On Wednesday 3rd September, the Brand Exchange Club celebrated 1100 years of the English Monarchy with a special event exploring the impact of Royal Warrants on brand prestige and value.
The evening was hosted by David Haigh, Chairman of Brand Finance, and featured Helen Brocklebank, CEO of Walpole; Adam Guy, Managing Director of Laurent-Perrier; and Paolo Porta, CEO of Smythson of Bond Street. Drawing on the experiences of leading Royal Warrant holders, the discussion examined how royal recognition continues to shape brand identity in the UK and beyond, offering unique perspectives on tradition, heritage, and long-term strategy.
Key Insights:
• The process and value of royal warrants: Speakers explored the history and evolving process of granting royal warrants. The process has become more stringent, with King Charles placing a strong emphasis on sustainability. The conversation centered on how royal warrants play a crucial role in maintaining a brand's reputation, ensuring high quality, and boosting international recognition and a nation’s Soft Power.
• Challenges and the future of royal warrants: The discussion also shed light on the challenges of preserving the significance of royal warrants in the modern world. A key theme was the need to balance tradition with contemporary values, particularly sustainability. Speakers also speculated on the potential role of royal warrants in enhancing the global presence of British brands in the coming years.
| 16.30 - 17.00 | Registration & Welcome Drink |
| 17.00 - 17.05 | Welcome Address David Haigh, Chairman, Brand Finance |
| 17.05 - 17.25 | Presentation - Royal Warrants: Reputation, Consideration and Value Henry Farr, Director, Brand Finance |
| 17.25 - 18.00 | Panel Discussion - How Royal Warrants Shape Brand Value Helen Brocklebank, Chief Executive, Walpole Adam Guy, Managing Director UK, Laurent-Perrier Paolo Porta, Chief Executive Officer, Smythson of Bond Street David Haigh, Chairman, Brand Finance (Moderator) |
| 18.00 - 18.15 | Audience Q&A |
| 18.15 - 18.20 | Closing Remarks David Haigh, Chairman, Brand Finance |
| 18.20 - 19.30 | Networking Reception Join us after the discussion for a relaxed standing reception with wine, beer, cocktails, and a curated canapé service in the Brand Exchange Lounge & Bar. |
Helen Brocklebank is Chief Executive of Walpole, the official sector body for British luxury, representing 250 leading brands contributing £81bn to the UK economy. Since 2017, she has leveraged her deep sector expertise to spearhead initiatives like the British Luxury Sustainability Manifesto (2020), developed industry-building programmes like Brands of Tomorrow and to campaign for the recognition and protection of the luxury sector in both Westminster and Brussels
Recognising the pivotal role of London in the luxury economy for British and international brands alike, she introduced The State of London Luxury, an annual study focusing on protecting and developing the Capital's strengths in art, culture, creativity, high end retail and hospitality.
A board member of the European Cultural and Creative Industries Alliance, she also serves on the Department for Business and Trade’s advisory group for manufactured and consumer goods and the advisory council of the LPO. Ms. Brocklebank’s prior career was in publishing, with roles at Harper’s Bazaar, Esquire, and Elle.
Adam has worked at the independent family champagne house, Laurent-Perrier, since January 2015. He was announced as Managing Director of the UK business in January 2021 having previously been Commercial Director. The UK business is the largest business unit in the group. During Adam’s tenure Laurent-Perrier was the first champagne house to secure the Royal Warrant of His Majesty King Charles III. He has overseen significant improvements across the business: strengthening the brand, the financial performance, the team, and the culture including repeatedly securing accreditation as a great place to work. Prior to joining Laurent-Perrier Adam gained more than nine years of board-level experience in commercial roles in fine wine and technology businesses. His passion for fine wine led him into the luxury business. Adam first became interested in wine and started to attend tastings while studying for his MBA at Oxford University, ultimately coming top in the UK wine trade in his WSET wine diploma. Prior to that, Adam was a corporate lawyer at a “magic circle” law firm. In 2023 Adam was recognised by the luxury sector body Walpole as one of the most influential people in British luxury and now sit on their Luxury Strategy Council. He is a visiting professor at Regents’ University London, vice chair of the Champagne Agents’ Association, and is active in a Vistage CEO peer advisory group.
Paolo Porta was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the British luxury lifestyle brand Smythson of Bond Street in 2023. Before joining Smythson, Porta held several senior leadership positions, including CEO of Hunter and Senior Vice President of Merchandising and Licensing at Jimmy Choo. Prior to that, he worked with global luxury brands such as Burberry, Christian Dior, and Stella McCartney in roles spanning brand development, merchandising, retail buying and management, and wholesale.
David is the Chairman of Brand Finance Plc – the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy. He has worked in the area of branded business, brand, and intangible asset valuation since 1991. He specialised entirely in the field after becoming the Director of Brand Valuation for Interbrand in 1995. He subsequently left Interbrand in 1996 to launch Brand Finance which is celebrating 25 years in business this year.
David represented the British Standards Institution in the working parties responsible for crafting international industry standards: ISO 10668 on Brand Valuation in 2010 and ISO 20671 on Brand Evaluation in 2019.
David is a passionate writer and has authored many articles on brand valuation, published in numerous marketing and finance newspapers and magazines, such as: Financial Times, Accountancy Age, and Marketing Week. He has also lectured on the topic of brand valuation for Harvard, Chicago, and London Business Schools.
David graduated from Bristol University with an English degree, qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Price Waterhouse in London, and obtained a postgraduate diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM). He is a Fellow of The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and has a practising certificate with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).