Motors, Porsche, De-Beers and LVMH. He is now a Senior Advisor to Adoreum & Partners, a Global Ambassador for the charity OnePlate and is currently launching a new venture, RisingGen™, to venture build businesses with the rising-generation of HNWI and apply those insights directly to corporate partners. Ben loves meeting new people, so please reach out and say hello.

Christopher is responsible for delivering the company’s extensive global roster of conferences, media events and LS:N Global Trend Briefings, which he co-presents with the team in London, New York, Sydney, Melbourne, and across the globe.  Clients who have booked one of his inspirational keynotes include Kering, the European Travel Commission, Retail Week, Selfridges, QIC, Marks & Spenser, Chanel, Harrods, Also, H&M, General Motors, BBDO, Design Hotels Conde Nast and Omnicom.  In 2012, Chris presented Channel 4’s five-part series, Home of the Future, in 2014, he and his team created Fragrance Lab for Selfridges, an exploration into the world of personalised scent which won Retail Week’s Best Pop Up and overall Winner of the 2014 Retail Week awards.  Chris is a SuperBoard member of The British Council’s Fashion Trust.   

Claire is a luxury and retail brand expert and was previously a top-rated equity research analyst at Morgan Stanley. Cited among the top 100 most influential people in Fashion by Time Magazine.  Headed the research into and was instrumental in obtaining a dozen IPOs and secondary offerings including Bulgari, Burberry, Debenhams, Gucci, Head, Inditex, IT Holding and Vendex. She has worked with numerous consumer brand companies on IPOs, capital raising, sale processes and valuations. Claire is a non-executive director of Prada SA and has previously been a non-executive director at French Connection plc and George Jensen A/S. 

Dan’s remit is to look at investment opportunities across VGC’s focus sectors of fashion and luxury, health and wellness, and sport and entertainment through a brand lens, and to keep brand strategy integral to business strategy. A long-time advisor to VGC, Dan joined the firm in 2022 from Nike where he spent four years at their WHQ in Portland as global editorial director. Prior to that, he was the US Editor of luxury retailer Mr Porter in New York. Dan started out as a sports journalist for The Guardian before moving into lifestyle magazines, first at Men’s Health in London, then as editor of Time Out in Sydney. He is training to be an executive coach.

Duncan Anderson stands at the forefront of the UK’s AI landscape, boasting over a decade of experience in AI leadership roles. As the former European CTO of IBM Watson AI and the current head of his own AI consulting firm Barnacle Labs, Duncan possesses a unique blend of experience—both as a technology provider and in navigating the intricacies of AI implementation in the multifaceted world of modern business. With notable appearances on Channel 4 and features in Wired Magazine, he is also a sought-after voice. Duncan’s insights into AI are grounded in real-world experiences, eschewing the typical industry hyperbole. He specialises in connecting the realms of business and technology, shedding light onto the opportunities, potential disruptions and challenges presented by AI in terms understandable to all.

Esther has held various global leadership roles in strategy, strategic planning, insight and analytics at De Beers.  In addition to helping to formulate how De Beers captures value for its natural and lab-grown diamonds, Esther has led the company’s world-leading insight generation programme, collating data from almost a million women in the US, China, India, Japan, the Middle East and Europe. Starting as a lawyer specialising in intellectual property protection and partnerships, she went on to become a strategy consultant with Booz&Co (now Strategy&, part of pwc). In 2017, Esther was included in the Cranfield Female FTSE Board Report 100 UK Women to Watch. She is a Director of De Beers UK and served as Chair of the Board from 2020 to early this year. She was a director of the De Beers UK Pension Fund (£1bn+ in assets) from 2011 until 2019 and holds a Pensions Trustee qualification from the Pensions Management Institute (PMI). 

A consulting psychologist and mediator who established Dallington, a specialised mentorship practice for the rising generation. With extensive work in family offices and legacy family transitioning, Jessica’s expertise lies in supporting the next generation through major life transitions. At Dallington, she has assembled a multi-disciplinary team offering tailored psychological, practical, and educational support. As a guest speaker and author on family business and responsible wealth ownership, Jessica’s commitment to education and mentorship extends to her roles as a Trustee of various organisations, including UN Women UK and the Cassandra Learning Centre. As the youngest board member of UN Women UK, Jessica initiated their inaugural mentoring scheme in 2012. Moreover, she serves as a Trustee of the Cassandra Learning Centre, a charity aiding victims of domestic abuse, and the SEN Governor of the Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy in London.

Originating his career within a think tank, JJ’s prowess in ideation and complex problem-solving was nurtured before he harmoniously transitioned to a life immersed in music creation and performance. While music remains integral, he has now entrenched himself within the UK angel scene, focusing on nurturing early-stage startups. JJ operates a family office, consults for a Tier 1 Consumer VC, and is the visionary behind Northern Impact, connecting Northern businesses with the Southern-skewed ecosystem of Angels and VCs.

