Onze mensen

Joseph McKenzie

Founder & CEO

Our founder and CEO Joe is quite simply, where it all began. He started Xupes in 2009 with his father Frank from the family home selling a handful of pre-owned Cartier watches. Joe saw an opportunity to re-define the sector by focussing on knowledge, quality and service, which serve as the cornerstones of the business today. Having grown the company over the past decade, Joe’s enthusiasm for his work is as strong as the day he started and he remains hands-on with all aspects of the day to day business. In the few hours he isn’t concentrating on Xupes, Joe enjoys spending time with his family, keeping fit and cooking. He’s also, understandably, a bit of a watch nerd and is particularly interested in more complicated watches, with the A. Lange & Sohne Zeitwerk Minute Repeater being top of his wish list.

Frank McKenzie

Co-Founder & Director

Frank is our co-founder and director. With over 30 years of experience in accounting and running businesses, Frank draws on his knowledge and expertise in financial modelling to help guide Xupes on its route to future success. Frank founded Xupes along with son, Joe in 2009 as a way to combine his passion for art and antiques with Joe’s love for horology. When he’s not at his desk, Frank loves to ski and tends to save all his holiday time up for the winter months. He’s also a seasoned baker, with his fabled office Christmas cake is eagerly anticipated by the team each year.

Sam Westbrook

Head of HR

Sam has been with us since 2014 and runs the Human Resources department and manages our front of house team. She enjoys making sure our team have an enjoyable experience whilst working at Xupes and prides herself on delivering the best possible service to our clients. Sam is a proud mum to twins and is also an avid Tottenham Hotspur fan, regularly attending home games with her son. Her favourite watch is a Rolex Datejust and she dreams of one day owning a Hermès Birkin.

Reece Morgan

Head of Operations

Reece initially joined Xupes as an assistant photographer in 2014 and was given the opportunity to create the Handbags & accessories department in 2015. He has worked tirelessly to shape it into what is now the largest selection of pre-owned designer handbags in the UK. Reece is heavily involved in the day-to-day runnings of the department, concentrating on sourcing stock, authentication and client relationship building. To say he loves handbags would be an understatement and he enjoys sharing his passion with our clients, helping them to choose their dream handbag. Outside of work, Reece likes to keep up to date with the latest fashion trends and also enjoys regularly visiting New York and Dubai.

Yvette Conner

EA & Assistant Operations

Yvette is responsible for everything from curating the items you see on the website to liaising with clients. She has been a part of the Xupes team since 2016 and previously worked as a product designer for a London-based watch company. In her spare time, Yvette loves taking city breaks and has been making her way around Europe experiencing new cultures, architecture and most importantly, new cuisines. Yvette has a keen interest in studio pottery and is always on the lookout for the next addition to the Xupes collection.

Morgan McEwen

Senior Production Assistant

Morgan is responsible for ensuring product photography meets our style guidelines and publishing products to the website. He has been with Xupes since 2013, making him one of our longest-standing team members and travelled around Australia before joining the team. Outside of work, Morgan enjoys film, graphic design and skateboarding. He also has a keen interest in history and loves to look at the latest items that come through the art & design department.

Alice Martin-Smith

Senior Photographer

Alice makes sure that our items look their best on the website, as well as producing creative content for our journal and social media accounts. She joined Xupes in 2016 and previously worked as a photographer in a large e-commerce studio creating images for various luxury brands. Outside of work, Alice works on personal photography projects with a focus on fashion and beauty and also spends time travelling up to her home city of Birmingham to visit family.

Megan Young

Head of Service

James Taylor

Polisher

James is responsible for restoring almost all of the pre-owned watches we sell, back to a factory finish, ensuring they look good enough to be worn by their next owner. James joined the Xupes team in 2017 and prior to working here, he polished and shaped the steel parts on luxury yachts. Despite working on much smaller objects now, James loves nothing more than taking a watch in well worn condition and returning it to near new. In his spare time he enjoys playing pool and brewing his own beer.

Oscar

Office Dog

Oscar is head of the pack here at Xupes, and he knows it. Belonging to Director Frank, he has all the staff wrapped around his little paws, hopping on laps as and when he chooses. It is said that most of his power stems from his eyes and his ability to influence the gifting of treats as he pleases.

Alfie

Office Dog

Life in Oscar's shadow isn't easy, but Alfie has one major asset—a tight relationship with the CEO, Joseph, with whom he's often out walking, jogging and chasing squirrels. Alfie, although the same cross breed as Oscar is the slightly bigger of the two and his favourite pastime is chasing tennis balls.