Spear’s Writers and Contributors

Featured Writers

Aisha Alli

Aisha Alli is Head of Research & Insight at Spear's and oversees the research team where she works alongside private client firms and luxury brands. She is also a frequent contributor to the ...
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Alec Marsh

Alec Marsh is a Spear's contributing editor. He was editor of Spear's from 2017 to 2020 and has written for the Spectator, Country Life and the Financial Times, ...
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Daisy Dunn

Dr Daisy Dunn is an award-winning author & classicist. Her new book, The Missing Thread: A New History of the Ancient World through the Women Who Shaped It, will be published in May ...
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Edwin Smith

Spear's editor-in-chief since 2020. Edwin was formerly deputy editor of Spear's and head of the Spear's Research Unit. He has written for the Telegraph, Guardian, Daily Mail, Esquire, Wired, Private ...
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Eleanor Doughty

Eleanor Doughty is a journalist and interviewer. She began her career in journalism at the Daily Telegraph, and specialises in writing about the moneyed and titled classes. Now freelance, her ...
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John Arlidge

John Arlidge has interviewed and profiled some of the world's most prominent business leaders, mainly for the Sunday Times Magazine. It was John who revealed that Goldman Sachs' former boss, ...
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Kathryn Anderson

Kathryn Anderson is a former newspaper editor with nearly 20 years of experience in the media. Now a freelance writer and editor, she specialises in creating content around personal finance, ...
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Martin Vander Weyer

Martin Vander Weyer is business editor and columnist of The Spectator, for which he runs annual Economic Innovator Awards for UK entrepreneurs. He is also a regular contributor to the Daily ...
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Nicholas Foulkes

Nicholas Foulkes has written around 20 books on subjects as diverse as James Bond, the Battle of Waterloo, and the trenchcoat. He also writes regularly for Country Life, the ...
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Robert Jackman

Robert Jackman is a Spear's contributing editor, specialising in wealth and the financial markets. He also writes for The Spectator, the Telegraph and the ...
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Sam Leith

Sam Leith is the literary editor of The Spectator, a columnist for Evening Standard and author of You Talkin' to Me?

Timothy Barber

Timothy Barber is a Spear's contributing editor, and a features writer specialised in watches, culture, luxury and technology. His writing appears regularly in Wired, the Telegraph, Mr Porter, QP, ...
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All Writers A-Z

Elaine Aarons

Shruti Advani

Guido Alfani

Aisha Alli

Aisha Alli is Head of Research & Insight at Spear's and oversees the research team where she works alongside private client firms and luxury brands. She is also a frequent contributor to the magazine and has interviewed prominent figures including Richard Branson, John Caudwell, Shalini Hinduja, Ben Lamm and Mauricio Umansky.

Kathryn Anderson is a former newspaper editor with nearly 20 years of experience in the media. Now a freelance writer and editor, she specialises in creating content around personal finance, investment and luxury lifestyle topics.

John Arlidge

John Arlidge has interviewed and profiled some of the world's most prominent business leaders, mainly for the Sunday Times Magazine. It was John who revealed that Goldman Sachs' former boss, Lloyd Blankfein, thinks bankers 'do God’s work'. It took 10 years but he finally persuaded Jony Ive, Apple's then chief designer, to do his first, full one-on-one interview. When Carlos Ghosn, the fugitive Nissan CEO, decided to reveal the details of his escape from Tokyo, a stowaway on a private jet, he chose to talk to John. Sir James Dyson first revealed his £500 million prototype electric car to John. He lives in London with former BBC Economics Editor now global head of economics and government at Bloomberg, Stephanie Flanders, and their son and daughter.

Sam Ashworth-Hayes

Clive Aslet

Clive Aslet is an award-winning writer and journalist, acknowledged as a leading authority on Britain and its way of life. He joined the magazine Country Life in 1977 and was Editor for 13 years. Sir Max Hastings credited him as being an ‘extraordinarily informed and influential standard-bearer for the cause of the countryside and Britain’s heritage for many years’.

