Appointments

Listed data and analytics firm Ascential has appointed Paul Harrison as an Executive Director of the Board, to serve in the role of Chief Operating Officer.

Harrison, who currently serves as a Non-Executive Director, will continue in his role until January 2021.  

In his new role, Harrison will take responsibility for the company’s people strategies, mergers and acquisitions and other functions including marketing, content and technology, reporting to CEO Duncan Painter.

Harrison most recently served as CFO of Just Eat from 2016 to 2020.

Prior to that, he was CFO of WANDisco and The Sage Group.  He was also Senior Independent Non-Executive Director of Hays for the last five years of his tenure from 2007 to 2017 and joined the Board of Ascential in 2016 as Non-Executive Director and chair of the audit committee. 

Scott Forbes, Chairman of Ascential, said of the announcement:“Paul has offered tremendous support and guidance to the Ascential Board in a non-executive capacity since our IPO in 2016 and is a proven business leader.

“As a Board, we look forward to working with Paul in his new role as Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director, and have no doubt that he will help deliver our long-term growth plans in coming years.”

Harrison added:“I am excited to be joining the highly talented executive team at Ascential. My four years on the Board have seen the business transform at extraordinary pace to become an essential partner to leading, global consumer product groups as they seek to optimise their e-commerce strategies and performance.”