… being technically challenged, his main interest and passion was running the film society. After leaving ICL to play full time bridge for a year, Ian became the youngest person to play for the England team.
He later qualified as a chartered accountant and ran his own practice for about ten years and, following a game of backgammon on an Italian beach, he ended up selling his firm to his opponent.
Ian then qualified as an insolvency practitioner and formed Ian Franses Associates which specialised in rescue work, dealing with a variety of companies and individuals including many in the entertainment business. In June 2014 the practice was sold to Begbies Traynor and Ian agreed to stay on as a partner.
In June 2016 Ian decided that all his business contacts could enable him to finally follow his dream of a career in the film and television business and put him in a strong position not only to source suitable projects but also to raise finance to fund them.
So Ian became the Chief Operating Officer in his daughter Tania’s company, Peacock Film Finance Limited, which originally produced short corporate videos. His elder daughter Laura, a Harvard MBA graduate, agreed to join the Board making the Franses family a formidable team in the film and television world.
