About Me

I left university in 1984, qualifying with a degree in English. I then decided I didn’t want to go on a standard graduate development programme, so I took a job as a cocktail waitress in Abu Dhabi in United Arab Emirates.

Several months later I decided to move to Japan, where I got a job teaching English to adults at a foreign language school. I spent the rest of my spare time studying Japanese in Tokyo.

In 1987, I took my first job in the financial arena working as a market maker in the Japanese stock option market with Daiwa Securities, a large Japanese security house. I secured the job due to my Japanese language skills.

Three years later I was head-hunted by Societe Generale (Strauss Turnbull) to head up its Japanese Warrant Desk in Tokyo. I spent a further two and a half years in Japan where I ran the dealing desk. I was also on the board responsible for setting up the business-to-business market, one of the first electronic dealing markets in Tokyo.

I decided to return to the UK in 1992 when I took a break from the financial markets to take a Masters degree in Japanese. Following my graduation, I decided to work as a translator at the Financial Times and a number of security houses.

In 1997, I took up a position with the Family Assurance Friendly Society in Brighton as Far East Investment Manager, handling its portfolio of Japanese, Asian and Pacific investments.

Six years later, I met Martyn Redman the president of Eurocash and together we started a commercial currency operation, which later became known as 4X Currency. In 2006, we bought out the other partners and we now control 90% of the company.

In my spare time I enjoy a wide range of hobbies including gardening and horticulture and I have even had some creative input into three award-winning gardens at the Hampton Court Palace flower show. I also like to be active and have taken part in the London marathon and I am also a qualified Royal Yachting Association skipper and dinghy instructor.