ShiftCentral Names Veteran Legal & Professional Services Marketer Mark Young President to Lead Market Intelligence Agency

MONCTON, New Brunswick and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 6, 2012  /PRNewswire/ -- ShiftCentral, a Canadian market intelligence agency primarily serving the legal, health and financial services industries, announced a new senior leadership appointment to drive its growth initiatives in the U.S. and internationally.

The company named Mark E. Young, 50, a former practicing attorney and veteran marketer of professional services, as President. Mr. Young, previously a law firm partner and a director at a national marketing and advertising agency, as well as chief marketing officer for two international law firms, will be charged with leading ShiftCentral through its next phase of expansion. He arrives as the 12-year-old firm launches its first U.S. office in Cambridge, Mass.

Founded in 2000 by former journalist and branding executive Mario Theriault, ShiftCentral has become a top-tier provider of market intelligence and customized editorial content for leading financial, health and legal services organizations across North America. The agency's private newsroom delivers a wide range of customized content to clients. Its offerings range from specialized monitoring of target markets to curated intelligence reporting on emerging issues and trends, including reporting on competitors. ShiftCentral has built a highly successful product suite that enables content delivery across any client's technology platform.

"In today's marketplace, organizations require a view-in to what matters most to them driven by curated, real-time market intelligence. Our team of researchers and analysts understand this imperative; actionable insight is a 'must-have' strategic asset. We've enjoyed exceptional growth and client loyalty over the last few years and we're now poised to broaden our reach and influence in key sectors, as well as take on new ones," said Mr. Theriault, ShiftCentral's CEO.

"Mark Young is a consummate strategist – he'll bring fresh focus and energy to the organization and a tremendous understanding of the key markets we serve," Mr. Theriault added. "With Mark on board, we'll be able to rapidly expand our offerings and solidify our position as one of North America's preeminent market intelligence resources."

Mr. Young's 26-year career has combined success in law, advertising, business development, and strategic growth. Most recently he served as chief marketing officer of global law firm SNR Denton, which he helped launch through the 2010 combination of U.S.-based Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal and UK-based Denton Wilde & Sapte. The tie-up created one of the top 25 firms internationally, with dominant practices in eight key sectors and offices in over 60 locations throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia, Russia, Africa and the Middle East.

Previously, he was chief marketing officer at Boston-based Foley Hoag LLP, an AmLaw 200 firm where he spearheaded an ambitious rebranding and advertising campaign that was showcased in The New York Times and helped substantially elevate the firm's national profile.

As an attorney, Mr. Young became a partner at Peabody & Arnold, one of Boston's oldest law firms, where he led the firm's national marketing and advertising law practice. He then joined Boston marketing agency PARTNERS+simons as general counsel and director of its professional services practice.

"I had the privilege of working with Mark for a number of years and was always struck by his creativity, leadership and business smarts," said longtime Foley Hoag litigation partner Michael Keating, a past President of the Boston Bar Association who currently serves as Chairman of the Board of the Boston Foundation. "Mark was insistent in raising the firm's client-centric IQ. He gets what it takes for service professionals to excel in today's marketplace. He knows how to articulate a vision and drive change through the organization."

Mr. Young will direct ShiftCentral's operations and business development initiatives from the firm's new office in Cambridge. He said he expects to grow the firm's roster of clients while exploring new partnerships and product offerings.

"In its relatively short history, ShiftCentral has developed a first-rate portfolio of intelligence products for some of the marquee names in each of the sectors it has targeted," Mr. Young said. "I'm thrilled with the opportunity to join the agency in helping it attain a new level of success with client-centric resolve. This is all about helping the agency's clients thrive by giving them the best actionable market intelligence and other content to maximize their business objectives."

Mr. Young earned his J.D. from Boston College Law School. He holds a B.A. from Bates College. He can be reached at [email protected].

For more information about ShiftCentral, contact Paul Kavanaugh at [email protected] 866.551.5533 and visit www.shiftcentral.com.

About ShiftCentral. Founded in 2000, ShiftCentral provides action-oriented market intelligence products and services to leading organizations in key sectors including legal, financial services, healthcare and economic development. The agency's team of researchers and analysts provide custom content to clients to inform and drive market moves, gain competitive advantage and build stronger end-client relationships.

Contact: Allan Ripp 212-262-7477 [email protected]

SOURCE ShiftCentral