Chris Maillard

The Path

Editorial movement is the thread through Chris Maillard’s career, but the through-line is control rather than restlessness. At Maxim, he worked as editor in a setting where pace, polish and precision all had to hold at once. He then shifted into launch work as launch editor at BBC Top Gear magazine and launch editor at Restaurant magazine, roles that ask for judgement at the point where a title is still being defined. That kind of launch work is visible across the rest of the record: establishing identity, setting rhythm and deciding how a publication speaks. Reporting and agency-side work widened the frame behind the editing. As a journalist at Sky magazine, Chris added reporting to the editorial mix, while Interbrand and WGSN gave him agency-side experience. That combination extends the job beyond pages and headlines into brand, audience and positioning. What sits behind the titles is a steady practice of turning ideas into usable copy while keeping teams and output aligned. At Decanter, Chris Maillard has brought those strands together in a senior editorial role that has been in place since 2021. Magazine launches, reporting and brand-side work all feed into the same task there: holding editorial standards, reading tone accurately and keeping a long-established title legible to its audience.

The Work Today

His current remit spans MVF Global and Decanter. On taking that post, he said, "I am delighted and honoured to be entrusted with a tremendous brand like Decanter." He added, "It has a stellar worldwide reputation, a great team, and an unrivalled heritage." The other line on the appointment was equally plain: "I look forward to helping take it to even greater heights." The remarks keep the focus where it sits in practice: on the existing brand, the team and the editorial work required to move it forward.

Signature

Chris's signature dishes include The World's 50 Best Restaurants and The Old Rockers' Handbook: All the mature musician needs. The pairing says something about range within the same editorial register: one title sits inside the structure of global dining, the other in a deliberately dry guide for an older musician. Both point to a preference for specialist subjects that still need to read clearly, with enough personality to keep the page moving.

In Their Words “I'm not a chef or a rock star; I'm a keen, experienced cook and a middling guitar player. But I do know how to research stuff, explain things and write them down in the right roughly order. Mostly.” “I am delighted and honoured to be entrusted with a tremendous brand like Decanter.”

Acclaim

Recognition here is tied to editorial responsibility more than public spectacle. The move to Decanter marked a clear step in the career, and the language around it stayed on the work, the team and the publication itself. That kind of acknowledgement is understated, but it is legible in the record: a steady rise toward roles where editorial judgement carries real weight.