Martin Moodie is that rarest of species – a flying Kiwi. The New Zealand-born writer, editor and commentator has spent much of the past 37 years in the sky or in airports, researching, reporting and commentating on the travel retail sector that he loves.

After emigrating to the UK in 1987 (he still can’t fathom why), Martin stumbled into the drinks and duty free industry at US publication Impact International before playing a key role in developing Duty-Free News International through the 1990s, where he became Editor and later Managing Director.

In 2002, convinced of the future of digital publishing, he made the fateful decision to go it alone and launched a humble 7-page pdf newsletter called The Moodie Report. The company’s ‘Worldwide Headquarters’ was his garden shed in London, his only staff four goldfish referred to as his Finnish team members.

The rest is history. Within three years The Moodie Report (now The Moodie Davitt Report) was the market leader ahead of stiff multi-national competition and both it and he haven’t looked back since.

A lover of good wine (particularly from his homeland), the All Blacks, Bob Dylan, John Prine, Leonard Cohen, Mark Knopfler, Johnny Cash, John Steinbeck and F.Scott Fitzgerald, he plays the piano shockingly, listens to music incessantly, works around the clock and never admits to defeat. 68 going on 12, he now lives in Hong Kong, China, overlooking the South China sea.

His planned epitaph is ‘Free of duty at last’.

Dermot joined the team in April 2006 after a long and successful editorial and management career at Raven Fox, where at one point he worked as DFNI Editor under Martin Moodie. An astute commentator, editor and reporter, he is also an adroit conference moderator. He is charged with developing the company’s fast-expanding print division as well as co-running the balance of the company’s activities with Martin Moodie.

In April 2016, his contribution and status within the company were underlined by the change in branding of our flagship title to The Moodie Davitt Report.

Irene joined the Moodie Davitt team in August 2018 after spending almost 15 years working on the media agency side at WPP and Dentsu. As publisher she focuses on our commercial side, working closely with the team to create new digital products and deliver the accountability our clients require.

Irene is a truly cosmopolitan professional, having spent most of her life away from her native Spain, including a 9 year stint in Asia (based out of Singapore and Shanghai). She speaks 6 languages (including Chinese).

Sinead Moodie is the Chief Administrative Officer and ESG Manager and has worked at The Moodie Davitt Report since 2011. Sinead takes charge of all administrative matters, ensuring that all issues to do with readership, circulation, and general operational and financial matters are dealt with quickly and efficiently. Quality customer service is integral to Moodie International’s approach and to Sinead’s role.

Sinead is originally from Christchurch, New Zealand but emigrated to London, UK as a young child. After completing her schooling in London she gained a BSc (Hons) in Psychology as well as a MA in Criminology. She has since relocated to South Wales where she lives with her husband and two children.

Sinead has a great interest in travelling and visiting as many natural wonders of the world as she can. In her free time she enjoys going for walks with her family, gaming and exploring new worlds in sci-fi and fantasy literature.

You can find out more about Sinead here: Meet The Moodie Davitt Report team: Introducing Sinead Moodie : Moodie Davitt Report.

Matt Willey is Development and Systems Operations Director at The Moodie Davitt Report and has been a part of the organisation for over 16 years. He graduated with a BA (Hons) in English Literature from the University of Surrey and has amassed more than two decades of experience in the field of innovation and strategic business development.

In his spare time, Matt likes to enjoy a glass or two of red wine, increasingly rare rides on his bike and continues to unrewardingly support Sheffield Wednesday F.C.

He has recently relocated to North Yorkshire with his family where he is slowly growing accustomed to the cooler temperatures and somewhat wetter weather.

You can read more about Matt here: Meet The Moodie Davitt Report team: Introducing Matt Willey : Moodie Davitt Report

Hannah Tan is Brands Director at The Moodie Davitt Report. She joined the team in 2019 as Fashion, Beauty & Social Media Editor.

