Informa’s long-serving chief executive Stephen Carter has shifted his base from the UK to the UAE, stepping back from House of Lords duties to run the FTSE 100 data and events group from one of its fastest growing regions. The move coincides with a broader leadership realignment across the company and signals a sharper focus on international growth, particularly in North America and the Middle East and Asia, where most of Informa’s revenue is generated. For investors and partners, the relocation is a signal of intent: align leadership with market momentum and place decision makers closer to customers, regulators, and capital.
Strategic Context
Informa earns the majority of its revenue outside the UK, reflecting a mature global footprint that benefits from proximity to large buyer and attendee markets.
- Approximately 95% of group revenue is international.
- About 40% of revenue is in the United States.
- About 36% of revenue is in the Middle East and Asia.
Relocating the CEO to the Gulf aligns corporate governance and operating cadence with these demand centers.
Why a UAE Base Strengthens Execution
Regulatory and Operating Advantages
- Stable policy environment and efficient cross-border business setup.
- Access to regional hubs that connect Europe, Asia, and Africa on same-day flight cycles.
- Consolidated access to growth sectors including finance, healthcare, energy, and technology events.
Customer and Partner Proximity
- Closer collaboration with venue operators, tourism bodies, and free zones that co-fund or co-market large exhibitions.
- Faster response times for sponsorship, floor plan changes, and premium buyer programs.
- Deeper relationships with regional data partners for audience growth and lead intelligence.
Operational and Capital Market Implications
Leadership Deployment
- Senior executives relocating to New York and Boston align functions with revenue weight and investor bases.
- Time zone spread improves follow-the-sun management of large show portfolios and digital subscriptions.
Portfolio Performance
- Enhanced yield management across top-tier events through on-ground pricing, upsell, and retention levers.
- Greater cross-sell between live events, digital communities, and data services.
Potential Listing Considerations
- Stronger global orientation can fuel speculation about future listing structures or secondary listings.
- Closer proximity to US and Gulf capital pools may broaden coverage and liquidity over time.
Risk and Governance Considerations
- Maintain clear decision rights and internal controls across multiple hubs.
- Harmonize data privacy and commercial policies across jurisdictions.
- Manage key person dependencies with documented succession and regional deputies.
What This Signals for the Events and Data Industry
- Leadership geography is becoming a strategic lever, not an administrative detail.
- Growth hubs with policy stability and infrastructure are attracting multinational headquarters functions.
- Integrated models that blend live events with year-round data products will benefit most from on-ground leadership.
Action Points for Boards and Investors
- Map leadership locations to revenue concentration and pipeline opportunity.
- Codify cross-hub governance, reporting cycles, and KPI ownership.
- Leverage Gulf and US capital access for M&A, joint ventures, and data capability build-outs.
Handle Insight
Location is strategy. By placing leadership where growth, partners, and capital converge, Informa increases execution speed, strengthens market intelligence, and signals long-term commitment to international expansion. For companies with global ambitions, align leadership geography with revenue reality and build the governance to scale it responsibly.