Sarah Aughwane

Charlie Baker

Charlie Baker is editor of The Fence

Tim Barber

Tim Barber works at Duncan Aviation in aircraft sales and acquisitions

Timothy Barber

Timothy Barber is a Spear's contributing editor, and a features writer specialised in watches, culture, luxury and technology. His writing appears regularly in Wired, the Telegraph, Mr Porter, QP, WatchPro, Rolls Royce Whispers and many more publications.

Rosalyn Breedy is a corporate, fund and financial services lawyer. A partner at Simons Muirhead Burton until 2022, she is now in her own firm, Breedy Henderson.

Jane Church writes about luxury travel destinations for publications in the UK and Switzerland. As a ghostwriter, she has authored several bestselling memoirs.

Charles Clover

Alice Coleman

Alice Coleman is a researcher for the Spear's 500. She also writes about heritage, lifestyle, business and culture.

A partner at Payne Hicks Beach, Dominic Crossley is head of the firm's dispute resolution department and a leading expert in privacy and media law

Eleanor Doughty is a journalist and interviewer. She began her career in journalism at the Daily Telegraph, and specialises in writing about the moneyed and titled classes. Now freelance, her writing appears in the Financial Times, the Spectator, Country Life, The Times and Sunday Times, the Telegraph, and many other publications. When she is not writing, she can be found either on or near a horse. She is currently writing her first book, about the British aristocracy, for Penguin Random House.

Dr Daisy Dunn is an award-winning author & classicist. Her new book, The Missing Thread: A New History of the Ancient World through the Women Who Shaped It, will be published in May 2024.

Suzanne Elliott

Acting digital editor for Spear's and a freelance journalist with a CV that includes ITV News, the Guardian, British Vogue, Conde Nast International, EuroNews and Shortlist

Suzanne Elliott

Spear’s acting digital editor, a freelance journalist with a CV that includes ITV News, the Guardian, British Vogue, Conde Nast International, Huffington Post, EuroNews and Shortlist

Associate Solicitor, Private Wealth at Cripps

Sital Fontenelle

Emily Formstone

Danson Foundation intern

Irenie Forshaw

Nicholas Foulkes

Nicholas Foulkes has written around 20 books on subjects as diverse as James Bond, the Battle of Waterloo, and the trenchcoat. He also writes regularly for Country Life, the FT’s How To Spend It magazine and Vanity Fair. In 2007 he was named Havana Man of the Year by the Cuban government.

Livia Giannotti is a staff writer and researcher. Her work has been featured in The Guardian, Huck Magazine and Outside Magazine.

Alexandra Goss is an award-winning journalist and a former deputy editor of the Sunday Times Home section. She writes for Spear's about prime and super-prime property.

Co-head of Withers' UK Private Client and Tax team.

Mary Rose Gunn

Charles Hale KC

Head of Chambers, 4PB

Olenka Hamilton

Olenka Hamilton is a former staff writer at Spear's

Former Deputy Editor of Spear's. Chris was formerly Senior Editor, Branded Content at Economist Impact, focusing on business, economics, and wealth.

Dr Tristram Hunt is a historian and author whose books include Ten Cities That Made an Empire. His service as MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central included a period as shadow education secretary from 2013 to 2015. After leaving politics in 2017, he became director of the V&A and advocates for the teaching of cultural subjects in school.

Bea Isaacson

Robert Jackman

Robert Jackman is a Spear's contributing editor, specialising in wealth and the financial markets. He also writes for The Spectator, the Telegraph and the Daily Mail.

Christopher Jackson

Christopher Jackson was the previous deputy editor of Spear’s, writing on culture, politics, wealth management and law. He is the author of six books including The Fragile Democracy (2016) on US politics, the best-selling Roger Federer (2017) a book about philosophy and sport, and Theresa May (2018). He was named one of five poets to watch by the Huffington Post in 2013, and longlisted for the National Poetry Prize in 2016; his volume The Gallery was published by the University of Salzburg to critical acclaim in 2013.

