New e-bay FD brings youth to role
Linda Campbell, the newly appointed finance director of online trading site eBay UK, admits she is younger than any other finance director she has come across.
But the Canadian chartered accountant, who celebrated her 27th birthday last week, has had extensive experience of advising businesses in the technology and information sector during six years with PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Four were spent in Vancouver, where she helped start up a specialist division covering media and entertainment.
She then headed for the bright lights of London, and has spent the last two years as a manager in PwC’s technology, infocomm and entertainment industry group.
Despite recent collapses of hi-profile dotcom retail operations, Campbell comments: ‘The industry has a bright future but people need to be careful about how they spend their money. They also need the right business model.’
Ebay describes itself as the ‘world’s largest online trading community’. It was founded in the US in 1995 in the US and a UK-specific site was launched last year. Users can buy or sell a wide range of goods using the site.
Campbell said she was attracted to the job because of the excitement and pace of the sector.
She will be reporting to monthly financial results from the UK to the headquarters in San Jose, California. Along with a range of other financial and legal duties, she will also be looking after UK human resources.