Douglas Emslie
Chairman
Douglas was most recently CEO of Tarsus Group, having joined the business when it was launched in 1998. He previously held senior positions at Blenheim Group plc and after its takeover, United Business Media plc. He is a past Chairman and Director of the Association of Event Organisers (AEO), as well as past Chairman of the Events Industry Alliance. He is a board member of US industry advocacy body, the Exhibition & Conference Alliance (ECA) and was also the first international board member of the US industry trade body, SISO, where he went on to serve as Chair. Douglas oversaw the acquisition of Tarsus Group by Informa plc where he now acts as Senior Advisor on the combination of the two businesses.
Advisory Board
Neville Buch
One of the most respected names in the events industry, Neville started his industry career in 1982 at Dresswell, which later went on to become Blenheim the leading international exhibition, publishing and conference company. In 1986 Blenheim floated on the Stock Market and was eventually acquired by UBM in 1996 [for £600million – a hundred times its value 10 years earlier.]
Buch subsequently launched Tarsus Group in 1998, taking up the role of Chairman. Having started with just one event brand the company was home to a portfolio of over 160 events and a global staff of over 600 when Tarsus Group was acquired by Charterhouse Capital Partners in 2019.
Dan O’Brien
Dan was COO / CFO at Tarsus Group for 12 years until the group’s sale to Informa. He also acts as Senior Adviser to Pendragon International Media and is a Trustee of the charity School-Home Support. Dan qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Deloitte in 1991, and has also held the role of CFO at TV production company Shine Group and at the listed B2B publisher Huveaux plc. He has previously held senior finance roles at Hanson plc, computer games company Eidos and Digital Theatre.
Mike Seaman
Mike is the CEO and Founder of Raccoon Media Group, a high-growth and purpose-led business that helps mobilise communities to lead healthy, sustainable and active lives. Mike has worked in the events industry since 2003, working across B2B and B2C media properties, holding senior positions for VMG, Centaur, UBM, Closer Still, Clarion and now Raccoon.
Robert Leeming
Robert Leeming is a Partner at Foundation Investment Partners, an investment firm focused on investments in growth UK SME businesses. Previously, he was a Partner at the private equity firm, Charterhouse Capital Partners for 16 years and prior to that at EPIC Private Equity.
He has sat as a non-executive on the board of 18 different small and medium size UK businesses, across a range of sectors and regions. This has included being Chair and on the board of 2 leading international trade show organisers. He is also Chairman of the Autism Research Trust and a non-executive director at the Department of Business and Trade.