Beth Finn to Lead Directions Inc. as Jim Lane Retires

Jim Lane will step down at the end of this year as President and CEO of US research business Directions Inc., after nine years leading the company. Chief Client Officer Elizabeth (Beth) Finn will step up to lead in his place.

The company is based in Cincinnati, Ohio with regional offices around the US, and conducts work globally. In addition to Directions Research it includes SEEK Company and Aimpoint Research, acquired in 2018 and 2021 respectively and bringing together expertise in quant, qual and strategic intelligence. Lane joined in 2010 and was elected President and CEO in 2015 following the retirement of founder and 27-year company leader Randy Brooks.

Lane (pictured below) has worked in the insights industry and as a business leader for nearly forty years, with ownership and leadership positions in multiple firms, including SVP of Catalina Marketing and President and Owner of Market Intelligence, Inc. He also serves on the Insights Association Board of Directors.

'During Jim Lane's nine-year tenure as our second president, our revenues grew dramatically' says Brooks [they're up 64%]. 'We acquired two outstanding firms that diversified our base of business and worked to integrate these firms into a successful business model. We are all appreciative of Jim's efforts, and I wish him the best in his retirement'.

Lane comments: 'Serving the clients and employees of Directions, SEEK and Aimpoint Research for nearly 15 years, including the last nine as President and CEO, has been the business privilege of a lifetime. While there is much that I will remember fondly, I am most proud of the culture that ties us all together. Being independently recognized as a 'Top Workplace' for the past seven years means we delivered much more than a job during the business challenges both pre- and post-COVID'.

Lane says Finn's promotion to the top job is 'a testament to her profound impact through exceptional leadership traits and a blend of vision, integrity, and unwavering focus on outcomes that exceed client and employee expectations'. She brings more than twenty years' experience in marketing and insights, and worked in senior roles at Kantar before joining Directions in 2016. She serves on the Board of Directors and is an ownership group member.

Finn (pictured above) enthuses: 'Since joining Directions Inc, I've felt part of something truly exceptional - an organization deeply committed to excellence, client satisfaction, and challenging the status quo. I want to thank Randy and Jim. Randy built a great organization. Jim led us for nearly a decade through significant organizational growth and change. As we set our sights on the future of the firm, there are still chapters to write and stories to tell. We have the talent, the ability, and the determination to achieve our goals and inspire impactful decisions that enrich the lives of our clients, the customers they serve, and importantly, each other'.

Web site: www.directionsresearch.com .

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