Neuroscientist, science communicator, and creative with a mission to comprehend human responses to a changing world, she spearheads original research across global research groups and universities, delving into how our brains react to change. Katherine also serves as the lead scientist for “The Uncertainty Experts,” a ground breaking interactive documentary and the world’s largest experiment in dealing with uncertainty, created in collaboration with Sam Connif (Be More Pirate, Livity). In a consulting role, Katherine guides leadership teams from renowned companies such as Nike, Netflix, Mercedes, Accenture, Bentley, Yum, Nestle, and Lego through turbulent times. Her influence extends to global leadership workshops for Apple and Lego, and her keynote speeches on adapting to change and rewiring our brains for uncertainty have resonated with audiences from Nestle to Diageo, What If, Media Arts Lab, and Nike. Katherine’s expertise spans various media outlets, including the BBC, Sky News, and Radio 4, as well as journals like CIPD. She co-hosts an Audible US podcast on neuroscience and wellbeing, set to debut in March 2024, and her inaugural book on “Uncertainty and the Brain” is slated for release later this year.

Martin Raymond is co-founder of The Future Laboratory and editor-in-chief of LS:N Global. Martin is a well-known trend guru, having written several best-selling books on trend forecasting, including The Trend Forecaster’s Handbook and The Tomorrow People. Martin contributes regularly as an expert on trends and business for the BBC, Channel 4 and ITV.  Martin and the team at The Future Laboratory have partnered with Modern Affluence Exchange this year to compile our white paper. 

After heading UNEP-FI for 12 years, Paul Clements-Hunt founded The Blended Capital Group in March 2012 and remains Non-Executive Chair. He splits his time between home in Nairobi and London, where he is a Director of Mischon Purpose, the sustainability arm of the UK headquartered law firm, Mischon de Reya LLP. Paul, trained as a journalist, created his first company, Environmental Business Group (EBG) Co., Ltd in Bangkok, Thailand in 1992. For thirty years, through roles in business, the United Nations and as an entrepreneur, his focus has been on how to mobilise finance and capital at scale into sustainable development. Paul has private equity holdings in last mile impact businesses where digital technology, and sustainability developments merge.

Phil is responsible for delivering actionable audience insights and developing a data led approach to content development through Bloomberg’s proprietary data science platforms. He frequently consults with agencies and advertisers, sharing insights from the Bloomberg Brand Accelerator, a unique tool that measures hard-to-reach global elite audiences’ perspective on hundreds of brands, culminating in a ranking system and diagnostic assessment that enables marketers to get ahead. He is also responsible for conducting in depth research studies across key industries and oversees the measurement of media partnerships across the entire Bloomberg media ecosystem. 

Entrepreneur and investor, Piers is a co-founder of Implement AI, a next generation technology partner dedicated to supporting small and medium-sized businesses to understand, select and implement AI. He is also Chairman and a co-founder of Atherton Bikes, which uses additive manufacturing to produce mountain bikes that took the #1 and #2 podiums in the 2023 World Championships.  He is well-known as a champion of entrepreneurship and a regular media commentator, although best known as a former ‘Dragon’ on BBC 2’s Dragons’ Den, he has a professional background as a qualified lawyer specialised in venture capital and in investment banking at Credit Suisse where he specialised in cross-border M&A and LBOs.  He was a NED of the UK government’s development bank, British Business Bank during the roll-out of the £90bn Covid-19 business support loan and convertible note schemes. He has been recognised as one of the UK’s top 100 most influential Black Britons and sits on Sky’s Diversity Advisory Council.  

Rachel is an experienced marketing leader who has held positions in global and regional roles within the beauty, fashion, and luxury sectors. As a Director at TAG Heuer, Rachel takes on this pivotal role during a rapid period of growth for the brand. The brand has recently produced a mini movie with global ambassador Ryan Gosling, partnered with the Oracle Red Bull Racing Team in Formula 1, and even collaborated with Barbie. She strongly believes in maintaining momentum to foster innovation, drive change, and adapt to the pace of cultural shifts. Rachel boasts a history as a former international athlete, having played hockey for England and semi-professionally in the Netherlands for eight years.

Rebecca is an expert in developing global luxury audiences. She leads Guest Experience at Maybourne during an exciting time of brand growth and expansion into new territories and service lines. From openings in LA and the South of France to local diversification with the opening of Claridges ArtSpace, a new wellbeing brand and The Emory hotel in 2024. Drawing on two decades of experience in the luxury hospitality, retail and private membership sectors, she is a trailblazing strategist, known for her creative approaches to connecting business and client needs. Driven by a love of community, transformation and communication, Rebecca is a respected innovator in this field. Away from the office, she is a passionate advocate for access to education, literacy, and mental health support.