Ben Keith is a barrister at 5SAH specialising in cross-border and international cases. He represents governments, political and military leaders, high-net-worths, human rights defenders and business leaders in the most sensitive cases.

Caitlin Kilpatrick

Caitlin Kilpatrick is a senior researcher at Spear's. She profiles private client advisers, wealth managers, lawyers and service providers of UHNW individuals for the Spear's 500.

Annamaria Koerling

Annamaria Koerling is managing partner of Delfin Private Office

Yusuf Kundgol

Sam Leith is the literary editor of The Spectator, a columnist for Evening Standard and author of You Talkin' to Me?

Chris Madigan is a freelance writer specialising in travel, food and, above all, drinks. He edits Brummell Drinks Club, is a former editor-at-large for Esquire and has contributed to publications including The Telegraph, The Times, Boat International, Conde Nast Traveller, The National (UAE) and the Toronto Globe & Mail. He has also worked as a communications consultant for several drinks brands.

Zarmina Mahmood

Nick Manners

Nick Manners, Family lawyer and Partner at Payne Hicks Beach

Codelia Mantsebo

Alec Marsh

Alec Marsh is a Spear's contributing editor. He was editor of Spear's from 2017 to 2020 and has written for the Spectator, Country Life and the Financial Times, among other leading publications. A BSME award-winning editor, Alec has interviewed many leading figures in British political and business life over the last two decades and writes on a broad range of topics including world affairs, politics and economics. His debut novel, Rule Britannia, is published by Headline Accent. Enemy of the Raj, his second novel, was published in September 2020.

Partner at Burgess Mee Family Law

Rob Morgan

Chief Investment Analyst at Charles Stanley

Arabella Murphy

Arabella Murphy is the founding director of Propitious (London) Ltd, a strategic consultancy focusing on risk planning, family governance and mediation.

Svetlana Nartey

Rupert Neate

Rupert Neate is a freelance feature writer. Previously he spent a decade as wealth correspondent for the Guardian covering the lives of the world’s richest people and their impact on society.

Chris Newlands

Johan Norberg

Johan Norberg is the author of The Capitalist Manifesto: Why the Global Free Market Will Save the World.

Jonathan Oppenheimer

Gareth Parker-Jones

Gareth Parker-Jones has been Head Master of Rugby since 2020. He previously taught at Harrow, University College School and Sevenoaks before moving to Rugby School as Deputy Head (Academic) in 2015. He was educated at Queen Elizabeth’s Hospital School and Pembroke College, Oxford.

Spear's Partners

Content created jointly by Spear's and its partners.

Former Spear’s digital editor, previously working in digital editing roles at ITV News and Stylist.

Jonathan Ray is the drinks editor at The Spectator.

Rory Ross began working on Harpers & Queen and Tatler while side-hustling in commercial espionage. He now juggles journalism, cooking, playing the piano, rowing and travelling while trying to pen the Great Trash Novel.

Maria is Deputy Head and Joint Head of the Family Team at 5 St. Andrew’s Hill, London. She practices exclusively in family law with a specialism in finances and private law children work. She accepts instructions to act through a solicitor or directly from members of the public on a Direct Access basis. She can read and write Arabic after spending part of her childhood living in the UAE.

Christopher Silvester

Spear’s former editor has previously written obituaries for The Times, book reviews for the Financial Times and features for Newsweek. From 2004 to 2007, he wrote the weekly ‘Diary’ column for the Independent on Sunday. From 2005 to 2012 he had more book reviews published in British publications than any other journalist, covering history, politics, film, showbusiness, Americana, and general biography.

