Press Association CTO made organisation’s COO

The Press Association’s parent company PA Group has made its CTO Andrew Dowsett chief operating officer with immediate effect.

Dowsett, who was appointed CTO in August 2011, will retain responsibility for the organisation’s technology and for managing transitional services for MeteoGroup as PA completes the sale of its weather arm to global growth investment firm General Atlantic.

In his new role, Dowsett will be responsible for all data operations comprising Sport, Racing, TV and Arts and Entertainment listings, plus PA’s outsourcing operation in India, PA Images and Globelynx.

Dowsett was appointed to the PA Group executive board in 2012 – its first CTO to assume the role – and will remain based in the company’s London Victoria office.

He said: “Since I joined PA we have made a significant investment in our technology. In my new role my goal will be to ensure that we are exploiting that technology, providing a commercial advantage to our customers and making our content and data even more compelling and easy to use.”

PA Group’s Chief Executive Clive Marshall said: “In the three years since Andrew joined PA he has played a leading role in the successful transformation of the company’s core technology.

“In his new role, Andrew will work closely with PA’s Managing Director Tony Watson, to lead the drive to diversify the company’s sources of revenue in both the media and non-media markets, while ensuring that PA fully capitalises on the demand for compelling, quality, multimedia content.”

Other chief operating officers with responsibility for technology include Evenbase COO David Henderson, News UK COO Chris Taylor, COO and Group CIO of Axa Kevin Murray, and Nationwide’s Tony Prestedge.

Former finance director and current interim chief executive at the troubled Co-op, Richard Pennycock, will move to become COO overseeing IT when a permanent group CEO has been appointed.