Astrid Mitchell is Chief Executive of Reconnaissance International. After gaining a degree in politics at Durham University, Astrid began her career in the industry as a researcher and analyst in the M&A department of De La Rue in 1983. She subsequently worked in a variety of marketing positions for the company before joining Applied Holographics (now OpSec) as Marketing Director.
She then joined Security Printing Systems, the UK passport printer, and its parent, German banknote and passport printer Bundesdruckerei, working in marketing and the international expansion of its new business groups, including border management, biometrics and the Authenticare brand protection division.
She joined Reconnaissance in 2002, and was responsible for the inception and launch of Currency News in 2003, a joint venture publication that covers currency (banknotes and coins) from cradle to grave. She is the Editor of Currency News, and Managing Editor of its sister publication Cash & Payment News.
Astrid was also responsible for the company’s expansion into tax stamps and identity and is a regular contributor to Reconnaissance’s other monthly publications covering authentication, ID and secure documents, tax stamps and holography. She is also Conference Director for the biennial Coin Conference.
Her particular strengths are strategic development, business development, marketing and communications.
