7 Nov 2018 07:00
7 November 2018
Big Sofa Technologies Group plc
("Big Sofa" or the "Company")
Directorate Change
Big Sofa (AIM:BST), a fast-growing international video analytics provider to the consumer insight industry, announces the appointment of Kirsty Fuller as Chief Executive Officer with immediate effect.
Kirsty was appointed to the board of Big Sofa on 1 October 2018 as Chief Commercial Officer. She is a leader in the global consumer insight and strategy industry having co-founded the Flamingo Group. Flamingo, which was acquired by Omnicom in 2006, grew under her leadership as co-CEO and latterly CEO to become one of the largest specialist qualitative research agencies in the world, with a network of eight offices on four continents, employing 340 staff.
At the same time, Simon Lidington has stepped down from his role as Chief Executive Officer and as an executive director of the Company. Big Sofa will continue to benefit from Simon's expertise, as he remains on the board as a non-executive director of the Company.
Nicholas Mustoe, Chairman of Big Sofa, commented:
"We are delighted that Kirsty has agreed to lead the business as we seek to commercialise Big Sofa's technology and services. Kirsty is a highly-regarded expert in the field of consumer insight. She has been instrumental in integrating innovative methods as the insight industry has evolved and has worked with leading blue-chip companies. Kirsty is also a proven business leader, having co-founded, grown, sold and thereafter continued to run one of the world's most successful qualitative research agencies. We welcome her into the position of chief executive officer and look forward to benefitting from her experience and expertise.
"I should also like to thank the Company's co-founder, Simon Lidington, for his ongoing contribution in identifying the opportunity for video analytics technology and services within consumer insight, in developing the business and, most recently, in attracting one of the world's largest market research organisations to become a major shareholder. We look forward to continuing to benefit from his expertise as a non-executive director."
Kirsty Fuller, Chief Executive Officer of Big Sofa, added:
"Integrating new methods which demand new client and agency behaviours is never an easy task, whatever the size of company; it is an exciting challenge. There is, however, growing client appreciation of the importance of video in understanding consumer behaviour. Claimed behaviour is no longer enough. Clients are seeking pioneering approaches in video capture, analysis and showcasing as critical inputs to business and product innovation and decision-making processes. Our technology platform enables a new form of insight delivery, a new mode of ongoing client engagement and a new resource for responding quickly to clients' business questions."
Enquiries:
Big Sofa Technologies Group plc | via Vigo Communications |
Kirsty Fuller, CEO |
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Joe MacCarthy, CFO |
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Arden Partners plc (Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker) | +44 (0)20 7614 5900 |
Paul Shackleton / Ben Cryer |
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Novum Securities (Joint Broker) | +44 (0)20 7399 9427 |
Colin Rowbury |
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Vigo Communications (Financial Public Relations) | +44 (0)20 7390 0237 |
Ben Simons / Jeremy Garcia / Antonia Pollock |
About Big Sofa Technologies Group plc
Big Sofa is a B2B technology business providing the marketing and consumer insight industries with video observation and analytics services, as video emerges as a key platform in a massive US$40 billion consumer research market.
Our software platform collates, analyses and organises large volumes of raw/unstructured video enabling our clients, which include leading market research organisations and major household brands, to perform detailed and sophisticated consumer insight analysis; and make genuine use of video content.
Big Sofa's shares are admitted to trading on the London Stock Exchange's AIM market under the ticker BST.L.
To find out more, visit www.bigsofatech.com
Follow us on twitter at @bigsofatech