Aaron Simpson (entrepreneur)

Aaron Simpson
Born (1972-01-06) January 6, 1972
Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, England[1]
Nationality English
Education Oxford University
Occupation Executive chairman, Quintessentially
Organization Quintessentially Foundation
Known for Founding Quintessentially[2]

Aaron Simpson is a British businessman, entrepreneur and former film producer. He is the co-founder and executive chairman of Quintessentially Group, an international members-only lifestyle management company and concierge group.[3][4] Simpson is also a founding trustee of the Quintessentially Foundation.[5] A former film producer, Simpson has worked with Scala Films, Rocket Pictures and he founded his own company, Flashlight Films.

Early life and education

Simpson was born in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, England, the son of teacher and shoe manufacturer.[6] Simpson was educated at Oxford University. He studied geography and achieved a 2:1. He was elected Steward at St Edmund Hall. He founded the Oxford and Cambridge Shakespearian Festivals producing over 300 plays in those university towns.

Career

Early career

Simpson worked in film production as an assistant photocopier for Steven Woolley's Scala Films, the production company behind Interview with the Vampire and the Oscar-winning The Crying Game. After a year with the production company, Simpson was promoted to head of development.[6] Later, Simpson began working as a producer at Elton John's Rocket Pictures before starting his own production company, Flashlight Films.[1][6][7]

Quintessentially

Simpson co-founded Quintessentially Group in 2000 with Ben Elliot and Paul Drummond.[3][8] Simpson serves as the group executive chairman. Simpson and Drummond met at Oxford and started the company with Elliot as a small, London-based concierge service.[1][9] Since then, Quintessentially Group has expanded to 78 countries[2] with over 1,500 employees, 33 sister businesses,[10] and works with over 400 outside brands.[11]

Other activities

Simpson is involved in various other companies serving as a consultant and board member of businesses such as The Entrepreneurs Exchange, which assists young entrepreneurs develop their ideas and concepts into new ventures. He also serves as non-executive director of the Moon Ltd. – 3D Virtual World 365, and non-executive director at Idris Ltd.[12]

In 2014, Simpson started an online investment platform with David Mickler and Lex Deak called Q Ventures.[13]

Simpson has invested in other ventures including Velocity, an e-commerce mobile app.[14]

Philanthropy

In 2008, Simpson and other executives of Quintessentially started the Quintessentially Foundation, a charitable organisation operated by a board of trustees. As one of the founding trustees, Simpson has raised donations for various charities around the world through affairs such as auctions and events.[5]

Personal life

Simpson is married and he and his wife live between London, Los Angeles, and Ibiza, Spain.[1][15]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Kahrmann, Alice (2012). "The Brains Behind a Brand; an interview with Aaron Simpson of Quintessentially". The Good Web Guide. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  2. 1 2 Extreme personal shoppers buying for the mega-rich. Kevin Peachey. 4 December 2015. BBC. 6 January 2016.
  3. 1 2 Potter, Mark (3 June 2010). "Quintessentially goes upmarket to beat recession". Reuters. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  4. ↑ Wilkerson, Becky (6 February 2009). "What it's really like inside Quintessentially". Marketing Magazine. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  5. 1 2 "Industry Insiders: Aaron Simpson, Quintessential Concierge". BlackBook. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 Ma, Amy (8 April 2010). "What's Next: Luxury Travel". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  7. ↑ Swart, Sharon (17 March 1999). "Euro films aim for commercial touch". Variety. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  8. ↑ "Founder and chief executive of global concierge Quintessentially". The Times. 5 September 2007. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  9. ↑ Tyzack, Anna (20 October 2011). "My perfect weekend: Ben Elliot". The Telegraph. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  10. ↑ Kassel, Matthew (8 March 2012). "A Personal Concierge Service That Will Do Your Errands—And Book You A Yacht On The French Riviera". Business Insider. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  11. ↑ Bridge, Sarah (5 September 2015). "Need That Table, Ticket, or Rare Item? Meet Aaron Simpson the Upmarket Fixer Who Knows the Habits of the Super Rich". This is Money. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  12. ↑ "Aaron Simpson". Wish. 1 January 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  13. ↑ White, Anna (6 May 2014). "Q Ventures club aims to tempt angel investors". The Telegraph. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  14. ↑ Stagg, James (8 July 2015). "How to make mobile apps pay the bills". The Caterer. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  15. ↑ Maddison, Jacqueline (28 April 2014). "Quintessentially Lifestyle Concierge". Beverly Hills Magazine. Retrieved 31 December 2014.

External links

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