Tim Weller

Early years

Weller started his career at VNU Business Publications (now part of Nielsen Holdings PLC) in 1982 where he ran Computing and Datalink. He left to join Centaur Communications (now known as Centaur Media) in 1987 becoming a Director of Centaur Publishing in 1989. Weller was responsible for a number of new products at Centaur and was Publishing Director of The Lawyer and Money Marketing.

In 1994 he became Managing Director of Thomson Reuters Publishing. Upon leaving Reuters Publishing in 1994, he founded City Financial Communications in the same year and has enjoyed significant industry recognition since that time.

Incisive Media

In 1994 Weller founded Incisive Media with James Hanbury and Nick Rapley with 13 members of staff. With an investment of £275,000 which they raised by getting six people from S. G. Warburg & Co. Investment Bank to roll over some of their bonus into an EIS, they launched their first publication Investment Week. Over 20 years grew the company into an international publishing group, spanning 27 offices employing over 2000 people with more than 100 publication titles.

Initial public offering (IPO) - Incisive Media

Weller floated Incisive Media on the main market of the London Stock Exchange in December 2000. Apart from Incisive Media’s IPOS, Weller completed a number of acquisitions as a public company most notable was the acquisition of Risk Waters for £35m in 2003.

MBO and Take Private

As a public company it was difficult to take advantage of some of the larger consolidation opportunities that existed, so in December 2006 Weller led a management buyout deal backed by Apax Partners that valued Incisive Media at almost £300 million. In August 2007 Weller completed the $630m acquisition of ALM (company) creating a group with an enterprise value of over $1 billion, and doubling the group revenues to £250m and creating a group with 2500 staff. Following the financial crisis Weller led the restructuring of the group that led to the company being split into two and the sale of The ALM business.

Advisory

Weller was a member of the Shadow Cabinet New Enterprise Council, which advised George Osborne on business and enterprise prior to the 2010 general election.

Other activities

As an active angel investor in technology and internet related start-ups, Weller was Non-Executive Director and Chairman of independent television producer, RDF Media (maker of internationally re-known shows such as Wife Swap (UK TV series) and Faking It) from 2005-2010 and Non-executive Chairman of Polestar from 2009-2011 leading its sale to Sun European Partners (Sun Capital Partners). Weller was Chairman of PPA Business and Professional from 2005 to 2008 and a Chairman of InternetQ from April 2013 to April 2016. He is currently Non-Executive Director and chairman of Taptica, Weller is also chairman of DialSquare 86 the holding company for The RightsXchange Limited (“TRX”) where Channel 4 and Sky plc are investors. Weller is also a non-executive chairman of Trustpilot, a website founded in Denmark in 2007 which publishes reviews for online businesses and Wejo which connects drivers, industries and big data through journey and location-based services

Personal life

Weller resides in London and Leicestershire in the UK and is married to Jackie Weller and has three children.

Education

Weller was educated at Blundell's School and studied at Zoology from 1979 to 1982 at the University of Wales in Cardiff.

Awards and honours

Weller was voted PPA Publisher of the Year in 1997 and 1998, and Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the London & South Region - in 2001. In 2005 he received the publishing industry's top honour - the Marcus Morris Award.

Philanthropy

In 2010 Weller founded the Incisive Media Foundation which has to date raised £1.3m for its chosen charities. The Foundation seeks to provide a framework through which staff can volunteer a small amount of their time to contribute their skills and make a meaningful difference to the lives of others. In addition Weller supports The Prince's Trust, Operation Smile, Elton John AIDS Foundation and GWCT.