CMO Hire, AI Deal and Merger Progress for Informa

UK-based group Informa has issued a market update reporting 'continuing growth and momentum' so far in 2024; good progress in its TechTarget merger; and a new AI partnership with Microsoft. It also appointed former British Gas Director Jill Dougan as Group CMO.

The group runs international B2B events, provides B2B digital services including insight and publishing, and publishes and consults for academic clients. Its Informa Tech division provides market insight and access for the global business technology community, employing around 1,000 people - this includes more than 400 research analysts and consultants in global research group Omdia.

In January the group announced the acquisition of US-based b2b purchase intent specialist TechTarget, and said it would be merged with Informa's digital businesses (Industry Dive, Omdia, Canalys, NetLine and the Digital Media brands), with the combined business 'New Tech Target' to be positioned as 'an end-to-end solution provider across the go-to-market'. Integration is said to be going to plan and should be completed in the second half of the year.

Dougan (pictured) joins the Informa Leadership Team and brings more than 30 years' experience in sales, marketing, customer insights, data insights and brand, in both B2B and B2C companies. In a five-and-a-half year stay at British Gas she has served as Sales and Marketing Director, Customer Director and most recently Director Small Buiness. In her new role she will focus on creating further value from the group's first party data, brands and intellectual property, a growing revenue focus as it expands internationally and pursues integrations such as that with TechTarget.

The company has also appointed Penny Ladkin-Brand as Chief Executive of its Taylor & Francis subsidiary.

Group CEO Stephen A. Carter comments: 'All Informa's businesses are performing ahead or in line with 2024 targets, delivering growth and momentum which sees us delivering at the upper end of guidance range. Consequently, we are increasing our 2024 share buyback program by c.50% to £500m. At the same time, we are strengthening our Leadership Team with key appointments, both in our Academic Markets business, as well as in the management of our Data, Brands and Intellectual Property. I am thrilled to see Executives of Penny and Jill's quality and experience joining the leadership team at Informa. Our business is in growth, it is expanding, and we see lots of opportunities ahead. I am convinced they will help us get there faster and capture more of them'.

The deal with Microsoft, which gives Informa access to new solutions and systems in return for data to help train the tech giant's AI models, runs until 2027.

Web site: www.informa.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.