As I step down from my role as CEO of First Rate I am ecstatic to see the business reporting record revenue and profits with significant operations in both New Zealand and Australia. In fact, First Rate has grown rapidly and consistently year on year for nine straight years featuring in the Deloitte Fast 50 List in 2006, 2007 & 2008! It’s been quite a ride and there is no sign of it slowing down, even with the current economic challenges.

I’m also very proud of the team we have put together at First Rate which includes some really capable individuals who I have worked with for many years now. Here are just a few:

Kevin Francis: http://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinafrancis

Tom Skotidas: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tomskotidas

Samuel Stadler: http://www.linkedin.com/in/samuelstadler

Grant Osborne: http://www.linkedin.com/in/gosborne

We will also be expanding the team with some new senior appointments over the coming months.

For those who have followed First Rate over the years I have provided a graph that illustrates the company’s growth in terms of product offerings, geographic expansion and revenue.

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After nine very successful years building up the First Rate business in New Zealand and Australia I have stepped aside from my operational job as CEO of First Rate, and handed the reins over to Kevin Francis (http://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinafrancis) in New Zealand and James Ward (http://www.linkedin.com/in/wardji) in Australia.

I will however maintain an interest in First Rate’s ongoing success through my strategic advisory role as the group’s Head of Search & Performance, and I will continue to be based in First Rate’s offices in Auckland and Sydney.

I’m very excited to take up a major new challenge within First Rate’s parent group Q Ltd (ASX:QXQ) establishing a new business (QED) that will be tasked with devising, developing and growing profitable online assets, including opt-in email lists, ad networks and other web assets.

QED will utilise the 100+ digital experts employed by the group to design, develop, operate and market these online assets.  For those that are unfamiliar with Q Ltd this is the company I sold First Rate to two and a half years ago. Q Ltd owns 7 other digital businesses and most of the founders of these businesses have committed to remain within the group for the long term. This means I will be working with a range of industry veterans ranging across strategy, creative, development, marketing and sales. QED will therefore have access to some of the best minds, experience and capability in the world.

Q’s existing online assets already generate many millions of dollars in revenue and this new business will build on this success by significantly increasing Q’s online assets.

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