Merlin Entertainments poaches finance chief from Dechra Pharmaceuticals
The finance chief of veterinary pharmaceuticals giant Dechra is hopping onto a new ride after agreeing to join Madame Tussauds and Alton Towers owner Merlin Entertainments.
Anne-Françoise Nesmes, who has worked for Dechra for three years, will take over the reins from Merlin's current chief financial officer Andrew Carr, who is retiring after more than 16 years with the company.
Merlin said Carr will stay on until Nesmes joins later in the year and will also continue to work at the company for a period after her appointment to ensure a smooth handover.
Before joining Dechra, Nesmes worked for GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in a number of senior finance roles including senior vice-president of finance of GSK Vaccines Belgium. She has also held finance roles in Caterpillar, Tetra Pak, and John Crane.
Merlin's chairman Sir John Sunderland said Nesmes' "extensive finance and international experience will enable her to make a significant contribution to our business as we continue to grow".