Twelve years ago I wrote a business plan with the vision of powering digital advertising with search data, and partnered up with Adam Ludwin to turn it into reality. We started trading in July 2011, partnered with Appnexus (Xandr) to build the initial product and the growth journey ever since has been extraordinary. Following our Series A and B investments, we were able to open up more countries and build more products. And of course, bring into the business the best talent in the industry. And in 2021 we had a majority sale to SFW Capital based out of the US, which has been a fantastic partnership to date.
On a personal level, I have relished the opportunity to grow the teams and build cutting edge products that simply haven’t existed in the industry before. This has been both challenging and incredibly fulfilling helping the company get to the level it is at today; a company that is now scaling globally, differentiated, maturing well, and run by a team of the best people in our industry.
Over the last few years, I have been continually thinking about what we need in place to keep us on the trajectory we have set, and take us to new levels. I have always believed that all areas of the company need to continually evolve, and one of those areas is in the leadership itself. I believe that a different set of skills and experience is required to lead the company through this next phase.
Since 2021, I have felt that the time was right to start the search for a new CEO. Over the last 12 months, I have worked closely with the board to find the person to lead us through the next phase of our growth. And now, it is finally time for me to hand over the reins to a new Chief Exec. I am delighted to announce that the brilliant Mike Welch will become Global CEO.
Mike joins us from our close partner, Xandr. At Xandr Mike was responsible for leading all aspects of their business globally. Prior to Xandr, he spent two decades working mainly in advertising-focused roles at AT&T including Product, Sales, Corporate Strategy, and Business Development, including leading the sale process that resulted in Xandr’s acquisition by Microsoft last year. He was also previously chairman of the Board of Directors for INVIDI Technologies and served on the Boards of the Video Advertising Bureau (VAB) and the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB).
So Mike knows the industry. He knows our clients and their needs. He is a well respected operator who knows how to execute, accelerate growth on the global stage and develop high performing teams. His time at Xandr also gave him first-hand experience with Captify, so he understood the power of our offering coming into the conversation.
But the thing that really made Mike stand out in this process was the cultural fit. His leadership style aligns perfectly with the Captify culture we have worked so hard to build together, so I am confident that he will fit right in.
As for myself, I am thrilled to remain actively involved with Captify as a Board Member. I am committed to supporting and advising Mike and offering whatever expertise I can to further the success of this amazing company.
Leading Captify has been the biggest honour and achievement of my life. I am especially grateful for the privilege of working so closely with the exceptional team that remains at Captify today. The people aspect of Captify is truly special, marked by respectful friendships, collaborative ideas, healthy challenges, and an unwavering team passion. Mike is now fortunate to have the opportunity to work closely with this phenomenal team and lead the company to unprecedented heights, which I could only have dreamt of when we began all those years ago. I am truly excited for this next phase!
Please join me in extending a warm welcome to Mike Welch as our new CEO. Stay tuned for continued news this year as we continue to help our partners globally through Search Intelligence. Over to you Mike!
Dominic Joseph
