Big Sofa appoints Kirsty Fuller as new CEO

AIM-listed video analytics provider Big Sofa has appointed Kirsty Fuller as its new chief executive officer with immediate effect.

Fuller, who was appointed to the company's board on 1 October as chief commercial officer, co-founded the Flamingo Group, which became one of the largest specialist qualitative research agencies in the world, with a network of eight offices on four continents.

Simon Lidington has stepped down from his role as CEO and as an executive director of Big Sofa. However, he will stay on as a non-executive director of the company.

Chairman Nicholas Mustoe said: "We are delighted that Kirsty has agreed to lead the business as we seek to commercialise Big Sofa's technology and services. Kirsty is a highly-regarded expert in the field of consumer insight. She has been instrumental in integrating innovative methods as the insight industry has evolved and has worked with leading blue-chip companies."

Fuller said: "Integrating new methods which demand new client and agency behaviours is never an easy task, whatever the size of company; it is an exciting challenge. There is, however, growing client appreciation of the importance of video in understanding consumer behaviour. Claimed behaviour is no longer enough.

"Clients are seeking pioneering approaches in video capture, analysis and showcasing as critical inputs to business and product innovation and decision-making processes. Our technology platform enables a new form of insight delivery, a new mode of ongoing client engagement and a new resource for responding quickly to clients' business questions."

At 1010 GMT, the shares were up 5.5% to 2.90p.