Merlin Entertainments poaches CFO Nesmes from Dechra

Merlin Entertainment was confident it had made a strong choice on Monday, in appointing Anne-Françoise Nesmes to its board as Chief Financial Officer from 1 August.

The FTSE 100 attractions and leisure operator of brands including Sea Life, Legoland and Madame Tussauds said Nesmes was succeeding Andrew Carr, who announced his intention to retire in January.

Carr would remain in his post until Nesmes's arrival, and Merlin said he would continue to be employed for a period as part of a handover process.

"We look forward to welcoming Anne-Françoise to the board later in the year. Her extensive finance and international experience will enable her to make a significant contribution to our business as we continue to grow," said Merlin chairman Sir John Sunderland.

Nesmes was currently Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director of Dechra Pharmaceuticals - a FTSE 250 veterinary drug company. She was appointed to that role in April 2013.

Previously, she worked for GlaxoSmithKline in a number of senior finance roles, including Senior Vice-President of Finance at GSK Vaccines Belgium and Vice-President and Finance Controller for GSK Europe.

Merlin's board confirmed she also held finance roles at Caterpillar, ADP, Tetra Pak and John Crane.

"On behalf of the board I would like to again thank Andrew [Carr] for his dedication to Merlin during the past 16 years, and building it into the successful company it is today," said Sunderland.