Introducing the 2020 Walpole Game Changers, in association with Investec: Innovators within British luxury in pursuit of something new: where they lead, others follow.

Dhavall Gandhi, Whisky Director, The Lakes Distillery

Corporate finance consultant turned whisky scientist, Dhavall Gandhi was the whiskymaker for The Macallan single malt whisky before joining The Lakes Distillery to define the house style and formulate their whisky strategy. An expert in whisky maturation (particularly Sherry casks), Gandhi practices “holistic whisky-making” by applying a vast array of novel approaches and pioneering techniques. His creative influences range from a spectrum of domains –art, mathematics, perfumery, and winemaking to name a few. According to the Whisky Magazine, “If whisky is an art… this man is the artist relishing his palette.”

Farrah Storr, Editor-in-Chief, ELLE UK

Prior to joining ELLE as Editor-in-Chief, Farrah Storr was the Editor-in-Chief of Cosmopolitan where she grew the brand to become the No.1 UK women’s glossy. Previously, Farrah was the launch Editor of Women’s Health magazine. Farrah was included in the GG2 Power List, profiling Britain’s 101 most influential Asians. In 2019 Farrah was awarded Editor of the Year at the PPA Awards, for the second year running and was included in the Evening Standard’s Progress 1000 list of London’s most influential people of 2019. She is the author of The Discomfort Zone (Piatkus) and a Social Mobility Commissioner.

Lucy Yeomans, Founder and co-CEO, DREST

Lucy Yeomans is Creator, Founder and co-CEO of DREST, the world’s first luxury convergence platform with gamification, shopping, creativity, content and entertainment at its core. Prior to founding DREST, Lucy’s illustrious career history included Deputy Editor of Tatler and Editor-in-Chief of Harper’s Bazaar, and Global Content Director of luxury online retailer, NET-A-PORTER.COM. DREST is a game-changing ecosystem within both the mobile gaming and fashion markets, providing brands with a new frontier to connect with consumers and currently features over 160 of the world’s leading fashion brands including Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Prada, Off-White, Loewe, Chloé, Thom Browne, Burberry and Stella McCartney.

Simon Mitchell, Co-Founder, Sybarite

Simon Mitchell co-founded Sybarite with Torquil McIntosh in 2002. The founding principles were to create a global studio focusing on retail design with a highly collaborative culture. Simon brings his natural hands-on practicality to Sybarite’s architectural and design projects and is intrinsically involved across all the operational and client facing aspects of the studio. Sybarite has delivered 2,500 projects to date, including global store designs for notable luxury monobrands and renowned department stores. The business concentrates on delivering innovative and experiential environments for retail and hospitality. Simon is a regular contributor and opinion leader within the industry.

Tom Marchant, Co-Founder, Black Tomato

Tom Marchant is co-founder of luxury travel company Black Tomato. Described by Harper’s Bazaar as “having a finger on the pulse of travel that is incomparable” his experience shaping the business in the UK and the US has enabled a deep understanding of the different markets and led to Black Tomato’s innovative approach being lauded across the luxury sector. Black Tomato’s pioneering travel products, like “Get Lost” and “Blink” reflect the company’s unique ability to uncover rare ways in which to experience destinations. This approach has led to the brand being consistently named by the likes of Conde Nast Traveller and Travel + Leisure as one of the best travel companies in the world.

Read the brochure here: Power List 2020 Brochure.