Toluna's Petit Begins Transition Out of CEO Role

Toluna's founder and CEO Frédéric Charles Petit is stepping back after 25 years at the helm. The move is part of a structured succession process, with a comprehensive transition plan in place, but his replacement has not yet been named.

Following the transition, Petit will continue to serve on Toluna's Board of Directors, will remain a significant shareholder of the company, and will take on an ongoing strategic advisory role for areas central to Toluna's next phase of growth. The Board says it expects to confirm the appointment of the new CEO 'shortly'.

Petit founded Toluna a quarter of a century ago - around the time DRNO began publishing - and has built it into a global organisation serving many of the world's leading brands and research agencies. The firm's consumer panel of around 80 million people is now augmented by a fully synthetic panel, and the company, consistently cited among GRIT's most innovative suppliers, serves clients in more than 75 markets.

While remaining truer than some others to its roots in research, Toluna has been a pioneer in the integration of online consumer panels with research technology, the development of an end-to-end research platform, and more recently the development of AI-powered insights. Last week, it once again broke new ground with the unveiling of Bina, an always-on workspace allowing users to hold real-time conversations with synthetic personas; and Dynamic Awareness, which it says keeps those personas 'current with the real world'.

'Founding and building Toluna over the past 25 years has been the privilege of my professional life,' says Petit. 'The company today stands on solid foundations, with exceptional people, a clear strategy, and a technology platform built for the next AI era of insights. After a quarter of a century at the helm, this is the right moment for a transition to new leadership. I am delighted to continue contributing to Toluna's journey as a member of its Board, as an advisor to the Board and the Executive team and as a shareholder.'

Company Chairman Bruce Haymes expressed the Board's thanks to its founder for 'his vision, his energy, and his extraordinary commitment to Toluna over the past 25 years.' Haymes states: 'He built this company from an idea into a global leader, and he leaves it with a strong platform, a talented team, and a clear strategy for the future. We fully support Frédéric's view that this is the right moment to begin a carefully planned transition and are pleased that the company will continue to benefit from his contributions...'

In a note to DRNO today Petit added: 'Toluna was never a one-man show. It was built by extraordinary people, and by clients and partners like you who trusted us along the way... With the recent launch of our AI native platform, Toluna Bina, the company is reinventing itself once again, and I truly believe the best is yet to come.'

Toluna's corporate home page is at www.tolunacorporate.com .