Matt Hermer is a British entrepreneur

Entrepreneur

An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...

, founder and CEO of the Ignite Group, a London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

-based company with a portfolio of bars, clubs, and restaurants.

Ignite’s portfolio includes Boujis, a private club; Cocoon, a London Pan-Asian restaurant; Bumpkin, a series of English country style restaurants; and Eclipse, a group of cocktail bars. New ventures include a partnership with Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide to open an Eclipse Bar in their hotel in Barcelona

Barcelona

Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...

 and opening a nightclub and lounge in West Leicester Square

Leicester Square

Leicester Square is a pedestrianised square in the West End of London, England. The Square lies within an area bound by Lisle Street, to the north; Charing Cross Road, to the east; Orange Street, to the south; and Whitcomb Street, to the west...

 in London.

Hermer was recognised as "2008 Restaurateur of the Year" at Tatler

Tatler

Tatler has been the name of several British journals and magazines, each of which has viewed itself as the successor of the original literary and society journal founded by Richard Steele in 1709. The current incarnation, founded in 1901, is a glossy magazine published by Condé Nast Publications...

's Annual Award Ceremony, and was listed in the Evening Standard

Evening Standard

The Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...

's 1,000 Most Influential People of 2008 and 1,000 Most Influential People of 2009.

Hermer is the son of Julius Hermer, a lawyer and former Lord Mayor of Cardiff

Cardiff

Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...

. He is the youngest of four children.