At Ignite Dating, we understand that it is more than just introductions that will pave the way for you finding that perfect partner. We recognise that in order to be able to select the right matches for you, we need to appreciate all of the qualities and attributes that make you who you are and be on hand to support you to provide a dating journey that will leave you feeling confident, energised and safe.
Our experienced team of professional matchmakers bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to make your dating journey as streamlined as possible and ultimately achieve that final goal of a committed relationship.
MD and Founder
MICHELLE BEGY
Michelle has enjoyed an extensive career in the dating sector. She is an extremely experienced MMI-Accredited Matchmaker and is highly respected within the industry, having been recently featured in Forbes and chosen as a Spear’s 500 Top Recommended Matchmaker for high-net-worth individuals. Her early career was in advertising, PR and event management. She was Events Director for one of the UK’s biggest offline agencies before becoming a successful Global Headhunter Matchmaker. Michelle launched her own agency, Ignite Dating, in 2020 after noticing a transition in the dating world. She found single people were seeking a more personalised approach to finding love that took away the effort and stress of navigating the dating landscape. Throughout her successful matchmaking career Michelle has been lucky enough to watch the start of something special for her clients many times – whether it’s engagements, marriages, or the arrival of babies. Michelle is a passionate and highly driven entrepreneur who works extremely hard but always makes time to support her beloved son, supporting him in his blossoming cricket career and being a dedicated presence at all his important cricket matches. In valuable down time, Michelle loves spending time with family and close friends, reading and being a foodie, she enjoys quirky boutique restaurants and high-end Michelin star experiences. Michelle achieved MBTI and FIRO practitioner status to help clients understand their strengths and preferences, helping them to enjoy a smooth dating journey. She has also achieved the Science-based Coaching Certification from the Matchmaking Institute.
Finance Director
YVONNE NESTOR-RYAN
Yvonne is an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. She has extensive experience gained from working in accountancy roles across a range of sectors including the snack food industry, magazine publishing, and the third sector. Yvonne works hard behind the scenes at Ignite Dating, taking care of monthly and annual finances, monitoring business health and performance, and taking care of statutory reporting obligations. Hailing from Southern Ireland originally, Yvonne is now happily settled in beautiful Rutland. She loves to unwind when she gets precious downtime, spending time with her beloved family and curling up with a good book. She likes to travel and explore new destinations with the important people in her life.
Marketing Manager
ED TEXIER
Ed looks after all marketing for Ignite Dating, ensuring a smooth user journey on our website and streamlining communication processes. Ed graduated from Kingston University with a BEng (hons) Manufacturing Engineering with Business Studies degree. Ed started his career at a graphic design company, working with various global blue-chip clients. He then took up a range of creative roles for City banking organisations before starting his own digital marketing and design company. Ed works hard to ensure our clients get the most out of their experience with Ignite Dating. He’d describe himself as an adrenaline junkie who is passionate about water sports, running and cycling. Ed is well-travelled and loves spending time with his two teenage children and beloved pet dog.
Matchmaker
SAMANTHA ROWLAND-JONES
Sam is our Surrey-based matchmaker who covers Surrey, London and the home counties, enjoying helping our clients find long-term committed relationships. Sam has a BA (hons) degree in Business Communications. Following a varied career in professional services, she has turned her extensive skillset to matchmaking, where she works with professional men and women from their early thirties to their eighties, helping them enjoy a fulfilling dating journey. Over the years that Sam has worked with Ignite Dating she has facilitated many successful introductions and she is passionate about helping clients reach their goal of a successful, loving relationship. In her spare time Sam enjoys spending plenty of time with friends, family, and her beloved French bulldog Freddy. Her young daughter keeps her busy and as an avid arts lover, she’ll enjoy plenty of theatre visits. Sam is also up for a sociable game of tennis when the weather is agreeable!
Headhunter & Ambassador
BEATRICE BOARDMAN
Beatrice studied Business Commerce at The University of Edinburgh before going on to enjoy a varied career spanning the business sector, fashion, interior design, and the media industry. She has previously lived in London, France, Costa Rica, and the Middle East before relocating to Surrey to take up a new role at Ignite Dating. Using her extensive interpersonal and communication skills, Beatrice works closely with our Surrey matchmaker Samantha Rowland-Jones to find compatible matches for her clients. Outside of work Beatrice loves spending time with her friends and family, enjoying socialising, eating out and sharing cosy downtime at home. She enjoys long hikes and runs across the Surrey countryside, often accompanied by her fox red Labrador Scrumpy.
Matchmaker & Headhunter
LIS JONES
Lis has enjoyed a varied career before turning her hand skilfully to matchmaking. She studied Italian and Classics at degree level, which included a year at Florence University. She has worked on the trading floor at an American investment bank for six years based in global commodities and then debt capital markets. Lis works hard to support Ignite Dating clients with every step of their dating journey, helping them secure the committed relationship they have been dreaming of. Discretion, organisation, empathy, and a strong work ethic have been a pivotal part of her career to date and are second nature to Lis. When she gets valuable downtime, she loves to travel and especially enjoys spending time by the sea. Her other passions include house renovation, interior design and of course her beloved golden doodle!
