Global event organiser UBM has made a slew of management redundancies. Departures before the New Year have included global executive vice-president of events Jane Risby-Rose and group strategy director John Petevinos.
Risby-Rose spent over two decades at the company.
Tim Cobbold, chief executive of UBM plc, said: “I want to recognise the incredible contribution Jane Risby-Rose has made to UBM over the past 24 years. Her leadership of the Global Events Momentum (GEM) team since 2010 has been valuable for sharing best practice across the group. Jane and her team provided the foundation on which we developed a number of the Events First global initiatives and I am grateful to all the GEM team for their contribution over the years.
“I know I speak for all at UBM when I say that we are a better company as a result of Jane’s contributions. I thank her warmly for her efforts over the years and wish her well in the future.”
Cobbold added that Petevinos been instrumental to the development of Events First and praised his efforts to improve the company’s ability to examine new growth opportunities. “I thank him warmly for his contribution and wish him well in the future.”
UBM said the next stage of its Events First strategy is to accelerate organic growth, continue margin progression and an enhanced focus on customer communities.
UBM has also sold its last major publication, the construction industry title Building. The sale signals a final step in the company’s transition from magazine publisher to events company. The events business now makes up more than 90% of UBM’s £893m revenues, according to the Daily Telegraph, which says the online venue directory Venue Finder had been sold alongside the Building title to a management team led by director Tom Broughton.
UBM has declined to elaborate further on the management changes or confirm or deny whether the GEM team is to be disbanded.
The company made pre-tax profits of £208.5m in 2016.
