Jose Fuiza

Having started or been a partner/director in 4 companies in 3 different countries Jose decided to start a venture of his own. A year ago he started up Fresto Ltd through which he trains and consults in forecasting using statistical tools. The companies clients include a variety of organisations ranging from SME's to international larger firms, financial institutions, Government departments and Central Banks.

I joined the IoD after a recommendation. As we're [2 People] based outside of London, I knew the meeting premises would come in handy as a place to work and meet people. Over the years I've been with the IoD, membership has saved me a lot of time, money, contacts and expertise. Many of these contacts have led to business, which is great!

The one benefit that caught my interest was the legal helpline. I've used it a number of times over the years and it's proven a very useful benefit. In some cases, it's absolutely answered my query. Other times, our queries have been a little more complex and the service has explained the basic issues, covered the details that we needed to know and pointed us in the right direction. It's very helpful.

I'm a member of IoD Group on LinkedIn and I find this forum very helpful. I like to keep my eye on the headline subjects, to look out for interesting debates. Many of the conversations provoke ideas I've never come across or thought of - it's great for business. I've also made one or two contacts out of it, which is also good from a business point of view. I've even used it to solve work difficulties. I posted a question I needed help with – I was looking for a good online presentation tool – and one of the replies provided me with the answer. If you have a specific question, something a bit obscure, getting another member's perspective is very useful.