Matchmaker & Headhunter
GABRIELLA NOBREGA
Gabriella is a certified matchmaker and dating coach with a passion for helping clients find their perfect partner. She is a Business Management graduate who studied in New York as a successful recipient of a volleyball scholarship. Her career background is in marketing, and she has produced and hosted her own relationships podcast. As well as her certification in matchmaking, Gabriella achieved a science-based coaching certification from the Matchmaking Institute. A pivotal part of the Ignite Dating matchmaking team, Gabriella offers exclusive headhunting of ID-checked and interviewed matches within a range of different localities. Born in Brazil, Gabriella is now happily settled in London, where she enjoys filling her spare time with her favourite activities. She loves singing and playing the guitar as well as spending time with her family. She also has a passion for exploring spirituality and her artistic side.
Senior Dating Consultant
JULIE DRUMMOND
Julie has extensive experience in the dating world and works hard to support our clients. With a background in corporate sales and client-facing training, Julie has spent the past decade worked at a range of different dating agencies, including in the role of Head of Memberships. She has achieved a Diploma in Life Coaching and is working towards a Diploma in Relationship Coaching. Julie has also achieved the Science-based Coaching Certification from the Matchmaking Institute. She is a passionate Dating Consultant who enjoys helping people and supporting our clients in achieving their goal of a fulfilling long-term relationship. A big fan of self-development, Julie describes herself an avid learner who enjoys plenty of meditation in her downtime. She loves to travel and is extremely family-orientated, enjoying plenty of time with her daughter, dog and wonderful friends and family.
Master Executive Coach
GENEVIEVE GRESSET
Geneviève has extensive people skills that led her naturally from an early career in recruitment to relationship matchmaking. She launched highly successful supper clubs before going to New York to train at a matchmaker. Genevieve has earned the prestigious title of Master Executive Certified Matchmaker (one of only 12 in the world). She is International Coaching Federation (ICF) certified and also works as a coach and matchmaking trainer. Geneviève is VP of an influential matchmaking group in the US and offers coaching at extremely popular relationship retreats at beautiful locations in the UK and internationally. She offers her expert coaching support to Ignite Dating clients, offering them the benefit of her 30 years of matchmaking experience. Geneviève loves working with people and having the privilege of connecting them, helping clients to make the most of their dating journey and achieve their dreams. In her spare time, she loves to travel and turn her hand to property renovation. Genevieve also loves cooking and spending time with her beloved pets and grandchildren.
In-House Stylist
BEVERLY OSEMWENKHAE
Beverly is an image and wardrobe consultant who runs her own style consultancy. Beverly studied Business Administration, Fashion Marketing and Management at Berkeley College. Her vast experience in the fashion world includes a range of fashion PR and styling roles for leading brands. Beverly works as an in-house stylist for Ignite Dating, helping our clients achieve the perfect first impression through building a wardrobe together to help them achieve their style goals and revamp their look. Beverly’s work helps people to translate want they want from their look and gives expert advice on putting the perfect outfits together. Beverly regularly offers styling workshops to empower clients and offer them valuable tips on dressing with confidence for a date to remember. In her spare time Beverly enjoys plenty of shopping and relaxed brunches with friends. She’s a big fan of meditation and yoga, and also enjoys creating plenty of content for her Instagram channel.
Matchmaker & Global Headhunter
ELLIE HARRISON
Ellie is extremely skilled in finding incredible people for our clients to meet. A valued member of the team, she provides essential support to our Managing Director Michelle Begy and ensures her clients are presented with the best personalised matches. From headhunting potential matches, to the due diligence, digital footprint check and profiling, Ellie has the network and experience to find the best matches. As a trained matchmaker, Ellie works with her own portfolio of clients, aiding and supporting them on their dating journey.
Having studied a Business Diploma at Oxford Media & Business School, Ellie started her career as an Admin Assistant/PA to a Managing Director. She then branched out into Client Liaison for an exclusive matchmaking agency before joining the team at Ignite Dating. In her spare time Ellie enjoys time catching up with friends, sharing a sociable evening out. She loves to cook and recently enjoyed taking part in a challenging cookery course at a leading culinary training school.
Headhunter Matchmaker
JENNA BAIRD
With a varied career encompassing a range of customer service roles, Jenna learnt early on that she thrives most in an environment that sees her working closely with people from all walks of life and helping them in whatever situation they find themselves in. It is this passion for helping people and learning from others that turned her hand to matchmaking where she worked as a Matchmaker and Dating PA with another offline agency before embarking on her role as a Headhunter Matchmaker at Ignite Dating. Throughout her dating career, Jenna has been lucky enough to witness the start of something special for many of her clients, an achievement that she intends to build upon for successful singles around the world. Outside of work, Jenna loves spending time with friends and family, meeting new people and working on herself with a spot of self-development and positive manifestation. That said, her true passions lie in travelling, learning new skills – a trait that saw her complete a full restoration project on her own – or switching off from the demands of the day with a good book.
Ignite Dating Group Ltd.
1703 Belvedere Gardens
5 Belvedere Road
London SE1 7AF
0333 366 0640
hello@ignitedating.co.uk
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We are an elite matchmaking agency based in the UK specialising in hand-selected personal introductions through your own matchmaker.