A social and digital media specialist, Hannah was formerly Content Editor at APLO (A Place Less Ordinary) and Features Editor of digital title TWENTY6Magazine writing on fashion, art, lifestyle and travel. In her expanded role as Brands Director, Hannah manages all brand stories at ‘the website that never sleeps’.

She plays a leading role in identifying and executing special projects, leveraging her widespread connections in fashion, beauty and the digital world to source new partnerships. She also drives The Moodie Davitt Report’s marketing efforts and constantly upgrades our acclaimed coverage of brand launches, activations and campaigns.

Prior to joining the company, Hannah also worked on numerous editorial and commercial shoots, managed press day and fashion week schedules and built solid relationships with fashion, beauty, and travel PRs. She has contributed variously to Telegraph, Metro, Condé Nast Traveller, Huffington Post, Citizen Femme and House of Coco to name a few.

Jess Allerton joined The Moodie Davitt Report in 2022 as our Research Director. For the past two years, Jess managed a team of Data Scientists for UK supermarket group Morrison’s, providing insight for the Supply Chain department. Jess has also held research and category management roles with fellow retailers ASDA and M&S providing data and insight to drive category strategy.

In addition to her extensive retail experience spanning almost 10 years, Jess has held Research Manager roles at Gusto Research Agency and NPD Travel Retail, understanding and evaluating consumer behaviour then turning this into actionable insight.

As a research expert, Jess plays a leading role in developing and driving new products and revenue streams at The Moodie Davitt Report.

In her spare time, Jess enjoys interior design and is often found re-decorating. When not painting or wallpapering, Jess, her husband, two children and their dog, are exploring the great British outdoors.

Aran joined The Moodie Davitt Report team in June 2022 after 12 years with Welsh jewellery brand Clogau, where he managed commercial relationships between the brand & retailers.

As Senior International Account Manager, Aran continues to drive revenues and manage client relationships, while helping brands tell their unique story in travel retail.

Born in Portsmouth (UK), Aran relocated to Chester in 2004, to complete a journalism degree at The University of Chester. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family, travelling, listening to music & enjoying good food & wine.

Vincci Chung is based in Hong Kong, China and joined The Moodie Davitt Report in 2023 as our Associate Director, Events. Vincci is responsible for planning and producing The Moodie Davitt Report’s all conferences, exhibitions and awards programmes.

Vincci started her career at the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, where she managed four exhibitions during her years in the Council. After gaining valuable experience there, she joined Financial Times as a Project Executive for the Board Training Programme. As part of her responsibilities, Vincci handled all administrative duties and marketing related to the workshops and events within the programme, kept communication between delegates and partners running smoothly, and acted as an intermediary between vendors and other working groups involved.

As her leadership capabilities became more evident, Vincci was promoted to Programme and Marketing Manager. In this role, she launched the successful FT Women in Business Asia Forum which aims to help middle-management-level females accelerate their careers.

Vincci has managed to build strong relationships with both clients and vendors due to her exceptional problem-solving abilities and attention-to-detail approach. She also transformed all events into virtual platforms while still maintaining high standards of production quality during the pandemic. Furthermore, Vincci was solely responsible for managing the member community across Asia for the Forum. She also created a mentoring programme to support members in achieving their goals.

Vincci has a love of nature and enjoys hiking when she’s not busy at work. She also enjoys travelling around the world while immersing herself in different cultures. In recent years she has visited countries like Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia and Thailand.

You can learn more about Vincci here: Meet The Moodie Davitt Report team: Introducing Vincci Chung : Moodie Davitt Report.

Declan Moodie is the Digital Content Editor and has been working for The Moodie Davitt Report since 2011. Declan oversees a lot of the digital output of the company, which along with various other responsibilities includes producing many of the newsletters, videos and podcasts the company creates.

Declan is currently based in West London where he originally grew up. He studied Film and Television Studies at Aberystwyth University and joined the company shortly after graduating over a decade ago.

Outside of work he likes going to football matches (Brentford FC), watching shows or playing games and travelling around to meet friends.

