‘We all have this idea that it should be the most natural thing in the world, but actually, having a relationship in today’s world is only going to get more difficult,’ says Olivia Rigg of Hamilton Rigg.
This is especially true for entrepreneurs, business leaders and professionals whose demanding careers leave little time to pursue relationships. Increasingly, many turn to professional matchmakers to make the first introductions and guide them toward compatible partners.
Spear’s has curated a list of the leading advisers in this field. While each offers a slightly different approach, all are highly experienced and work exclusively with the UHNW community, delivering bespoke searches tailored to a client’s criteria. Discretion is paramount, and each firm operates with a strong ethical commitment in how they conduct their matches.
Some matchmakers run an ‘agency-based’ model, pairing clients with each other through a membership platform. Others, such as Inga Verbeeck of Ivy Relations, adopt more of a ‘headhunting’ approach, conducting in-depth research to identify the ideal partner for each client.
Related
Selectivity also plays a role. Certain advisers only work with specific demographics: Olivia Rigg of Hamilton Rigg, for example, represents male UHNWs exclusively. Others broaden their remit, offering mentoring or coaching for those re-entering the dating scene or embarking on it for the first time. Hayley Bystram at Bowes-Lyon Partnership, a new addition to this year’s index, works with clients aged 30 to 80, supporting them at every stage of their dating journey.
What distinguishes the advisers featured in the index is not just their UHNW clientele – a community that includes CEOs of listed companies, family offices, entrepreneurs and industry leaders – but also their dedication to maintaining discretion and ethical practice. Michelle Begy of Ignite Dating, for instance, ensures her team is accredited by the Matchmaking Institute, enabling them to deliver searches grounded in professional standards.
It is a level of rigour and expectation that resonates across the sector. ‘Our clients set the bar high for themselves for everything in their lives,’ says Verbeeck. ‘And there is no reason why the same shouldn’t apply to a relationship.’
Click the links below to jump to a section of this article:
Content from our partners
- Methodology
- The best matchmakers: some names to know
- The best matchmakers: the complete list
- Contact us
Methodology
Each year, the Spear’s Research Unit reassesses and refreshes its rankings of the leading providers in each sector by gathering data from and about the advisers and firms themselves, assessing submission forms, collating nominations, carrying out peer reviews, reviewing data from third-party sources, gathering references and recommendations, canvassing experts and conducting hundreds of interviews.
Advisers are evaluated using a proprietary scoring system that assigns different weightings to certain attributes. These scores feed directly into each new set of rankings in the Spear’s Indices. Each of these indices are published first online (according to the research calendar) and then in print. Print publication takes the form of the annual Spear’s 500 directory, which includes the top advisers in every index.
[See also: A guide to The Spear’s 500: Everything you need to know]
Each featured adviser is profiled on spears500.com. The site allows users to search the Spear’s database of more than 4,000 entities to find one (or more) to meet their specific requirements by filtering for specific attributes such as an adviser’s location, their specialist expertise and information about their client base.
The best matchmakers: some names to know
Hayley Bystram
- Focus: London matchmaking
- Position: Founder
- Firm: Bowes-Lyon Partnership
‘We don’t use algorithms to match our members; we use human instinct,’ says Hayley Bystram, founder of the Bowes-Lyon Partnership, a London- and Surrey-based matchmaker. Bystram established the agency in 2009 with the vision to create a business that catered to clients in their 30s and 40s; this has since expanded to include individuals aged 30 to 80.
Her firm helps professionals and entrepreneurs from all industries find their perfect match. ‘It’s people that have a busy, demanding lifestyle, and it’s not that they’re not meeting people; it’s just that their everyday lives and the demands of their lives means they’re not crossing paths with those they would envisage having a relationship with,’ Bystram tells Spear’s. ‘I very much see it not as a personal problem; I see it as a modern society problem.’
Read Hayley Bystram’s full profile on Spears500.com
Olivia Rigg
- Focus: Male clients, invitation only
- Position: Founder
- Firm: Hamilton Rigg
Olivia Rigg established her matchmaking firm, Hamilton Rigg, in 2019 after she orchestrated the introduction of two friends, and the pair ultimately got married. She was no stranger to the world of elite matchmaking, having spent almost six years at Gray & Farrar, a stalwart in the space.
Rigg notes that there is an unnecessary stigma around seeking assistance in finding a partner. ‘People don’t have qualms in saying, “I need help finding a home,”’ she says; why should finding love be any different?
Read Olivia Rigg’s full profile on Spears500.com
Michelle Begy
- Focus: Personality profiling
- Position: Founder
- Firm: Ignite Dating
Ignite Dating has quickly grown into one of the largest matchmaking and introduction agencies operating in the UK, Europe and the United States.
Having noticed a trend where successful professionals wanted to be more prescriptive as to what they wanted in a partner, founder and science-based coach Michelle Begy sought to fill the gap in the market.
Read Michelle Begy’s full profile on Spears500.com
Inga Verbeeck
- Focus: Millionaire singles
- Position: Founder
- Firm: Ivy Relations
Inga Verbeeck is the founder and CEO of Ivy Relations, an international matchmaking company headquartered in Antwerp whose typical clients are worth £20 million.
The firm provides a bespoke headhunting service from nine locations, and designs a specific search framework to cater to each client’s individual needs. ‘We offer a very targeted dating journey,’ she tells Spear’s. ‘We provide a lot of detail, photos and information, so they really get a [comprehensive] portfolio to decide who they’re going to meet or not.’
Read Inga Verbeeck’s full profile on Spears500.com
The best matchmakers: the complete list
Click on the individual names to be directed to more detailed profiles of each adviser on The Spear’s 500 website. The table is ordered by ranking and then alphabetically by surname.
Contact us
- Click here to order a print copy of The Spear’s 500.
- To apply for inclusion in The Spear’s 500, complete our submission form.
- For further information about rankings, please email research@spearswms.com; we aim to respond to all queries within two working days.
- For commercial enquiries and questions relating to enhanced profiles, please contact Commercial Director Shady Elkholy: shady.elkholy@spearswms.com
- To keep up to date with the Spear’s 500, subscribe to our magazine, newsletter and follow Spear’s on Linkedin and Instagram.
- If you have missed calendar deadlines for our research cycles in 2025, you can still register your interest for updates about upcoming research and rankings.
