Former Ofcom Boss to Lead Informa

London-based digital data, information and events group Informa, which owns market intelligence firm Datamonitor, has appointed former Ofcom CEO Sir Stephen Carter as Chief Executive Officer, replacing Peter Rigby who is retiring at the end of the year, after 25 years with the firm.

Rigby joined in 1983 and has served as CEO since 1998, during which time, Informa has grown from a company valued at a few million pounds, to a business worth in excess of £3 billion.

Scottish businessman and politician Baron Carter of Barnes (pictured) will take over in January, having served as an Informa Board Director since 2010. He was previously President/MD at IT/telecoms group Alcatel-Lucent, before which, he held senior roles in the media and communications sector at companies such as NTL and Brunswick, and served as Founding CEO of Ofcom, the UK communications industry regulator. He also served as the Minister for Communications, Technology and Broadcasting from 2008 to 2009, and was Downing Street Chief of Staff under Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Earlier in his career, Carter worked for ad agency group JWalter Thompson, where he was latterly MD and CEO of the business in the UK and Ireland.

In 2007, he was awarded a CBE for Services to the Communications Industries, and he is also a Life Peer.

Informa Chairman Derek Mapp comments: 'Informa owes a huge debt of gratitude to Peter, who has devoted a large portion of his career to the group, guiding it from humble beginnings into the leading global media group it is today. I am delighted that Peter's business legacy will be continued by an executive of Stephen Carter's calibre.'

Web site: www.informa.com .