Francesca is an experienced Senior Independent Director, Non-executive Director and Remuneration Committee (RemCo) Chair with 25+ years' director experience in blue-chip companies and start-ups in the digital, retail, FMCG and leisure travel industries.

 

She is currently a Non-executive Director on the Boards of Air France, Henderson High Income Trust plc, CT Automotive plc (where she chairs the RemCo), Haffner Energy (where she also chairs the RemCo) and the Association of Investment Companies (AIC) where she also chairs the RemCo. Francesca previously served on the Boards of F&C Investment Trust plc, Marshall Motor Holdings plc, Share plc, Good Energy Group plc and We Are Vista Ltd.

 

Prior to going plural, Francesca worked as the Global Business Development Director and UK General Manager at Cheapflights Media (now Kayak) for four years. She has extensive experience encompassing consultancy, with McKinsey & Co; marketing, with PepsiCo; general management, in a range of blue-chip travel companies including STA Travel, ThornEMI, Thomas Cook and Going Places; through to entrepreneurial activity, working with VCs to set up, establish and exit internet-based travel businesses, such as IfYouTravel.com.

 

Francesca is passionate about women in the workplace and gender equality. She chairs the ‘NED Talks’ workshop programme for Senior Women at WACL Ltd and devotes considerable time to mentoring and facilitating career development opportunities for women, as well as actively promoting the commercial benefits of gender equality at work.

 

A graduate in Political Science and International Relations from Geneva University, Francesca also holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. She speaks French, English, Portuguese, Spanish and Hungarian fluently and Italian at conversational level.

 

A British and Hungarian citizen, Francesca lives in London and Provence with her husband, Tim.