Romane’s career began at King’s College London, where her visionary spirit led her to found Lymited, an innovative marketplace for collectibles pioneering tokenisation and e-commerce. Under her guidance, Lymited showcased meticulously curated selections from private collectors and London’s top dealers while collaborating with esteemed luxury houses such as LVMH, Diageo, and Bremont.  Following some invaluable lessons of the startup world, Romane’s multifaceted expertise led her to advise her family portfolio of investments, where she champions a compassionate and ethical vision for business. Furthermore, she showcases her commitment to sustainability through her investment in the Magical Mushroom Company, aiding the development of compostable packaging solutions to combat plastic pollution. As a mental health advocate, she is a strategic advisor to Mydaily, an innovative burnout predicting B2B software. Romane harbours a profound affection for the arts and ethical capitalism, and she remains unwavering in her commitment to enhancing the prospects of future generations. 

With an extensive background encompassing investment, banking, and management, Sally boasts a wealth of experience. She holds influential positions, such as Chair of Point72 UK Ltd and director of B-FLEXION Group Holdings SA, while also leading as Trustee and Chair of the Investment Committee for the Royal Academy Trust. Formerly serving as CEO of Kleinwort Benson 2011-2014, Sally’s track record includes roles as Chief Executive of Lombard Odier (UK) Ltd and Chief Executive of Schroders Private Banking. Dedicated to philanthropy, she also serves as a patron of Tommy’s Baby Charity and holds a degree in Politics from the University of Durham.

Sara chairs the UN Secretary-General’s Seventh Advisory Group of the UN Peacebuilding Fund and is a member of UNFPA’s ICPD25 High-Level Commission. Sara also serves on the High-Level Group on Humanitarian Resilience and Investing, as well as the Digital Currency Governance Consortium Steering Committee of the World Economic Forum (WEF). She is the Editor-in-Chief of the Disasters journal and a Trustee of the Board of Muslim Aid. Previously, she led a prominent UN response in Sudan’s Nuba Mountains, acted as an observer at the IGAD Sudan peace process, and lectured at the University of Dar es Salaam. She holds a PhD in Politics and International Studies and has authored extensive works on conflict and humanitarian affairs.

With over 11 years’ experience working with numerous luxury brands at Verb Brands Performance Agency for the Luxury sector, Sarah is a x-channel digital marketing expert. Sarah started her career helping brands navigate the social media, influencer and creative landscape, consulting for the likes of Bugatti, Harrods, and NetJets. As such Sarah has a deep understanding of how to connect to the affluent consumer on their terms and in today’s digital world. Sarah naturally has a deep interest in the Luxury sector and leads VERB’s annual research The State of Luxe – proprietary quantitative research surveying the HNW consumer. Sarah will be sharing 2023s research looking at how the affluent have acquired wealth, how the cost of living has impacted them and how they’re spending and investing their wealth.

With an extensive three-decade journey, he has led technology ventures across the spectrum, from start-ups to publicly traded entities. Stuart’s profound expertise encompasses eleven game-changing technologies and five strategic acquisitions in the realm of deep tech. Moreover, he serves as the Business Strategy Officer at The Quantum Insider, reflecting his dedication to shaping the quantum landscape. Notably, his accomplishments include prior roles as Managing Director at Oxford Instruments NanoScience and Vice President of Survey Solutions at Hexagon Geosystems.

Veronica is at the forefront of sustainable fashion as well as innovation impact investing. Committed to actualising technology-based solutions that solve the climate crisis, Veronica has an extensive investment portfolio backing materials alternative, eco brands, climate tech and new sustainable business models. From 2012-22, Veronica led investments into and successfully exited the Karl Lagerfeld brand, after helping to grow it into a global fashion business with many profitable product expansions. Veronica was the President of Iconix China from 2008-15, launching 12 mass market American brands and opening 1000 stores in China.  

Wenmiao focuses on translating scientific innovation into marketable products, and VC fundraising. After reading Chemistry at the University of Oxford and ideating Quantum Dice, Wenmiao went to the Quantum Technology Enterprise Centre as an Enterprise Fellow. She strongly believes in the power of communities, crucial to growing nascent industries such as quantum technologies. Wenmiao brought Quantum Dice into the Royal Academy of Engineering’s network of high-growth technology companies after being selected for the Shott Scale Up Accelerator in 2022. She is currently the Secretary for the Institute of Physics Quantum-Business Innovation and Growth group. There, Wenmiao also leads the sub-group to deliver on BIG’s “voice into government” objective. In 2023, the UK Young Academy selected Wenmiao for its first cohort of members to shape its strategy to target some of society’s biggest challenges

Yasmin operates at the intersection of fashion, finance, and culture in tandem with commerce. As a writer specialising in sustainability (ESG), design, and investment, she has forged a trajectory that champions culture and creative enterprise as catalysts for inclusive regeneration. Serving as a cultural placemaking strategist, Yasmin emerges as a thought leader and staunch advocate for recalibrating retail paradigms, amplifying circular economy design principles, and driving diversity in the talent pipelines within the fashion industry and the built environment.