Board of Directors UK

Irene Cervellera Micheli
CEO, Newton and Angel Investor

Irene is currently the General Manager of an Italian TV production company and has started her activity as “angel” investor a couple of years ago when she moved from Milan to London. She holds a degree in Business Administration and a number of post-graduate diplomas (including diplomas from UCLA, Financial Times and Intheboardroom). Irene spent the first six years of her career (1989-1995) at Chase Manhattan Bank working between London and Milan where she finished as co-head of Corporate Finance in charge of new business development and structuring of transactions. She then moved to financial communication and joined Dewe Rogerson (the London-based Financial PR agency, European privatisation and IPO market leader) from 1995 to 1999 as a Director, advising directly the former Italian Treasury Minister (Mr. Mario Draghi) on main Italian privatisations (Telecom Italia, ENI 1, 2 and 3, Banca di Roma, Banca Nazionale del Lavoro, etc.). Eventually, she moved back to Italy as Head of Investor Relations at Parmalat (1999 -2004) where she worked for the Company until its delisting. Afterwards, she worked as Head of IR and CSR for the insurance company Alleanza Assicurazioni- Generali Group (2006 – 2007). In 2008, Irene joined as General Manager of SIF “Società Italiana di Filantropia,” the first Italian venture philanthropy association of charities and philanthropists working to increase effectiveness of philanthropy in Italy. Her responsibilities included the launch and coordination of the SIF chair in “Social Entrepreneurship” at Bocconi University (Milan).

She is a supporter of a number of Italian and UK charities. She is a member of the board of the foundation “Oliver Twist” (founded and supported mainly by Kairos partners – the leading Italian asset management company), a charity committed to support the growth and the education of disadvantaged children in Italy and abroad. Irene currently serves on the board of MusiXmatch ( the World's Largest Lyrics Catalog available on line with +30 million users) and on the board of CharityStar (an internet company that raises funds for non-profit organizations through online charity auctions - experiences include music, entertainment, business, politics, sports, art, fashion and other industries - with celebrities and brands).

She is married to Carlo Micheli with two children. She used to play tennis professionally when she was a teenager.