By Agency Works 
Next up in our Meet the Team series, it’s our Accounts Assistant and resident Italian Francesca Magli…
Tell us about your role at Agency Works...
"I help our Finance Director with the accounts, but I am also responsible for building out the Synergist system for each of our new clients.
"I take all the information they send to us, and put it into their system so that it’s all ready for them. Basically, I do all the background steps to make things work. I always refer to myself as the first domino in the chain – once I’ve done my part everything else should - hopefully - fall into place after that."
How did you end up in this role?
"I’m originally from Gallipoli in southern Italy, where I trained in accountancy. My career began as a bookkeeper at my dad’s company but, unfortunately, he died prematurely so, at the age of 22, I had to replace him as Director. It was a very steep learning curve.
"I was already engaged to my now-husband at that point though and the plan was always for me to move to England to be with him. We originally started out as penpals when we were teenagers. The first time I met him was only for about 10 minutes but we kept in touch and love was born about three years after that! I was 18 and we had a long-distance relationship for years. I’ve still got two big boxes of our letters.
"When I first moved over here my knowledge of English was basic, so I had to roll up my sleeves and just try to find any work I could really.
"I worked in account support at an international glass manufacturer, and as a personal assistant, before I moved to Agency Works."
What do you enjoy most about your role at Agency Works?
"The place is lovely, the atmosphere is lovely and we all get on very, very well. There’s always a laugh.
"I also like the flexibility which comes from it being a relatively small company. There's more of the human touch.
"I like the creative side of things too. Obviously, I don't really interact with that side of it too much, but it's interesting to hear all the things that are going on."
What value do clients get from working with you?
"I'm very fast and very precise. Very meticulous. It's not brain surgery, obviously, but it could have a big impact if I make a mistake and I’m very conscious of that responsibility of being the first piece of the process.
"I think one of my skills is that, when there's a piece of work to be completed, I get on and do it. I don't really look at the clock. I just get it done, with as much speed and accuracy as I can."
What would you be doing if you weren’t in this job?
"What I’d really like to do is something to do with crafts, I love crafts. I do a lot of sewing. My colleagues here are always giving me their repairing jobs!
"I’ve made loads of handbags, and I made a patchwork quilt. My auntie used to be a seamstress, so I think maybe it’s in my blood.
"As a child I used to want to be a ballerina or a midwife but, growing up, my family always used to say to me “You have to become a lawyer”, because I always had a straight answer for everything."
Any unfulfilled ambitions?
"We have got a small house in Italy which we are refurbishing at the moment. We’re on the verge of finishing it and so the dream is that when we retire we will go and live there – part-time probably. We have two children so I don’t think I’d want to move there permanently, but it would definitely be nice to be able to go back and forth and spend large parts of the year there."
What do you like doing when you're not at work?
"The crafts and the house renovation and my family keep me quite busy, but I also like baking as well.
"Here at work, they always ask me for cakes and stuff. We have a ‘work from the office’ day once a month where everyone comes in and I always try to make something for that – whether it’s cakes or bread.
"My Victoria sponge is usually quite popular and the tiramisu has been quite a hit. They like the bread as well. My speciality is a homemade pizza. I have to make it every Saturday for my family."
And finally, any interesting talents or claims to fame?
"Despite living here for 30 years, I've got a talent for getting some English expressions slightly wrong. The team have started a book here of all my funny sayings. My most famous one is, instead of “you’re pulling my leg”, I said “You’re pulling my potatoes”. They say it all the time to me now.
"Other than that… I used to sing. I've got a twin sister and from the age of five to 13 we used to sing as a duet around our local area. We would go to all the competitions and win them all. It got to the point that we were no longer allowed to compete, we would just come on as the half-time entertainment!"
