Accessible version of the Board of Directors page

John Botts

, Chairman
Appointed to the Board in 1997, John Botts is chairman of Botts & Company Limited, a corporate finance and private equity investment company. Other directorships include Euromoney Institutional Investor plc, Medi Capital Bank Plc, Tisbury Europe Master Fund Ltd and Convera Corporation Inc. Graduate of Williams. He succeeded Geoff Unwin as Chairman of UBM in December 2007. Aged 67. (2) (3)  

David Levin

, Group Chief Executive
David Levin was appointed as Chief Executive Officer in April 2005, having previously been chief executive of Symbian, a mobile phone software licensing company, since April 2002. He joined Symbian from Psion plc, the handheld computing company, where he was chief executive from February 1999. Prior to that, he spent five years with the international business-publishing group Euromoney Institutional Investor, as chief operating officer and before that as president of Institutional Investor in New York. Previously he worked with the venture capital group Apax Partners and with the consultancy firm Bain and Company for five years, mostly in Asia. David has an MBA from Stanford University and an MA from Oxford. David is also a member of the finance committee of the Oxford University Press, a department of Oxford University. Age 46.

Nigel Wilson

, Chief Financial Officer and Deputy Chief Executive Officer
Nigel Wilson was appointed to the Board as Chief Financial Officer in 2001. Prior to that he was group finance director of Viridian Group plc from 1996 to 2000, and became managing director of Viridian Capital in 2000. Nigel is a non-executive director of Halfords Group PLC where he is the senior independent director and chairman of the Audit Committee. Previous appointments include group finance director at Waste Management International plc, chief executive, corporate, Guinness Peat Aviation (G.P.A.), head of corporate finance and group commercial director of Dixons Group plc, managing director of Stanhope Properties plc and a consultant at McKinsey & Co. Nigel has a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Age 51.

Jonathan Newcomb

, Non-Executive Director
Jonathan Newcomb was appointed to the Board in 2001. He is a board member of Journal Communications (NYSE) and the BNA Corporation, and is currently a senior advisor at the New York based investment firm Coady Diemar. He was chairman and CEO of Simon & Schuster, one of the world’s largest book publishers and providers of educational and training materials from 1994 until 2002, having been president and chief operating officer from 1991. From 2002 to 2004 he was a principal with Leeds Equity Partners, a New York based private equity firm, and between 2006 and 2007 he was President and Chief Executive Officer of Cambium Learning, an educational services provider. Previous employment included McGraw Hill (where he was responsible for Standard & Poor’s and Data Resources) and Dun & Bradstreet.  He is chairman of UBM's Audit Committee. Age 61. (1) (2) (3)  

Karen Thomson

, Non-Executive Director
Appointed to the Board in August 2006, Karen Thomson, she was previously a director of Vodafone UK Limited, and prior to that president of AOL Europe, having been chief executive and chairman of AOL UK, with responsibility for the AOL and Compuserve services in the UK. Karen was with AOL for over 11 years and under her leadership, AOL became one of the leading online content providers in the UK. Prior to AOL, Karen held roles as planning and business development director in UK advertising and marketing agencies following positions in the mobile communications industry. She holds a Master’s degree in Philosophy from Aberdeen University and an honorary doctorate and MBA from Middlesex University. Age 46 (2)

Pradeep Kar

, Non-Executive Director
Appointed to the Board in August 2006, Pradeep Kar is the founder, chairman and managing director of Microland, India’s leading provider of outsourced IT infrastructure management services. A serial entrepreneur, Pradeep Kar founded Planetasia.com (India’s leading internet professional services company), Indya.com (India’s leading portal acquired by News Corporation), Net Brahma, a telecom software company and also merged his internet media business with India’s leading marketing company. Pradeep is a member of the Technology Advisory Panel to the Government of Karnataka, and the president of The IndUS Entrepreneurs (TiE), Bangalore Chapter. He sits on several boards including the Advisory Board of Leaders’ Quest, an international social enterprise based in London. Pradeep holds a degree in mechanical engineering and a post-graduate degree in management. Age 50. (1)  

Alan Gillespie

, Non-Executive Director
Alan R Gillespie CBE was appointed to the board in April 2008. He is chairman of the International Finance Facility for Immunization (IFFIm), an intergovernmental organisation established to fund vaccination programmes for children in many of the world's poorest countries. Dr Gillespie has previously held posts in both the public and private sectors, including as chairman of Ulster Bank Group, partner at Goldman Sachs & Co, chief executive of the Commonwealth Development Corporation, and chairman of the Northern Ireland Industrial Development Board. Age 58. (1) ( 3)

Anne Siddell

, Group Company Secretary
Anne joined UBM in June 1997 from House of Fraser plc where she was Company Secretary. A solicitor by training, Anne spent several years in private practice in the City specialising in media and intellectual property law before joining the TVS group, where she spent six years first as in-house lawyer and subsequently as Group Company Secretary and Head of Legal Services. Anne graduated from Leeds University with an honours degree in Spanish and Portuguese and qualified as a solicitor in 1979.

