Mary Francis

Mary Elizabeth Francis CBE LVO (née George; born July 1948[1]) is a British civil servant who specialised in financial issues before being appointed to political positions. She is also a businesswoman who is a member of the board of directors of several institutions, including Barclays and Valaris plc.[2][3]

Mary Elizabeth Francis
BornJuly 1948 (age 72)
NationalityBritish
Known forDirector of Barclays

Francis is also a senior advisor to Chatham House, a member of the advisory council of the Institute of Business Ethics, a member of the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers, and an ambassador for the Almeida Theatre.[4]

Early life and education

Growing up in Petts Wood, Kent, Francis was educated at Crofton Primary School and James Allen's Girls' School in Dulwich, London. She studied history at Newnham College at the University of Cambridge.[4][5]

Career

After graduating, Francis became a research assistant to Professor Max Beloff at All Souls' College, Oxford. She subsequently joined the Civil Service, and held successive posts in the Civil Service Department and HM Treasury.[4]

She was seconded to investment bank Hill Samuel from 1984 to 1986, led one of the Treasury privatisation teams from 1986 to 1988, and had policy responsibility for European Union matters in the Treasury from 1988 to 1990.

She was Financial Counsellor in the Embassy of the United Kingdom, Washington, D.C. from 1990 to 1992, Private Secretary to Prime Minister John Major with responsibility for economic and business policy from 1992 to 1995, and Assistant/Deputy Private Secretary to Elizabeth II from 1995 to 1999. She has been awarded the CBE and LVO for her contributions.

Francis became Director General of the Association of British Insurers in 1999. Since 2005 she has held several non-executive directorships, including at the Bank of England, Centrica (where she was Senior Independent Director), Aviva, Cable & Wireless Communications and Swiss Re.[6]

References
  1. "BARCLAYS PLC". Companies House.
  2. "Mary Francis CBE".
  3. "Board of Directors". Valaris plc.
  4. "Mary Francis CBE". Chatham House.
  5. "Aviva announces a new independent non-executive director" (Press release). Aviva. April 18, 2005.
  6. "Mary Francis, CBE". Swiss Re.
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