Alexandra Filia Kelly

{{Short description|British businessman}}

{{Notability|Bio|date=January 2020}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Alexandra Filia Kelly

| birth_place = Greece

| education = University of Rochester

| image = Alexandra Filia Kelly Portrait.jpg

}}

Alexandra Filia Kelly is the founder and former managing director of UK pre-employment screening company, Powerchex, and formerly the MD of HireRight's background screening operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

Alexandra was born and raised in Greece and moved to the United States aged 25 to study for an MBA at one of the top business schools. She arrived in the UK in 2000 - interrupting a round the world sailing trip with her husband - after discovering she was expecting their first child.{{Cite web |url=http://www.powerchex.co.uk/documents/HSBC%20national%20finalist%20press%20release.pdf |title=Dragons Den casualty goes on to be named one of UK's top 10 news business stars in national awards |access-date=2008-08-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081119082835/http://powerchex.co.uk/documents/HSBC%20national%20finalist%20press%20release.pdf |archive-date=2008-11-19 |url-status=dead }}

In 2005 she started Powerchex, a pre-employment screening firm specifically targeted at the London financial sector. Seeking investment, she went to face the BBC’s Dragons' Den to pitch her business. The Dragons rejected her idea and said it couldn’t be done. Alexandra decided to go for it on her own, hired one employee and found a small office.[http://www.powerchex.co.uk/documents/Business%20Person%20of%20the%20Year%20with%20pic.pdf Docklands Based Entrepreneur Wins Business Person of the Year]{{Dead link|date=October 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} On June 23, 2010, California based HireRight Inc., a U.S. background screening company, announced that it had acquired Powerchex, with Alexandra being made Managing Director of HireRight's background screening operations in the EMEA region.

In 2007 she won 'Business Person of the Year' in the Thames Gateway Business Awards, whilst also guiding Powerchex to awards for 'Growth Business' and 'Business of the Year'.[http://www.powerchex.co.uk/documents/Docklands%20company%20scores%20hat-trick%202.pdf Docklands Company Scores Hat-trick at Thames Gateway Business Awards]{{Dead link|date=October 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} In 2008 Powerchex was awarded the NatWest Thames Gateway Business of the Year. In 2009, Powerchex won the DBC & East London Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year award.[http://www.docklandsbusiness.org.uk/ DBC/ELCC Business Awards and Gala Dinner 2009]

Alexandra was profiled in UK newspaper The Financial Times explaining the processes behind Powerchex and where she attributes her success.[http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4eeb976c-5c8b-11dd-8d38-000077b07658.html Chequered start for a checker start-up] In August 2009 she was interviewed on BBC News about research which found that the number of job applicants lying on their CVs has been increasing since the beginning of the recession.[http://www.powerchex.co.uk/bbcnews/ CV Lying is on the increase] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727000836/http://www.powerchex.co.uk/bbcnews/ |date=2011-07-27 }}[https://www.theguardian.com/education/2009/aug/06/young-unemployed-lies-job-applications Under-21s told 29% more lies on job applications this year than last]

In [https://www.ft.com/content/33128bb6-442a-11e0-931d-00144feab49a 2011] and [https://www.ft.com/content/9da86d5a-9cb6-11e8-88de-49c908b1f264 2018], Alexandra was interviewed by the Financial Times on her views on the issues surrounding the sale of a business.

In 2019, Alexandra published her first book of the Dream Series of book for the modern woman: [https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1793194998 Love Is A Game, A Marriage Proposal In 90 days], followed by the second book of the series: [https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07NNXH8GN The Good Breakup, Take a Deep Breath and Remember Who the F**k you Really Are] and the third: [https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07Q2VRHYZ Forever Young, An Anti-Ageing Guide for the Terrified].

Also in 2019 Alexandra published her first novel: [https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1075666937 As if I am not there].