Sandrine Degos

, Exhibitions Business Unit Manager, PG Promotion, Issy les Moulineaux

Career history: A variety of hospital communications roles including two years in Guadeloupe. Joined PG Promotion in 2002 to relaunch two exhibitions in the hospital field, Gerontexpo Handicapexpo and Hopital Expo Intermedica. Now manages all PG Promotion’s exhibitions.

Says Sandrine: "CMPMedica allowed me to move forward by giving me responsibility for the whole PG Promotion exhibitions business – a very exciting challenge with creativity and entrepreneurship a must. Results have been good so far, with increasing turnover, synergies with other parts of the business, and we are continually aiming to improve our commercial offer to our customers. I believe we have great prospects – CMPMedica is in the right position to develop the hospital exhibitions market."

Christophe Semeteys

, Systems & Networks Administrator, CMP Medica Services, Issy les Moulineaux

Career history: Joined as a temporary data entry operator in 2000, before becoming production operator. Left in August 2001 to begin a part-time degree in IT management, before rejoining later in the year and then getting a permanent job as microcomputers and network technician in 2002. Moved to his current role in 2005.

Says Christophe: "Our team is in charge of making sure CMPMedica staff have the IT services they need, with all the right functions appropriate tools. I feel lucky that I was able to join a company that took me on as a beginner, gave me responsibility and allowed me to learn, then hired me as a permanent employee and helped my career move forward. If an employee can move forward, so can the whole company."

Caroline Damour-Nobi

, VIDAL Internet Project Manager, Issy-les-Molineaux, France

Career history: Studied Chinese and linguistics. Joined VIDAL in February 1990 as a researcher, responding to customer queries and maintaining VIDAL’s first electronic drugs database. Managed VIDAL’s first website from its launch in 1999 and worked across many websites since.

 

Says Caroline: "I very much enjoy having the opportunity to move around within the company. Working across the different sites has enriched my career. I like the people I am working with and I like my job: two good reasons to get up in the morning!"

Beatrix Eriksen

, Group Director, Research and Circulation, Cliggott Publishing Group (part of CMP Healthcare Media), based in Darien, Connecticut

Career history: Joined Cliggott Publishing in July 1997. Cliggott acquired by CMP Media in November 2003.
She is responsible for research and circulation strategy for all healthcare titles.

Says Beatrix: "We were all worried when we heard about the acquisition, because normally these things cause a lot of anxiety and distress for those being acquired. However, it became clear almost immediately that this would be different. The confidence and openness of the Senior Management Team was immediately reassuring and uplifting, and at every level, I was made to feel welcome and valued. I certainly felt that we were in the hands of an organization that cares about its products and its people. And I'm still here!"

Keila Rodrigues

, Human Resources Assistant, Human Resources Assistant, Notilog, Brazil

Career history: Worked for a Notilog supplier and was responsible for Notilog’s account for one year. Joined Notilog in 2006.

Says Keila: "Notilog has allowed me to develop professionally by giving me responsibility in the Human Resources Department, creating opportunities to learn new skills and knowledge while supporting H&R issues and fostering a close relationship between H&R and the rest of the organization. Notilog has been successful thanks to talented and dedicated people, working with accountability & commitment, personal values, creativity & operational excellence. Initiatives to consistently produce results and achieve deliverables have been a key factor in Notilog’s ability to offer efficient solutions in media monitoring."

Sarah Skerik

, VP Newswire Distribution, Chicago

Career history: Worked for an affiliate, PR News Service, in the early 1990s. Joined PR Newswire in 1995. Promoted to current role in 2005, as first product manager for PR Newswire.

Says Sarah: "The internet changed so many things, and I no longer get a blank look when I say I work for PR Newswire. Ten years ago, we were a mystery; now we're a household name (almost). I was the national market manager for technology during the dot com boom, so I had a ringside seat to that entire spectacle. It’s a cool business – the market always has a new twist or turn to keep us on our feet, so in 10 years a lot has changed. We still have the same tremendous culture we had back in 1995 though, and many of the same people, too! The fact that you can't go to any meeting without bumping into a company veteran speaks volumes about PR Newswire. People who succeed here are inquisitive, show a lot of initiative, and like learning. Everything is always changing, and those who embrace change will always be well positioned for success."

Grace Vargas

, Senior Editor, Cleveland

Career history: Graduated from Rutgers University in 2005 with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism and Mass Media Studies. Joined PR Newswire in 2005 as an Assistant Editor. Moved from New Jersey to Cleveland, OH in 2007 as we transitioned from a local to a regional service model.  Promoted to Senior Editor in September of 2007.

Says Grace: "Having worked for several companies while completing my undergraduate degree, I know that PR Newswire's greatest asset are the people who work hard each day to make the client experience the best it can be.  The creation of regional member service centers in 2007, though challenging, proved to be a wonderful growth opportunity for me. As an employee I am proud that our  beautiful new office in downtown Cleveland touts a staff of intelligent and highly motivated individuals from all walks of life. It has been a privilege for me to work with a company that values the opinions of all its employees and encourages professional growth. I have been here for almost three years and have yet to tap out of all the benefits and resources available to me."