Meet the team
Ben Samuelson
A veteran PR, communications and events leader, Ben set up SWA in 2005 after his previous professional life turning TVR into a globally recognised brand. Never one to say no – including when our insurers or Mrs S think he perhaps should – his relentless enthusiasm, can-do spirit and brilliant eye for detail guides everything we do, from seemingly impossible stunts and worldwide campaigns to everyday grammatical conundrums. With a little black book that’s bursting at the seams, if Ben doesn’t know the right person to unlock access to something otherwise unattainable, he’ll know someone who does, earning SWA an industry reputation as being the agency that makes things happen.
Ellie Hargreaves
Once a newspaper journalist, Ellie has been with SWA since 2009, lured to the dark side by the appeal of managing clients in the Caribbean, among other places. Having trained and worked as a senior reporter, features writer, newspaper and magazine sub-editor and video journalist, she is a storyteller at her very core and splits her time now between writing, managing, cajoling, checking and checking twice more. As well as deputising for Ben across all parts of the business, she leads SWA’s content, copywriting and proofreading projects – applying rigorous editorial standards and managing our highly regarded team of writers and editors.
James Dilkes
With a background in motorsports engineering, and being an absolute pedant when it comes to language, James is one of those exceptionally rare people who can turn their hand to almost anything and do it to the very highest of standards. Whether persuading a Scandinavian government to grant private access to the world’s longest sub-sea tunnel, getting hands-on to repair faulty EV chargers on the edge of the Sahara Desert, or proofreading a 6,000-word press kit, his attention to detail and technical mindset provide the thoroughness that our projects deserve – and the level of problem solving that they often require.
Anna Brayfield
Those who haven’t worked an event with Anna before are often taken aback by just how good she is at her job when she hasn’t (yet) spent 20 years in the industry. A force of nature, she is organised, hard working and blessed with the emotional intelligence to match her intellectual intelligence. And she is a real car expert, as happy working on her own collection at home as she is leading a convoy of EVs through the night across the Atlas Mountains. If you need a fleet of cars in the right place, at the right time, clean and fully fuelled or charged – along with the happy, well-informed and well-fed guests and execs who need to be with them, Anna is the woman for the job.
Daisy Porritt
Everyone is happiest when Daisy is around. Organised, detail-focused and always thinking ahead, SWA's ever-smiling Events Assistant is a people pleaser through and through. When she isn't refining rooming lists or whipping up PowerPoint presentations that resemble works of art, she is always looking for ways to improve the lives of everyone around her – whether that's event guests, clients or colleagues. And she’ll be waiting with your favourite extra-hot flat white with oat milk before you even realise you’re ready for one.
Adrian Phillips
Adrian is the company’s head of finance and has worked as a chartered accountant for two decades, running his own accountancy practice since 2017. He joined the Samuelson Wylie team in 2021 to help evolve the finance function as the business grows, the complexities of its projects develops, and its international work increases.
Shirley Flannagan
Shirley has been part of the SWA team since the very beginning, offering office administrative support and ensuring everything runs smoothly and efficiently. She’s the driving force behind our successful charity events, raising hundreds of thousands of pounds over the years, but is probably best known for being one of the finest chasers of receipts and expenses forms to ever tread the path of office admin.
Dan Read
An experienced writer, editor and producer, Dan has contributed to some of the world’s biggest automotive media brands – including several years as a scriptwriter and producer for the BBC Top Gear TV show. He’s also edited magazines, written travel stories around the world and organised all manner of ambitious adventures.
Matt Rigby
Regular SWA writer, editor and sub-editor Matt Rigby – or ‘Riggers’ – has built a career on being a bit of a geek – as both a car-nerd and a word-nerd. He’s spent time on the news, road test and production desks of leading titles including PistonHeads, Autocar and Auto Express and also works as a freelancer.
Matt Master
Matt is a freelance writer and editor with more than 20 years’ experience in print and digital media. As well as being part of SWA’s editorial team for the past five years, writing both long form and social media copy for a number of OEM clients, Matt contributes to a variety of titles including Top Gear Magazine and The Road Rat.
Darryl Hardman
SWA’s creative consultant Darryl has more than 20 years of creative direction and design experience for a range of clients including adidas, Oakley, Ferrari and Stella McCartney. Highlights include rebranding the London Marathon, global campaigns for Lionel Messi and designing logo idents for Mo Farah.
Chris Putt
You’re in safe hands with SWA’s safety consultant Chris. A leading off-road driving instructor, he’s also a highly qualified H&S advisor, water rescue and emergency recovery specialist. As well as helping with SWA events, Chris has worked on film and TV productions including Bond and The Crown.
Tori Middleton
Tori has been a photographer for more than two decades and, having cut her teeth in newspapers, she now specialises in events. Warm, friendly and professional, she has an incredible talent for capturing people and products in their best light, and often joins the SWA team on events.
Could this be you?
With our 2025 diary full and many exciting projects in the pipeline, SWA is recruiting! To find out more, see the ‘careers’ section, and if you have what it takes we’d love to hear from you.
Our associates
As well as our in-house team and regular contributors, SWA has a trusted network of friends and associates all around the world and from all walks of life. In other words, if we don’t know the person we need to make something happen, the chances are that we know someone who does.