Marie-France van Heel: Marketing Executive and Partner to Andy Burnham

By Adrian Cole

Marie-France van Heel, widely known as Frankie, is a seasoned marketing executive and the spouse of Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester. The couple's relationship began during their time as undergraduates at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, in 1989.

Van Heel was born in the Netherlands and raised in both the Netherlands and Belgium. She and Burnham married in 2000, shortly after welcoming their first child, Jimmy. The family has since grown to include two daughters, Rosie and Annie.

Professionally, van Heel has built a robust career in marketing and brand strategy. She founded MVH Marketing, which was dissolved in 2011, and has worked with major companies such as BSkyB. Her notable roles include serving as Chief Strategy Officer or Managing Partner at brand consultancy Heavenly, where she worked on projects for clients like HSBC, England Rugby, and the BBC.

In recent years, van Heel has shifted her focus towards sustainable infrastructure. She has held executive marketing roles at Octopus Energy Generation and is currently the Chief Customer Officer at Be.EV, a UK electric vehicle charging network.

Despite her professional accomplishments, van Heel maintains a low public profile, supporting Burnham's political career from behind the scenes. Her appearance on the ITV dating show *Blind Date* in 1992 remains a light-hearted anecdote in her otherwise private life.