Francesca is a Portfolio SID, NED and Chair of Remuneration Committees with expertise in Marketing and 25+ years’ experience in directing in both blue chip companies and start-ups in the Digital / Retail / FMCG / Leisure Travel industries and works as a board mentor to several digital entrepreneurs and senior executives.
Currently, Francesca is Senior Independent Director at CT Automotive plc and Non-Executive Director on Haffner Energy sa, Henderson High Income Trust plc, The AIC (Association of Investment Companies) and Air France. She Chairs the Remunerations Committee for CT Automotive, Haffner Energy and the AIC. Francesca also Chairs the ‘NED Talks’ workshop program for Senior Women at WACL ltd. Francesca is also an investor in several start-ups, acts as advisor in the leisure travel, retail and digital marketing sectors. Previously, she also served on the Boards of F&C Investment Trust plc, Share plc, Good Energy Group plc., Marshall Motor Holdings plc. and We Are Vista ltd
Prior to going plural, Francesca worked as Global Business Development Director and UK General Manager at Cheapflights Media for 4 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 e-commerce travel businesses such as IfYouTravel.com.
Francesca is passionate about all matters relating to women in the workplace and gender equality. She 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 to relevant audiences.
A graduate of Geneva University in Political Science and International Relations, Francesca also holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. She speaks 6 languages: French, English, Portuguese, Spanish and Hungarian fluently and Italian conversational. She is a British and Hungarian citizen, lives in London and Provence with her husband Tim.
Francesca Ecsery 