Leanne Farnell is Chief Sub Editor at The Moodie Davitt Report, joining at the beginning of 2024. She graduated from Staffordshire University with a BA (Hons) in Journalism and National Council for the Training of Journalists accreditation.

With almost two decades’ experience on award-winning consumer and professional magazines, she has extensive editorial experience with both print and online content. Leanne spent more than 16 years with The Institution of Engineering and Technology, briefly taking a dip into the world of freelancing before becoming a permanent member of The Moodie Davitt Report team.

When not at her desk, Leanne can often be found at the side of a rugby field cheering on her young son and his teammates at Milton Keynes RUFC, where she is also team manager. She likes to spend time in the kitchen baking and creating birthday cakes for family and friends, and exploring the great outdoors with her family and their spaniel Amy. She is an avid reader, a prolific tea drinker and a lover of live music.

A key member of our administration team is Kristyn Branisel, who joined The Moodie Davitt Report in January 2022. Kristyn is the Administration and Events Support Manager and is responsible for all advertising production, working closely with our valued business partners, as well as events and a significant amount of graphics and image work on our website.

Originally hailing from Massachusetts, Kristyn has lived in Wales over the past decade and has worked in a wide range of industries. Kristyn graduated Summa Cum Laude from Worcester State University with a double major in English and Spanish and a minor in French. She also obtained her PGCE in Secondary Modern Foreign Languages from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. For the past four years, she has worked as an Administrator with High Court Enforcement Group in Swansea, Wales.

When Kristyn is not working, she enjoys cooking vegetarian and vegan dishes, attending loud rock concerts, and spending time with her corgis.

You can find out more about Kristyn here: Meet The Moodie Davitt Report team: Introducing Kristyn Branisel

Ameesha Raizada joined The Moodie Davitt Report’s editorial department as a Reporter in June 2023. She works on website news, eZine publications and handles the company’s social media channels on Instagram and Facebook. She has since been promoted to Senior Reporter.

Originally from India, Ameesha grew up in Uttarakhand – the foothills of the Himalayas. She completed her master’s in art & Lifestyle Journalism from University of the Arts London in December 2022. Prior to that, Ameesha worked as a Features Writer & Social Media Executive at Burda Media India for three years. She has a bachelor’s in design and is fond of video editing, graphic design and writing fiction.

When Ameesha is not working, she goes on treks and polishes her dance skills. She is a proud mum of 34 plants and on Sundays you can find her dabbling in painting flora and landscapes.

You can read more about Ameesha here: Meet The Moodie Davitt Report team: Introducing Ameesha Raizada : Moodie Davitt Report.

In April 2016, Richard Jell, a former Board Director of UK publishing house Euromoney (at that time parent company of Duty-Free News International), joined The Moodie Davitt Report as Senior Advisor and Non-Executive Board Director.

Richard, a highly experienced Publisher, was a long-term adviser to company Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie from the foundation of Moodie International in 2002. He left in 2013 during the company’s brief period under external control.

Mark began writing for The Moodie Davitt Report as a freelance in 2018, after previously working for travel retail industry publications DFNI and Frontier. In 2020, the company promoted him to the role of Senior Business Editor.

His career in business-to-business publishing now spans over 25 years. His previous work saw him edit more than a dozen regional Chamber of Commerce publications and national titles Business Today and Business Scotland, while working as Managing Editor (business titles) for Ten Alps Plc. He also had a long stint as News & Features Editor of the fortnightly Ministry of Defence publication Defence Contracts Bulletin.

A keen user of social media, Mark has over 23,500 followers on LinkedIn and more than 14,500 followers of his personal page on Twitter. In his spare time he runs Twitter’s most popular page (@pitchblacksteed) about the British comedy, Blackadder, with in excess of 57,000 followers.

Away from the keyboard Mark is a keen supporter of Sheffield Wednesday FC and is closely involved in regional cricket in the north-east of England. He still turns out occasionally and has scored more than ten centuries at club level over the years (although he admits it’s a long time since he made one).

