Penton Recruits World-Class Digital Product Engineering Executive Team to Support Its Aggressive Product Launch Plans

NEW YORK, March 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Penton, a leading professional information services company, today announced that it has filled the Chief Data Officer digital management suite with a world-class engineering team led by acclaimed engineer John Paul, who joins Penton from Conde Nast where he served as the Lead Technical Architect. Paul, Vice President of Engineering, will focus on platform consolidation, architecture, and integrating new technologies into Penton's product plans.  He will also drive the implementation of Penton's ambitious product roadmap in 2014 with an eye toward scaling the business for continued growth.  

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The Penton digital management team is organized around four key areas of technology and product development – data, design, engineering and product management.

The product engineering executive team now includes Amruta Gadre, Vice President of Product Management, Sebastian Broways, Director of Design and Roger Craig Director of Data Science and Predictive Analytics.  The addition of these senior executives with deep professional experience in information technology, content and user interface, predictive analytics and experience design furthers Penton's ability to capitalize on new technology, software and data and enhance the user-experience of its digital, data and mobile products and services.  Prior to Penton Paul, Gadre, Broways worked closely together most recently at Avagen Ventures.  All will report to Richard Stanton, who joined Penton in November 2013 in the newly created role of Chief Data Officer, and all positions are effective immediately. 

"Penton is committed to investing in its future, philosophically and financially.  We have created a culture where innovation and ingenuity thrives.  Following the hire of Richard Stanton, we are tapping into top engineering talent who bring fresh ideas, perspectives and skills that will help shape our data strategy and deliver new solutions in line with our product roadmap to customers around the world," said David Kieselstein, CEO, Penton. 

Penton's product roadmap for 2014 is to build upon the successful 2013 launches of both new and re-imagined data/digital solutions, including NEXT Accelerator, NEXT Trend, SourceESB, AC-U-KWIK, Govalytics, Trust & Estates, EquipmentWatch and Richie Bros Equipment One by putting product discipline in place, increasing speed to market and offering top-notch products. 

Stanton said, "Talent begets talent and our team of engineers is top-notch and growing.  The fact that John, Amruta and Sebastian have an existing working relationship was immediately a draw as we knew they'd be able to think and execute as cohesive team beginning on day one.  This coupled with the technical leadership and experience helping businesses increase market share and business process efficiency that Roger brings to the table immediately makes our engineering team an industry powerhouse."

Stanton added, "Engineering is a critical element of our product lifecycle particularly as we strive to develop the most effective products for our users to get the most out of Penton's tremendous information, data and content in agriculture, transportation, natural products/food, infrastructure, and industrial design and manufacturing."

Penton's new team of engineering executives bring deep expertise in information technology, content and user interface and design focused on the human experience continuum:

• John Paul, Vice President of Engineering

Paul is a highly regarded industry leader and sought after speaker with significant expertise in the application of new digital technology and the integration and development of professional teams within traditional businesses.

His more recent work includes serving as the Lead Technical Architect for Conde Nast; Avagen Ventures Vice President of Development for Sense of Fashion; Lead Front Software Engineer for The Ladders; and, Lead User Interface Developer for Bintro.  He has a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry from New York University and Computer Science from Hunter College.

• Sebastian Broways, Director of Design

Broways is responsible for creating and leading a design practice within Penton that is focused on the creation of digital products.  In his role, he will manage external design resources as well as recruit and train internal design resources.  He will focus on creating and implementing user interface (UI) / user experience (UX) and aesthetic solutions to all of Penton's products.

Broways has ten years of experience in web development, graphic and multimedia design across digital, print and video products. He joins Penton from Dru Whitacre Media where was the Creative Director. His additional experience includes user interface design for Alanda Software; designer for Avagen Ventures and Sense of Fashion as well as a design and developer for Blox Networks and design lead for American Exposition Concepts.   

• Roger Craig,  Director of Data Science and Predictive Analytics

Craig is responsible for sourcing, ingesting and organizing data products within the Penton engineering team. He is charged with data acquisition, cleaning, normalizing, and contextualizing to help solve business problems and prepare for future data product and insight tools. Craig introduced predictive analytics techniques where only existing static business intelligence existed.

Craig joins Penton with over 10 years of experience in statistical machine learning solving complex business problems in public and private sectors.  Most recently in 2011 he cofounded and served as CEO of Cotinga, LLC, a data science consultancy that brings the power of advanced methods and algorithms from the cutting edge of academia to the world of businesses and nonprofits. He began his career in 1999 as an agricultural biotechnology lab technician at DuPont Genomix.  Craig received his B.S. degrees in Biology & Biochemistry from Virginia Tech and his M.S. & Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Delaware.

• Amruta Gadre, Vice President of Product Management

Gadre is responsible for leading Penton's Product Management team which is focused on collecting and translating the needs of the business units in order to create new products and additional features for Penton's brands.  

Gadre has nearly 15 years of experience in project management and software development and implementation working for a range of businesses including Verizon Wireless, Avagen Ventures, Dow Jones, Deloitte Consulting and with Patni in projects for Hitachi, Ltd. (Japan). She is graduate of University of Mumbai, India with a Bachelor's Degree in Electronic Engineering.

About Penton

Penton is a professional information services company. We engage and inform millions of professionals every day, helping them decide  how to grow  and solve  their most critical business challenges. As a leading provider of workflow solutions and insightful content, marketing services and networking via in-person and online events, we help businesses do business. We focus our industry expertise on five core growth markets - agriculture, transportation, natural products/food, infrastructure, and industrial design and manufacturing.

Penton is a growth company with a track-record of strong performance and success and is backed by its co-owners: MidOcean Partners and U.S. Equity Partners II, an investment fund sponsored by Wasserstein & Co., LP.

For additional information on the company and its businesses, visit www.penton.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Whit Clay
Sloane & Company
T: 212-446-1864
[email protected]

PENTON CONTACT:
Kate Spellman
SVP, Marketing
Penton
T:  212 204 4351
[email protected]

SOURCE Penton