Industry Concierge Headquarters London, United Kingdom Type of business Private | Founded 2000 Number of employees 1,500 | |
Key people Ian Neale, CEO, Europe and US
Emma Sherrard Matthew, CEO, Hong Kong Services Concierge and life style management services Website quintessentiallygroup.com Founders Ben Elliot, Aaron Simpson, Paul Drummond Subsidiaries Quintessentially Travel Ltd, Quintessentially Secure Limited, Quintessentially Events Limited Profiles | ||
Eleqt part of the quintessentially group
Quintessentially Group is a British concierge company founded in 2000 by Aaron Simpson, Ben Elliot and Paul Drummond. The company is headquartered in London and operates 67 offices worldwide. Quintessentially is a members-only "luxury lifestyle management service" that provides concierge services including travel bookings, restaurant recommendations, and access to events. Quintessentially Group includes 33 companies, including Quintessentially Lifestyle, Quintessentially Events, and the Quintessentially Foundation.
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History
Quintessentially was established in 2000 by Aaron Simpson, Paul Drummond and Ben Elliot, the nephew of the Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. Simpson met Drummond at Oxford University and later started the company with business partner Elliot as a small, London-based concierge service. Before founding Quintessentially, Elliot had co-founded K-Bar Plc, a group of nightclubs and bars, and Simpson had worked as a film producer.
From 2002 to 2005, Quintessentially expanded from two offices in the United Kingdom to ten around the world. The company grew to over 55 offices in cities such as Hong Kong, Cape Town, Istanbul, Mozambique, Cairo, Panama, Los Angeles and Sydney.
In 2010, the company was estimated to have about 86,000 subscribers, including 800 billionaires. Quintessentially moved its headquarters from Soho to Portland Place in early 2011. The company grew over 20 percent during 2012 from £13.5million in turnover to £16.7million by April 2013. In 2015, the group's total turnover was £65million.
The Quintessentially Lifestyle App was introduced in early 2014. The mobile app features recommendations, reviews, and allows members to make requests to their Lifestyle Managers. In November 2016, Quintessentially partnered with Eva Longoria and Victoria Beckham to host the seventh annual Global Gift Gala at the Corinthia Hotel in London.
Operations
Quintessentially Group is a network of 33 companies that operate the personal services provided for its private members. These companies include Quintessentially Travel Group, Quintessentially Aviation, Quintessentially Estates, and Quintessentially Gifts.
Quintessentially Lifestyle
Quintessentially Lifestyle is a members-only luxury lifestyle management and concierge service. The New York Times called Quintessentially Lifestyle, "The company that transformed the idea of concierge services into 'lifestyle management.'" It provides Corporate Solutions and Private Memberships that include preferential rates on hotels and other reservations, access to events, luxury gifts, and other services.
CEO Ian Neale heads the operations in Europe and United States, and Emma Sherrard Matthew is the CEO in Hong Kong. Globally, the firm employs more than 2,000 Lifestyle Managers in over 60 offices speaking 35 languages.
Quintessentially Foundation
Established in June 2008, the Quintessentially Foundation is the charitable arm of the Group. It has raised more than £4,000,000 through various fundraisers, including the annual Poker Night. In 2013, the annual Poker Night fundraiser generated £160,000 for the Duchenne Children's Trust that funds research for the development of a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The foundation has supported organisations like Room to Read and has also funded medical research to find a cure for Type 1 diabetes. The company has also organized a 500 kilometre rickshaw race in India to raise money for elephant protection.