Richard Francis

Richard is the founder and CEO of Spotlight Reporting, a fast-growth business intelligence software company for leading accounting firms globally. Spotlight Reporting has 50 staff in Australia, the UK, Canada, the US, and New Zealand and was Xero’s App Partner of the Year in both 2015 and 2016.

Richard has also worked as a General Manager for Xero (2012-14), having had a software business acquired in 2012. Prior to founding Spotlight, Richard was in public practice as a Chartered Accountant, starting his career with BDO in the early 1990s and running their Consultancy Services function, before moving to the UK for 4 years. On returning to NZ in 2001, Richard and Julie founded ‘boutique’ advisory practice Francis Consulting, focusing on Virtual CFO and strategic services.

Richard has been an active Board Member of other organizations, including SilverStripe (a successful software company that has major customers including the New Zealand Government and Westpac), as Chairman of Peoples Coffee (Wellington’s pioneer Fair Trade roastery), and the Sustainable Business Network (Central). Richard is also an angel investor in a number of NZ-based start-ups.

Hannah Francis (Year 10) has been a Chilton girl since pre-school and was the inaugural Head Girl of the Primary school. The Francis family is passionate about Chilton, its current trajectory, and future potential.