After a brief period as a roadie for a rock band, I thought it was time to be serious and enrolled to study Architecture. After a year, I realised I was not going to last another six, so took a job with Oddbins to keep body and soul together. A few months later, I moved on to work for Prue Leith's Catering business, where the staff were more attractive and the parties better. While there I decided that I would follow the wine route and joined Hatch, Mansfield as a trainee. I was moved to the Grant's of St James's School of Wine but left after a couple of years to set up my own business in 1978 which still survives, whilst remaining involved with Leith's School of Food and Wine for several years. I was asked to join the auction world by Woolley and Wallis in Salisbury, Wiltshire in 1990 and was head-hunted from there to re-start auctions for Bonhams in 1997. After eight years as a consultant, I was appointed to the full-time post of European Head of Wine at Bonhams and became Senior International Director two years later. Bonhams run over a dozen Wine & Whisky auctions a year in London, Edinburgh and Hong Kong.

Current employer: Bonhams (1793) Ltd.

Primary area(s) of work: Trade

Industry sector(s): Auctioneer

Wine styles: Fine and rare wines

Wine region expertise: Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Italy, Rhone, Western Cape

Market expertise: Europe, France

Specialisms: Wine auctions