Rene Plug

Executive Board member and Managing Director of the Business Unit Data, Technology and Business Development (>50 FTE). Responsible for development and scale-up of new business areas, technology- and data-driven business models, and efficiency & effectiveness enhancements of the IT ecosystem.

Executive Board member Improve Digital (seconded from Swisscom) and adviser M&A and business development for the Swisscom online marketing portfolio companies. Drove strategic development of Improve Digital in its transition from start-up to scale-up, and expanded consultative sales function. Established and executed investment and divestment strategies, resulting in consolidation and finally sale of the company portfolio.

Senior investment and portfolio manager focusing on digital marketing, in particular on advertising technology, programmatic ad trading, and e-commerce. Developed and executed investment strategies, from deal origination through business modelling and M&A project management to deal completion. Worked closely with management of portfolio companies on growth strategies, business model enhancement/turnaround, and growth financing options.

Senior strategy consultant at top-tier London consultancy with specialization in the media and retail sectors. Project leader role with team responsibility. Led and managed numerous commercial due diligence projects for the top global private equity houses, as well as many strategic projects for medium and large-sized corporates in the UK and Europe. Strategy projects included growth strategy, portfolio analysis, and executive workshops.

Strategy consultant at top-tier global consultancy with specialization in the media and services sectors. Managed and executed several commercial due diligence projects for top global private equity houses, as well as strategic projects for national and international corporates. Strategy projects included growth strategies, and portfolio analyses

Product Manager for a portfolio of 12 online / paper journals and books representing US$5M of revenue

Member of the Elsevier MDL executive team; managed high-profile integration projects at MDL Information Systems (R&D informatics) following its merger with Elsevier, representing US$110M revenue

Management development rotation scheme for high-potentials; selected as 1 of 2 pa. Managed several corporate projects

Marketing Advisor, focusing on branding, e-commerce, and online programs

Strategy Finance

Media Strategy Broadcast Policy