Sales intelligence provider Cognism has announced a change in its leadership.
Non-executive chair Pete Daffern has taken over on an interim basis from co-founder James Isilay, who remains an investor in the London company.
Cognism confirmed that Isilay, who has led the firm as CEO since its foundation in 2016, has stepped aside before commencing his next entrepreneurial endeavour.
Cognism helps businesses find, engage and close prospects by providing premium company and contact information including verified business emails and mobile numbers.
Isilay led the firm through multiple funding rounds – including a £64m round in 2022 – amounting to around £100m, as well as two acquisitions.
Daffern has spent the last 30+ years in leadership positions at successful software companies across the US and UK, including serving as EMEA President at NetSuite. He has played an active role in supporting Cognism’s growth in the last five years, both as a non-executive director and, more recently, as chair of the board.
Cognism has begun the search for a permanent successor to Isilay.
“On Cognism’s behalf, I’d like to extend my thanks to James who has built the company into what it is today,” said Daffern.
“We are in a strong position to drive future growth because of what James and the rest of the Cognism team has built in the last decade, and we have a category-leading product roadmap and an exceptional team to deliver on our future ambitions.
“I’m committed to supporting the team as we continue to accelerate our growth and deliver even greater value to all our stakeholders.”
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