The Financial Times has made a significant move towards securing online recruitment market leadership with the acquisition of leading online recruitment company, Exec-Appointments.

Exec-Appointments is a well-established UK brand which focuses on the high-earning executive sector and has a major presence in online recruitment. With a successful core product (exec-appointments.com) - which focuses on senior management and which boasts the highest proportion of c-suite, director and senior manager visitors and highest average income visitors to any UK online job site – and two specialist products targeting MBAs and Non-Executive Directors, Exec-Appointments is an ideal vehicle through which the Financial Times can develop the non-print side of its recruitment business.

Synergies between the two businesses made the choice of Exec-Appointments a clear winner. The Financial Times’ global presence, brand and strength in finance markets and jobs complements Exec-Appointments’ strength in non-finance jobs and products and its successful business provides not only a respected reputation and core clientele but also an established technology platform from which the new business can develop. FT Conferences will bring added impetus to Exec-Appointments’ specialist conference and seminar activity.

John Ridding, CEO of the Financial Times, notes: “Online recruitment is a key growth area and while the Financial Times is highly successful in print-based recruitment, this acquisition will allow us to crack the burgeoning web-based sector. We can extend the business into Asia and the US and seriously upgrade our recruitment and training offering to both customers and advertisers.”

“Exec-Appointments’ specialist arms, MBA-Direct.com and Non-Execs.com will be of particular interest to our customers and advertisers and we’ve been aware that we needed to upgrade our general online recruitment offering. With no clear leader in the sector, we believe that Exec-Appointments will rapidly step into the breach.”

Exec-Appointments CEO, Betty Thayer adds: “Although Exec-Appointments has been extremely successful and has established itself as a major player in UK and Middle East online recruitment, joining with the Financial Times will allow UK and international expansion. We have particular strengths in specialist knowledge and customer service which we can now roll out to a wider audience and, in particular, develop the financial sector part of the business. We believe the new offering will increase our appeal to larger corporate clients as well as giving us the opportunity to develop new products, both for Financial Times audiences and for Exec-Appointments customers.”