Shazam appoints new chief exec ahead of IPO

Second screen app and media recognition specialist Shazam has appointed former Yahoo! executive Rich Riley as its new CEO, shifting long-term boss Andrew Fisher to the new full-time role of Executive Chairman as it gears up for a planned IPO. 

The hire marks the latest addition to Shazam’s executive team, following the recent appointment of BBC executive Daniel Danker as Chief Product Officer, establishing an executive leadership team that will “accelerate the company’s growth trajectory,” Shazam said.

Fisher, who has lead the firm as CEO since 2005, becomes executive chairman, while John Pearson, who has been chairman of the board since 2006, will become a Non-executive director and remain on the board.

Riley brings more than 17 years of entrepreneurial and internet experience to the CEO role, most recently working as executive vice president, Americas for Yahoo!, where he was responsible for billions of dollars of revenue and managed a team of thousands.

“Rich brings a tremendous amount of experience both as an internet executive where he has rapidly scaled global businesses, to establishing strategic relationships with advertisers and partners, as well as his entrepreneurial approach and skills,” said Fisher.

“Whilst Rich will run our business I will now spend more time focusing on our corporate development and future strategy including our ambitions to deliver a successful IPO for our shareholders as we look to become an increasingly important part of people’s everyday lives, helping them engage with content and brands in the most efficient way possible.”

Shazam started as a music recognition series, branching into TV in 2011 with the launch of Shazam for TV in the United States for advertising and select television programmes. This was expanded in September 2012 to include all US nationwide programming on more than 160 channels.