Francesca, has a background of over 25 years experience in senior financial roles for both medium and large international companies. She has worked both in the United Kingdom and Italy and took up a successful interim career over seven years ago.

Her current project is project manager at Servite Housing Association where she has been since March 2007. Her current project is to improve systems and procedures with a view to understanding the cost benefit ratio for every one of their tens of thousands of properties. Previously she prepared a number of companies for public listing such as xxxxxxxx . Other roles include a spell at Raymarine Limited, over one year as Group Chief Accountant for Chep Europe ( part of Brambles). This division, a $1bn plus organisation where she is helping to refine the accounting and reporting systems following the introduction of Hyperion and SAP. Previously she worked on long term interim projects for Datapoint Limited and Isotron plc during periods of flux during which the companies dealt with significant changes to their operating structures as a result of mergers, acquisitions and preparations for an IPO

Prior to taking up a full time interim career she was VP Corporate Reporting for Baltimore Technologies plc, during a period of intense activity during which the company listed on NASDAQ and made a number of acquisitions on the way to becoming a constituent of the FTSE-100. She also worked as Project Leader and European Controller for ARCO Chemical Europe which had a turnover of over $1bn for ten years. Prior to joining ARCO she was a Senior Manager at Coopers & Lybrand in Rome, during which time she was responsible for many large audits including Alfasud, Ford Italia, Ist. Serono and Ethicon. She also founded their office in Naples.

Francesca has a diploma in accounting and an excellent knowledge of UK and US GAAP as well as a good understanding of IAS. She speaks Italian and French fluently.

David Harmes has worked as a finance director for over 20 years in the United Kingdom , Italy and the Netherlands. Most recently was finance director of Clinical Solutions Holdings for three years from March 2005 to December 2007. Prior to that he was Group Finance Director of LSE listed, Superscape plc and from 1996 to 1999 he was Group FD at EUnet International Limited, a leading Netherlands-based European internet service provider backed by Advent International. He has also held senior roles within finance at Viewlogic Systems Inc., Chiron Corporation. General Electric and Dow Jones Telerate. He previously spent six years at Coopers & Lybrand in Rome and London.

He specialises in high growth SMEs, primarily in the high-tech, healthcare and services sectors.

He has an honours degree in Mechanical Engineering from London Imperial College and speaks Italian fluently.