Laurel Powers-Freeling

Laurel Powers-Freeling (née Powers, born May 16, 1957, Michigan, United States) is a British businesswoman also involved in music charities.

Early life

Powers-Freeling grew up in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. She holds a AB "cum laude" in Economics and Physics from Columbia University and a Masters in Finance and Applied Economics from MIT, Sloan School.Who’s Who (2007, ISBN 978-0-7136-7527-6)]

Business career

Powers-Freeling worked as a management consultant for Price Waterhouse in New York (1981 - 1985), and then at McKinsey & Co in Atlanta and London (1985 - 1989). She was then at Morgan Stanley in Corporate Finance (1989 - 1991). She was Director of Corporate Strategy at Prudential plc (1991 - 1994). She was Finance Director of Lloyds Abbey Life (1994 - 1997) and joined Lloyds Bank (later Lloyds TSB) when it bought Lloyds Abbey Life (1997 - 2001), becoming Finance and Strategy Director of Lloyds TSB Retail Bank, and later the Managing Director of the Wealth Management Division. She joined Marks & Spencer as Chief Executive, Financial services and a Group Executive Director in 2001, where she launched the M&S Money credit card, leaving in 2004 when the financial serices business was sold to HSBC. She then became Senior VP for American Express as head of their UK consumer card business, launching the American Express RED credit card in conjunction with the Global Fund to fight Aids in Africa. [Darke, T. [http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/beauty/article732241.ece "The sex appeal of red"] , The Sunday Times, February 26, 2006] In 2007 she was appointed Group CEO of Dubai First International. [ [http://www.dubaigroup.com/ourcompanies/dubaifinancialgroup/profiles_en_gb.aspx Dubai Financial Group website] ]

Her non-executive appointments include Director of the Bank of England (2002 - 2005) and Environmental Resource Management (2005 - 2007)

Music Charities

Powers-Freeling is Chairman of Piccola Accademia di Montisi, an Italian charity she co-founded to provide a center for harpsichord musicians. [ [http://www.piccolaaccademia.org/content/about_powers_freeling.html Piccola Accademia website] ] She is a Director of the Royal Academy of Music [ [http://www.ram.ac.uk/whoswho/Governing+Body.htm Royal Academy website] ] and a Director of The English Concert. [ [http://www.englishconcert.co.uk/contact/ English Concert website] ]

Personal life

She married Anthony Freeling (from Britain, whom she met at McKinsey, where he was Director, and now on the Council of the Open University and the Board of UnLtd) in 1989. She took British citizenship in 2002. They have a son and a daughter (born December 1991 and March 1994), and live in Hertfordshire. They have an apartment in Venice. She lists her personal interests as interior design, sewing, music and restoring ancient buildings.

References

External links

* Winner, M. [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/eating_out/winners_dinners/article625258.ece La Cuisine] ", "The Sunday Times", November 5, 2006
* Martinson, J. " [http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2006/mar/17/columnists.guardiancolumnists The Amex chief providing backing for Bono] ", "The Guardian", March 17, 2006