Tom Goddard is stepping down as chairman of Ocean Outdoor after a decade which has seen the niche digital Out of Home operator grow into a substantial European force with operations in the Netherlands, Nordics and key German cities on top of its UK network including city council contracts in Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and Southampton and high profile Landsec’s Piccadilly Lights, IMAX cinema and the Westfield centres.
He will be succeeded by New York investment banker Aryeh B. Bourkoff, currently co-chairman. Goddard is to pursue other business interests including his role as president of global OOH trade body The World Out of Home Organization. He remains an advisor to Ocean.
Goddard (above) says: “I always trust my instincts and after a wonderfully enjoyable decade in the Chair of this unique and special company, I felt now is the right time for me to pass the baton on to Aryeh, who is an outstanding and talented businessman and friend, under whom I have no doubt Ocean will continue to grow and prosper enormously.”
Bourkoff says: “As Chairman of Ocean and one of its largest shareholders, I am confident that our unique set of digital and premium assets and strong balance sheet, position us well for the future. I commend our management team for the quick and decisive actions they have taken over the past few months to navigate these challenging times.”
Ocean CEO Tim Bleakley says: “Tom has provided us with tremendous stewardship throughout this part of our epic voyage, challenging us, cheering us on, mentoring us and consistently maintaining the right equilibrium and balance across all the stakeholder groups.
“We are pleased to retain his ongoing input as we re-build. With the continued support of the Board chaired by Aryeh, we will remain highly energized and restless until we have fully bounced back from the pandemic.”
