Company Emerges as LiveRamp – Will Trade as RAMP on NYSE
LiveRamp Leadership Team Named
Acxiom®
(Nasdaq: ACXM), the data foundation for the world's best marketers,
today announced that it has successfully completed the sale of its
Acxiom Marketing Solutions (AMS) business to The Interpublic Group of
Companies, Inc. (IPG) for $2.3 billion.
“LiveRamp is a category creator. Our industry-leading platform is
changing the world for our customers and their consumers,” said CEO
Scott Howe. “As an independent company, LiveRamp will focus on its
vision of creating a world where connected data makes every experience
exceptional.”
The Company also announced that it has transferred the Acxiom brand to
IPG and changed its name to LiveRamp Holdings, Inc. as of today’s market
close. Beginning tomorrow, October 2, 2018, its common stock will trade
under the ticker symbol “RAMP” on the New York Stock Exchange.
“LiveRamp is a best-in-class SaaS company with a terrific business
model. We’ve demonstrated strong top-line growth, product expansion and
an ability to significantly improve margins. The Company will also have
an exceptional balance sheet,” said CFO Warren Jenson. “We enter the
next phase of our journey in a position of strength and with a focus on
delivering even greater value to our customers and shareholders.”
LiveRamp is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with
approximately 750 employees world-wide.
The next few quarters will be a transition period for the Company.
Legacy compensation plans and benefits programs will be terminated or
modified to better reflect LiveRamp’s needs and competitive environment.
In addition, several transitional service arrangements will be in place
with IPG.
Morgan Stanley served as lead financial advisor to the Company with
respect to corporate matters including separation alternatives related
to AMS. Evercore and Morgan Stanley served as financial advisors on the
AMS transaction, and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati served as legal
counsel.
Leadership
LiveRamp enters its next phase of growth with a strong and experienced
leadership team. The Company’s bench is deep and brings considerable
experience from both large and small technology companies. LiveRamp’s
leadership:
Chief Executive Officer
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Scott Howe
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President, Chief Financial Officer and Executive Managing
Director of International
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Warren Jenson
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President and Chief Commercial Officer
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James Arra
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President and Head of Products and Platforms
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Anneka Gupta
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Chief Ethics and Legal Officer
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Jerry Jones
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Chief Data Ethics Officer and Head of Public Policy
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Sheila Colclasure
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Head of Strategy and Corporate Development
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David Eisenberg
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Head of People and Culture
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Brandon Sammut
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Head of Communications and Investor Relations
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Lauren Dillard
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Upcoming Events
LiveRamp will host its first ever Analyst and Investor Day on Monday,
October 29, 2018 at the New York Stock Exchange in New York City.
Space for the event is limited and, therefore, advance registration is
required. Analysts and institutional investors interested in attending
are encouraged to contact LiveRamp Investors Relations at Investor.Relations@LiveRamp.com.
About Acxiom
Acxiom provides the data foundation for the world’s best marketers. We
enable people-based marketing everywhere through a simple, open approach
to connecting systems and data that drives seamless customer experiences
and higher ROI. A leader in identity and ethical data use for nearly 50
years, Acxiom helps thousands of clients and partners around the globe
work together to create a world where all marketing is relevant. Acxiom
is a registered trademark of Acxiom LLC. For more information, visit Acxiom.com.
About LiveRamp
LiveRamp provides the identity platform leveraged by brands and their
partners to deliver innovative products and exceptional experiences.
LiveRamp IdentityLink connects people, data, and devices across the
digital and physical world, powering the people-based marketing
revolution and allowing consumers to safely connect with the brands and
products they love. For more information, visit www.LiveRamp.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This communication contains forward-looking statements within the
meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and
Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events, including
the timing of the proposed transaction and other information related to
the proposed transaction. In some cases, you can identify
forward-looking statements because they contain words such as "may,"
"will," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "could," "intends,"
"target," "projects," "contemplates," "believes," "estimates,"
"predicts," "potential" or "continue" or the negative of these words or
other similar terms or expressions that concern the proposed transaction
and our expectations, strategy, plans or intentions regarding it.
Forward-looking statements in this communication include, but are not
limited to, (i) our expectations regarding the timing, completion and
expected benefits of the proposed transaction, (ii) our plans,
objectives and intentions with respect to our future operations, our
customers and our market, and (iii) the expected impact of the proposed
transaction on our business. Our expectations and beliefs regarding
these matters may not materialize, and actual results in future periods
are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results
to differ materially from those projected. These risks include the risk
that the transaction may have unintended consequences on our business
relationships, results of operations and business generally; risks that
the proposed transaction disrupts current plans and operations; and
general market, political, economic and business conditions. The
forward-looking statements contained in this communication are also
subject to other risks and uncertainties, including those more fully
described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended March 31,
2018. The forward-looking statements in this communication are based on
information available to Acxiom as of the date hereof.
We undertake no obligation to update the information contained in this
press release or any other forward-looking statement.