Rasika Sittamparam

Rasika Sittamparam is a former senior researcher at Spear's. During her eight years at Spear's she interviewed countless wealth managers, lawyers and leading private client professionals, as well as figures from Salman Rushdie to primatologist Dr Jane Goodall and tech pioneer turned philanthropist Dame 'Steve' Shirley. Rasika holds a master's degree in science journalism and a biology with management degree from Imperial College London.

William Sitwell

William Sitwell is restaurant critic for The Telegraph and an established food critic and writer. In addition to his work as an author and broadcaster he runs the world’s smallest wine store at www.williamshousewines.com

Edwin Smith

Spear's editor-in-chief since 2020. Edwin was formerly deputy editor of Spear's and head of the Spear's Research Unit. He has written for the Telegraph, Guardian, Daily Mail, Esquire, Wired, Private Eye and the Spectator, among other leading publications. He has also consulted for brands including KPMG, Google and UBS.

Billy Stephenson is the founder and managing director of Stephenson Executive Search. He is an expert in recruitment services, high-level board reviews, advice on governance and non-executive hires, and formerly worked as a private bank at Credit Suisse.

John Studzinski CBE is managing director and vice chairman of Pimco. A committed philanthropist, Studzinski is the co-founder of the Arise Foundation, which partners with local networks to stop human trafficking, and vice-chair emeritus of Human Rights Watch. He is also founder and chairman of the Genesis Foundation, a U.K.-based charity that supports young artists.

Katharine Swindells

Robin Swithinbank

Robin Swithinbank is a journalist and author, and host of The Luxury Society Podcast. He is a regular contributor to The New York Times, Financial Times and Business of Fashion, a WatchPro columnist, and a contributor to The Sunday Times, The Times, The Telegraph, Vanity Fair, Esquire and Robb Report.

A partner at Farrer & Co., Freddie Tatham specialises in high-value and complex matrimonial finance disputes, often encompassing an international element.

Rachael Taylor

Rachael Taylor is a British freelance jewellery journalist and regular contributor to titles including The Financial Times, The Telegraph, The Independent, Condé Nast publications, Retail Jeweller and Rapaport. She is also the author of two books on jewellery, Cartier: The Story Behind the Style and Tiffany & Co: The Story Behind the Style. Rachael is a sought-after speaker and a judge at prestigious jewellery competitions including the UK Jewellery Awards and The Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council Awards. In 2022, she was announced as the first female GC&DC ambassador to be appointed in the Council's 115-year history. In her earlier career, Rachael was the founding editor of Professional Jeweller and WatchPro magazines, as well as co-founder of The Jewellery Cut.

Nicole Trilivas

Ed Tryon

Ed Tryon is a founding partner at property advisor Lichfields. Specialising in the prime central London property market, he is behind some of the most exclusive deals in the area.

Martin Vander Weyer is business editor and columnist of The Spectator, for which he runs annual Economic Innovator Awards for UK entrepreneurs. He is also a regular contributor to the Daily Telegraph and the author of The Good, the Bad and the Greedy: Why We’ve Lost Faith in Capitalism (2021). A Yorkshireman of Flemish ancestry, Martin spent 15 years as an investment banker in London, Brussels, Asia and Eastern Europe before turning to writing.

Tim Vaux

Tim Vaux has been writing about luxury watches since 2016

Will Wainewright

Will Wainewright is a financial journalist based in London. He runs Alternative Fund Insight, a hedge fund news and research platform, and writes about finance and business for Spear's and other titles.

Mark Walton

Robin Wigglesworth

Editor of the FT's finance blog Alphaville and the author of Trillions, a book on passive investing and the rise of asset manager Vanguard

Eliot Wilson is a writer and essayist on politics, foreign affairs, strategy and culture. He is co-founder of Pivot Point Group, a PR and strategy consultancy, and digital arts journal CulturAll. He was a clerk in the House of Commons 2005-16 and is a member of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).

Former fund manager Neil Woodford commentates on economics and investing