Pureprofile appoints new CEO Martin Filz
The search for a new CEO for consumer research, data and insights company Pureprofile has come to an end, almost a year after Nic Jones stepped down from the role.
Martin Filz, managing director and chief revenue officer for data and artificial intelligence business Eureka AI, has taken on Pureprofile’s top job, saying the business has a ‘solid base to build from’.
Martin Filz has filled the CEO role at Pureprofile
“I am delighted to be joining Pureprofile. The core business is very strong and has a solid base on which to build from. We are firmly in the right area of Insights and are well positioned to take advantage of the client move to data being faster, better and more insightful. Pureprofile has great people, clients, strong proprietary technology and a global footprint that has enabled us to grow and will ensure an exciting future,” Filz said.
“I am looking forward to bringing my skills and experience to the organisation and working closely with the global teams, board and clients.”
Jones resigned from the CEO role after holding the position for just 19 months. In 2018 he told investors Pureprofile needed to better communicate to the market what it actually does.
At the time of Jones’ departure, chairman Andrew Edwards picked up the role of executive chairman to fill the void left in the CEO job.
Filz picks up the role with a ‘responsibility for driving the company’s strategy with a strong focus on growth, business development and sales’.
Filz begins the role on 3 August, in the midst of the FY19/20 reporting season.
In March, Pureprofile reported a loss of $5.37m in its half-year results, noting the “ongoing challenges within the advertising industry” but said its cost saving measures, including simplifying the business, an executive team restructure, automation, technology rationalisation and the relocation of its UK office saved the business $1.8m.
Pureprofile posted a loss of $700,000 and total debt of $16.5m in its end of financial year reporting in August 2019.
Filz has held a number of senior executive roles in the market research industry including managing director of EMEA and APAC at Research Now and CEO of EMEA and APAC at Kantar-owned Lightspeed GMI.
Along with the appointment of Filz as CEO, Pureprofile has also promoted head of big data and infrastructure, John Griffin, to chief technology officer.
Griffin takes the place of Loucas Gatzoulis, who moved on to hold the same role at Education Perfect after six years with Pureprofile.
Griffin has been with the business since 2016 and has previously been the chief technology officer of Effective Measure and Nielsen’s Site Census.
Edwards said the appointments of Filz and Griffen will lead to the executive team executing Pureprofile’s ‘renewed corporate strategy’.
“We have been looking for an industry expert and proven business leader to join our team and the Board is pleased to have Martin join Pureprofile as CEO. He has extensive experience within the market research industry, with particular focus on data and insights, which form the core of our business,” Edwards said.
“Alongside the appointment of Mr Griffin as CTO, we are excited to have built out an excellent team who are well placed to execute our renewed corporate strategy. We could not have asked for a better CEO and leadership team to maintain our current momentum and lead the next phase of Pureprofile’s growth journey.
Pureprofile’s executive team includes COO Melinda Sheppard, head of sales and marketing Anna Meiler, head of operations Heather Rizzo, head of corporate services Kohei Katagari, MD for the UK and US Tim Potter and Griffen.
I’ve known Martin since Bluefreeway days – good operator, and is obviously a known and respected player in the Market Research field, so makes complete sense.
Good luck to PPL – a return to their fundamentals, slightly sad that after $20m+ in failed acquisitions, they discovered that their core, original business was the one they are going to focus on.
Mgt team still seems very top-heavy for a company that fundamentally only does one thing….
cheers
UD
User ID not verified.
How is that $20m credit facility due to expire in October ticking along? You know, the one you’re paying 20% interest on every year?
User ID not verified.