Blackpearl Group Announces Key Leadership Appointments To Support Continued Expansion

Blackpearl Group Limited (NZX:BPG) has announced two key leadership appointments, welcoming Jean-Francois Arlove as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO); while current CFO Karen Cargill transitions into the strategically focused role of Chief Governance Officer (CGO). Effective 15 October 2024, both appointments will support the company’s hyper growth trajectory.

“Last week, we confirmed reaching $10.4 million in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) and a $10m capital raise. Having experienced exponential growth, it’s a critical time to focus on the key roles that will help us build a solid platform for continued expansion,” comments Nick Lissette, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Blackpearl Group. 

A new era of financial rigour 

Jean-Francois Arlove has extensive experience in CFO and COO roles within the advertising and marketing industries. As a Certified Practicing Accountant for over two decades, he possesses a deep understanding of the operational structures needed to support hyper growth companies. His operational experience was instrumental in the growth of TBWA New Zealand, a global advertising powerhouse headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York. As a key unit of Omnicom Group since 1993, TBWA is part of the world’s second-largest advertising agency network. 

“As a business, Blackpearl Group is at an inflection point and now is the time to ensure our systems and processes are designed to scale,” comments Arlove who is well-known for bringing both big picture thinking and pragmatism to finance teams. Arlove is forthright about what drew him to the company, saying “There aren’t many New Zealand companies who have broken into the US market as successfully. Blackpearl Group’s team is a team of entrepreneurs and visionaries with the talent to match their ambition. I’m excited about growing our financial team to help fast-track that expansion.” 

“Finance teams excel in environments where there is a high degree of trust in their ability to use business cases and data to refine how they operate,” he believes, adding that he plans to leverage his signature data-driven leadership style to empower the team to iterate quickly around impactful decisions that align the company’s strategic objectives and priorities with the best interests of the company’s stakeholders and investors. 

“Jean has an impressive ability to ‘start with the end in mind’ when it comes to company finance. As we continue to expand, I’m confident of his ability to bring new levels of rigour to how we approach our financial strategy,” comments Lissette.

Spearheading excellence in governance 

Karen Cargill, the company’s Chief Governance Officer, will step away from day-to-day financial management to focus on the company's all-important and growing governance responsibility. As a Fellow Chartered Accountant as well as Chartered Governance Professional and Chartered Secretary, Karen will tap into her significant global audit experience to deliver the company’s NZX financial reporting.

Cargill played a key role in driving Blackpearl Group’s NZX listing and has been instrumental in its success to date. In her new role, she’ll be leveraging her deep knowledge of the company to provide much-needed accountability and risk mitigation, allowing the team to scale with confidence and agility.

“I couldn’t be more confident in the leadership team we’ve assembled to ensure our path forward is not only ambitious but also sustainable. Together, we’re positioning Blackpearl Group to not only meet the demands of hyper growth; but to lead with precision, accountability and a clear focus on the future,” concludes Lissette.

About Blackpearl Group (NZX: BPG)

Blackpearl Group (BPG) is a market leading data technology company that pioneers AI driven, sales and marketing solutions for the US market.

Specifically engineered for small-medium sized businesses (SMEs), BPG consistently delivers exceptional value to its customers. Our mantra is simple: ‘Better Growth Together’. When our customers win, we win.

Founded in 2012, BPG is based in Wellington, New Zealand, and Phoenix, Arizona.

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