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James Twining

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

James Twining
Born (1972-12-13) 13 December 1972 (age 53)
London, England
EducationChrist Church, Oxford
OccupationsNovelist, business executive
Writing career
GenreThriller
Websitewww.jamestwining.com

James Douglas Robert Twining (born 13 December 1972)[1] is a British thriller writer and businessman.[2][3] He is the author of four novels featuring fictional art thief Tom Kirk.[4] Twining serves as trustee and chair of the Audit and Risk Committee of the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the National Heritage Memorial Fund, is a governor of Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood, and is a director of Dunfermline Athletic Football Club.[5][6][7][8]

Early life and education

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Twining was born in London and spent much of his childhood in Paris. He subsequently attended Merchant Taylors' School, before reading French Literature at Christ Church, Oxford, graduating with a First Class degree.[4][9][10]

Career

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Business career

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Twining began his career in investment banking, working in the Corporate Finance Department of SBC Warburg (now UBS), where he worked on hostile bids and defences and leveraged buyouts.[11][12][9] In 1999, he co-founded GroupTrade, an e-procurement business. In 2001 Twining and his co-founder were named among eight "Best of Young British" entrepreneurs byThe New Statesman.[13] GroupTrade was sold in August 2002.[14]

He subsequently worked as a strategy consultant at McKinsey & Co and then joined the JLT Group plc as Group Commercial Director.[11][6] He became chief executive of the Kingsbridge Group, a private-equity backed insurance broker which he sold in 2020.[6][15] He joined Wren Sterling, a national firm of independent financial advisers, as CEO and chairman in February 2022. He is also CEO of Magnus Financial Discretionary Management, a sister company of Wren Sterling.[12][16][17]

Writing career

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Twining began writing thrillers in 2003 and was signed by the literary agency Curtis Brown.[18] His first novel,The Double Eagle, was published by HarperCollins in the United Kingdom and the United States in 2005.[19] Three sequels followed, all featuring art thief Tom Kirk:The Black Sun (2006),[20][21] The Gilded Seal (2007)[22] andThe Geneva Deception (2009).[23] Each novel is set against the world of international art theft and builds a contemporary thriller around a series of historical events or artefacts.[24][25]

In November 2015, the Tom Kirk novels were featured as a specialist subject on the BBC quiz programme Mastermind.[26]

The Tom Kirk franchise has been acquired for television by Elizabeth Kesses of EJK Productions, who is co-producing the adaptation with Amblin Entertainment.[27]

Public roles

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English Heritage

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Twining was among the founding trustees of the English Heritage Trust when it was established as an independent charity in 2015.[28] He served as a trustee until June 2022 and held the position of vice chairman. During his tenure he chaired the Investment and Fundraising Committees and sat on the Audit and Risk Committee. He also served as chairman of the English Heritage Foundation.[11][6]

National Lottery Heritage Fund

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Twining was appointed as a trustee and chair of the Audit and Risk Committee of both the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the National Heritage Memorial Fund for a term beginning on 1 December 2023.[11] In August 2026, his first term was extended by six months, to 29 May 2027.[12]

Merchant Taylors' School

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Twining has been a governor of Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood since 2018. He chairs the Investments Committee and sits on the Nominations Committee. He is a liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors.[7][12]

Personal life

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Twining lives in London with his wife and two daughters.

Bibliography

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Title Year Publisher
The Double Eagle 2005 HarperCollins
The Black Sun 2006 HarperCollins
The Gilded Seal 2007 HarperCollins
The Geneva Deception 2009 HarperCollins

References

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  1. ↑ "James Douglas Robert TWINING". GOV.UK. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
  2. ↑ "The Capitalist". City AM. 11 October 2010. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
  3. ↑ Thomas, David (1 April 2007). "Like Dan Brown, but better". The Telegraph. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Twining, James". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
  5. ↑ "English Heritage Annual Report 2020/21" (PDF). English Heritage. 2021. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "James Twining". The National Lottery Heritage Fund. 10 January 2024. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
  7. 1 2 "Our Governing Body". Merchant Taylors' School. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
  8. ↑ "James Twining". The National Heritage Memorial Fund. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
  9. 1 2 "James Twining". HarperCollins Publishers UK. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
  10. ↑ Charney, Noah, ed. (2010). "James Twining Art Crime and Fiction" (PDF). The Journal of Art Crime (4). ARCA: 140.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "Appointment to the Board of the National Heritage Memorial Fund and The National Lottery Heritage Fund". GOV.UK. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
  12. 1 2 3 4 "Two Trustees' terms extended on the National Lottery Heritage Fund Board". GOV.UK. 17 August 2026. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
  13. ↑ "Best of young British". New Statesman. 2 July 2001. Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
  14. ↑ "GroupTrade". PR Newswire Press Release. Retrieved 6 May 2006.
  15. ↑ "JLT's James Twining resurfaces to head up specialist broker". Insurance Times. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
  16. ↑ "Wren Sterling names ex-Kingsbridge CEO as new chief". Private Banker International. 22 February 2022. Archived from the original on 20 July 2025. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
  17. ↑ Rach, Sonia. "Wren Sterling appoints CEO as it looks to grow". Financial Times. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
  18. ↑ "James Twining". Curtis Brown. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
  19. ↑ Twining, James (2005). The Double Eagle. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-00-719014-0.
  20. ↑ Twining, James (2006). The Black Sun (1st ed.). HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 978-0-00-738957-5.
  21. ↑ "Fast-paced plot is the treasure in 'Black Sun'". USA TODAY. 11 December 2006. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
  22. ↑ Twining, James (29 March 2012). The Gilded Seal. HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 978-0-00-738959-9.
  23. ↑ Twining, James (15 October 2009). The Geneva Deception. HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 978-0-00-734371-3.
  24. ↑ "A sprinkling of recent good reading, plus the best crime fiction of the year". Chicago Tribune. 24 December 2006. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
  25. ↑ Sanderson, Mark (5 April 2012). "The Gilded Seal by James Twining". The Standard. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
  26. ↑ "Episode 15". Subsaga. 20 November 2015. Retrieved 14 September 2026.
  27. ↑ "Elizabeth Kesses". Insight MP. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
  28. ↑ "IHBC welcomes English Heritage's new trustees". IHBC News. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
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