DALLAS, April 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Adestra, a leading provider of innovative marketing technology software and services, today announced it has appointed Matt McGowan as President. McGowan, who most recently headed up strategy for Google's AdTech business in the Americas, will lead Adestra's rapidly growing U.S. team and help build the company's brand in the $2.6 billion ESP market.^[1] He joins other key U.S. hires including Vice President of Marketing Insights Ryan Phelan and Vice Presidents of Sales Skip O'Neill and Chip Scully, as well as 10 regional business development professionals.

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With 500-plus clients worldwide across a number of key sectors, Adestra has experienced annual double-digit revenue growth for more than a decade. In 2015, Adestra announced the opening of its U.S. operations in Dallas and New York, the immediate success of which was a significant factor in McGowan's decision to join the company.

"I've been on the Adestra advisory board for 3 years, and it's given me a chance to see first-hand how manically focused they are on their customers," McGowan said. "Adestra does not take a one-size-fits-all approach. Rather, their platform is built to fit enterprise customers' email and automation needs. But perhaps more importantly, Adestra is dedicated to providing the experience, insight and service necessary to help their customers' be successful. That dedication and collaboration is why Adestra enjoys one of the highest customer retention rates in the industry."

Prior to his tenure at Google, McGowan served as Managing Director and member of the management board at Incisive Media, a recognized global media, marketing services, data and communications company. He joined Incisive (a long-time Adestra client) in 2006 as the global vice president of marketing and was instrumental in growing the business due to his strong relationships with enterprise partners, in addition to his ability to lead from the front, educate, incite analysis and develop consensus.

"I've had the pleasure of working with Matt for a number of years," said Adestra Co-Founder and CEO Henry Hyder-Smith. "He's passionate about what we do and has demonstrated his leadership time and again. Our business is at a real inflection point, and Matt is the perfect person to help accelerate our U.S. expansion and really take our company to the next level."

McGowan added: "One of the most valuable lessons I learned from my time at Google is that in order for technology companies to succeed, they need to be anticipate customer needs and be nimble in the face of change, yet at the same time never lose sight of what makes them special. I see all of that in Adestra. When they talk about delivering software AND a service, they walk the talk. It's part of their DNA as an organization, and yet they have also continued to make significant investments in innovation and really listen to their customers in order to help them be successful in a rapidly changing market. Adestra is a great blend of proven expertise and entrepreneurial spirit, and I'm thrilled to be joining the team."

In 2013, McGowan won Digital Publisher of the Year from the Association of Online Publishers and was named a DMA & Marketing Edge (formerly the DMEF) Rising Star. He has an MBA from the University of Oxford and a bachelor's degree from Lafayette College.

^[1]According to Forrester Research's Digital Marketing Forecast (2014-2019)

ABOUT ADESTRA 

Adestra is a leading global provider of one-to-one email and lifecycle marketing solutions for global and growing brands alike. The company's industry leading digital marketing platform - MessageFocus - provides marketers with a powerful infrastructure that helps them communicate more effectively with their customers and subscribers by providing hyper-relevant context. This proprietary technology also allows for automated messaging and incorporates enterprise-class native functionality, which reduces implementations and brings clarity to complexity.

Along with a superior platform to execute marketing automation, Adestra was founded on the principle that marketing success takes more than technology, which is why customer service is at the heart of our business. Adestra was a winner of the 2014 Customer Focus Award from the Customer Service Institute, and we continue to maintain one of the highest customer retention rates in the industry. More than 10,000 unique users utilize Adestra, including top brands like UBM, FranklinCovey and Oxfam, among others. Established in 2004, Adestra is based in Oxford, England, with offices in London, Dallas and Sydney. For more information, visit http://www.adestra.com.

SOURCE Adestra Inc