Rhodes-based Associate Editor Colleen Morgan is a highly experienced consumer and business journalist and published book author, who has also worked in the tourism and retailing industries.

Hours spent writing are complemented by a love of travel, music and sports, with favourite pursuits ranging from beachfront walks to waterskiing and wreck dives.

You can read more about Colleen here: Meet The Moodie Davitt Report team: Introducing Associate Editor Colleen Morgan : Moodie Davitt Report.

Camille Bersola joined The Moodie Davitt Report in 2023 as an Associate Editor.

Based in Manila, Camille assists the editorial team in Asia-focused coverage on The Moodie Davitt Report website.

Prior to joining the company, she worked as a freelance journalist for Telecom Review magazine, covering telecommunications and ICT news across the Asia Pacific.

Camille spent almost seven years as a broadcast journalist at Teledifusão de Macau where she took on several roles as a news anchor, assistant editor and news producer for its daily news programme. She produced a wide range of stories, from migrant community issues to gaming industry news.

Camille started her career in journalism as a researcher at The Manila Times in 2007. She left the company in 2009 and became a news reporter for local news publication, Filipinas Herald where she covered election-related stories and labour issues.

In 2010, she was hired as an editorial assistant at Hinge Inquirer publications, handling different titles including travel magazine Turista, recipe magazine Quickfix and foodservice magazine F&B Report.

She moved to The Philippine Star to work as a writer for the Features section, with a focus on advertorials and branded content. She was promoted to assistant editor and editor for the Career Guide section in 2013.

In her spare time, Camille enjoys binge-watching Asian dramas and variety shows. She’s also on a constant search for the best hotpot and Korean barbecue restaurants.

You can read more about Camille here: Meet The Moodie Davitt Report team: Introducing Camille Bersola : Moodie Davitt Report.

Zhang Yimei joined The Moodie Davitt Report in 2023 as China Chief Representative and heads The Moodie Davitt Report’s Hainan office.  She was a former Deputy General Manager at Hainan Tourism Investment Duty Free Co. Ltd (HTDF) in Sanya.

The highly respected executive also held senior roles with China Duty Free Group and Singapore food & confectionery specialist Focus Network Agencies for many years earlier in her career. She has over 28 years of experience in the Duty Free Industry including license holder, regional distributor and retailer and holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of International Business & Economics.

In her free time, Yimei enjoys watching movies, reading, eating gourmet food and travelling around the world.

You can read more about Yimei here: Meet The Moodie Davitt Report team: Introducing Zhang Yimei : Moodie Davitt Report

Dachang Wang  joined The Moodie Davitt Report in 2023 as Editor and is based at The Moodie Davitt Report’s Hainan office. He previously spent two years with Hainan Tourism Investment Duty Free Co. Ltd (HTDF) in Sanya as a Brand Manager and was a former Content Editor at Beijing Zhidemai Technology Co. Dachang drives our daily WeChat service Moodie Davitt China Travel Retail Express. He holds a degree in Advertising from the University of Sanya.

Dachang has a great interest in pop-culture and in his free time he enjoys reading and photography.

Penelope Zhou joined The Moodie Davitt Report in 2021 as Chinese Editor, responsible for translating, editing and writing China-related stories.

A Hong Kong-based writer, editor, translator and interpreter perfectly bilingual in English and Chinese, she started her career in journalism, working as the Arts Editor and Film Critic at the weekly English-language publication HK Magazine, followed by a stint at the auction house Christie’s as a corporate communications specialist.

With 14 years of experience, Penelope has worked with a wide range of clients including government bodies, arts organizations, publishing houses and private companies, on projects covering topics ranging from the arts, tourism and lifestyle to technology, environment and commerce. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Journalism from Hong Kong Baptist University and an M.A. in Interpreting and Translating from the University of Bath, UK.

An avid traveler, reader and cinephile, she has been to six continents and enjoys spending her free time at home making cocktails and rewatching old Tarkovsky movies.