Marie-France van Heel
 Marie-France van Heel     ( businesswoman) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | January 1970 Netherlands |
| Nationality | néerlandaise |
| Alma mater | Fitzwilliam College (Cambridge) |
| Children | 3 |
| Spouse |  Andy Burnham |
Andy Burnham's wife with a date at No 10 | |
Marie-France van Heel – nicknamed Frankie – is a Dutch-born businesswoman and marketing executive.
Frankie is the wife of Labour politician Andy Burnham, recently-elected Member of Parliament for Makerfield, former Greater Manchester Mayor and now UK/Prime Minister.[1]
Background
Van Heel was born in the Netherlands. She spent part of her early life in Belgium before moving to the United Kingdom to study at Fitzwilliam College (Cambridge), meeting Burnham in 1989 during his second year.
In January 1992, while in a new relationship with Burnham and with his consent, she appeared on the TV programme "Blind Date", where she went on a date with Will Harris, who later became marketing director of the Conservative Party.
Marketing Executive
Van Heel worked in marketing for most of her career, including a spell at BSkyB and three years at her own firm MVH Marketing, which was dissolved in 2011.[2]
In 2022, she became Chief Strategy Officer and Managing Partner at creative consultancy Heavenly, working with clients such as HSBC, England Rugby and the BBC. In 2024, she joined the board of directors of Manchester-based electric vehicle charging network Be.EV, which is backed by Octopus Energy Generation. In September 2024, van Heel became Director and Chief Marketing Officer of Be.EV's parent firm Iduna Infrastructure.
At the time of Burnham's 2026 Labour Party leadership election campaign, she was sitting on the board of Plan International where she worked with the Marie Curie charity, Alzheimer’s Society, Great Ormond Street Hospital, and Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.
Personal
Frankie and Burnham married in 2000 and have a son, Jimmy, and two daughters Rosie and Annie. Van Heel joined Burnham for his 2015 Labour Party leadership election campaign but subsequently avoided the public eye.[3]
References
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