RETAIL INDUSTRY VETERAN CHRIS ALLAN APPOINTED AS SMARTFOCUS CEO

- Chris Allan appointed as Smartfocus CEO, while former CEO joins SmartFocus board, as business prepares for next phase of growth

SmartFocus, the global leader in intelligent marketing, today announced the appointment of Chris Allan as its new CEO, in a move that sees the company’s former CEO, Rob Mullen, join the SmartFocus board.

Rob Mullen, SmartFocus board member, says: “SmartFocus has arrived at the point where we have the people, brand, product and finances in place to build on the growth we have achieved in the last few years and it is time to bring in a new, long-term CEO.

“Chris was the natural choice to lead SmartFocus into its next phase of growth and will take over from me immediately. While I am on the board, I will be working with Chris and his team to ensure a smooth transition for our customers. Chris’s record of leading innovative retail technology providers, paired with his success at building client-centric organisations makes him the ideal choice as we look at the next phase of the SmartFocus story."

Chris Allan, SmartFocus CEO, says: “SmartFocus are at the forefront of ensuring brand marketing is engaging, personalized and real-time. Our technology is ahead of the curve, and proves again and again that marketers are living in the past if they don’t see the possibilities of real-time cross-channel marketing. I’m delighted to be joining SmartFocus at such an exciting period in the company’s history, and I look forward to building on the tremendous work Rob and the team have done.

“I have been extremely impressed with the enthusiasm, expertize and passion of the team members that I have met so far. I plan to meet everyone in the business, as well as visit all of our offices in the next couple of months.”

Prior to his appointment at SmartFocus, Chris was CEO of Quantum Retail Technology, where he had previously served as Chief Customer Officer and Chief Strategy Officer. Previously, Chris was Managing Director at Accenture where he led the Products Analytics organization in the UK and Ireland. Chris also served as Director of Strategy at Retek (now part of Oracle).

The SmartFocus industry leading Message Cloud solution enables contextual customer experiences delivered in real-time to any channel a customer is interacting with - irrespective of whether it’s via email, web, in-store, retargeting display, social or mobile. The Message Cloud technology gives brand marketers a holistic view of their customers and enables them to deliver even more personalized marketing interactions that increase brand engagement and sales.

SmartFocus

Smart Focus is a digital marketing innovator working with the world’s leading brands. The Message Cloud platform listens to and learns from your customers. Our insights drive your business strategy, which allows you to improve your customer understanding and connection. smartfocus.com