Amber Kelleher-Andrews: March 31, 1969 – April 13, 2025

Amber Kelleher-Andrews, a matchmaker whose luxury firm discreetly united some of the world’s wealthiest and most recognizable individuals in love and marriage, and who was known professionally as Amber Kelleher, died Sunday at her home in Montecito, California. She was 56.

The cause was cancer, said John Berg, her friend, business partner and chief executive of Kelleher International.

As the longtime chief executive of Kelleher International – and later co-chief executive with Berg – Kelleher helped reshape the business of elite matchmaking. She elevated the San Francisco-based company, founded by her mother, Jill Kelleher, in 1986, into a global enterprise with offices across the United States, Europe and Asia. Its clientele included Hollywood celebrities, Fortune 500 executives, professional athletes and members of royal families.

A former actress whose face became familiar through in-flight magazine spreads and television interviews, Kelleher brought a performer’s charisma to the world of luxury matchmaking. She joined the company in 1995, opened its Los Angeles office two years later and became chief executive in 2000.

Under her leadership, Kelleher International distinguished itself from algorithm-based dating services with a high-touch, bespoke approach rooted in personal consultation. The company grew steadily and recorded its best year on record in 2024.

“We’ve been called the world’s most exclusive club,” she once said. “We don’t just match people. We change lives.”

Amber Jannelle Van Lent was born March 31, 1969, in San Francisco and raised in both Marin County and Los Angeles. She began her professional life in the entertainment industry, with roles in Bloodsport III, Mind Rage and Lying Eyes, and appearances on television shows including Baywatch, Melrose Place, and Nash Bridges. She studied anthropology and acting before deciding to join her mother in building what would become one of the most prominent matchmaking firms in the world.

She was also a regular presence in national media, offering commentary on relationships and emotional well-being. She appeared frequently on NBC’s Today, ABC’s Good Morning America, and CNN. For several years, she hosted a syndicated radio program, The Rules of Engagement, and in 2013, she was featured as one of three matchmakers on NBC’s prime-time reality series Ready for Love.

Kelleher’s vision extended beyond romance. In 2012, she launched a philanthropic division within Kelleher International to encourage a sense of purpose and social responsibility among the firm’s clientele. In 2014, she began co-hosting “Success to Significance,” a charitable retreat held on Sir Richard Branson’s Necker Island. The event brought together entrepreneurs and philanthropists in support of Virgin Unite, Branson’s nonprofit foundation. She later served on its board.

“Amber was a treasure to this world,” Branson said. “Her joy, love and sheer determination to make the world a better place was awe-inspiring. We feel so fortunate to have had her as part of the Virgin Unite family for over a decade. Her legacy will live on in the many people whose lives she touched through her generosity and through sparking purpose in so many others.”

Though she remained closely involved with the firm’s operations, Kelleher had scaled back her day-to-day leadership over the past two years to pursue her interests in real estate and philanthropy.

“She was not just an extraordinary business leader, but a visionary entrepreneur,” Berg said. “Her innovative thinking, unwavering determination and generosity of spirit are woven into the very fabric of our company.”

She was married to Nico Andrews, a certified horse therapist, for more than 25 years. In addition to her husband, she is survived by their three children, her brother and her mother.

In a career built on the power of human connection, Kelleher crafted more than matches – she offered the possibility of transformation.

“Connection,” she once said, “is the most powerful force we have.”