Shoba Purushothaman
Encyclopedia
Shoba Purushothaman from Malaysia, is
currently Chairman of Synaptic Digital, a company created when TheNewsMarket, a digital news video platform co-founded by Shoba Purushothaman and her business partner Anthony Hayward, acquired NASDAQ-listed Medialink in 2009.
Shoba served as CEO and President of The NewsMarket until March, 2009. Prior to The NewsMarket, Shoba was a partner and director of Bulletin International, an international broadcast PR consultancy that was sold in 2001 to Cordiant Communications Group, now part of WPP. Shoba Purushothaman spent the first nine years of her career as a journalist.
. She then worked for Dow Jones & Company
, at its Wall Street Journal newspaper and its newswires Dow Jones Capital Markets Wire and AP-Dow Jones News Service in in Washington D.C., New York and London.
Shoba met her future business partner Anthony Hayward when she was working at the Wall Street Journal as an intern and he was a photo-journalist with Reuters News in Washington D.C. in 1987.
After nine years as a journalist, Shoba joined Anthony Hayward in 1994 at Bulletin International plc in London as a partner. Shoba established Bulletin’s Asian operations, head-quartered in Singapore in 1995. Bulletin grew regional operations in Kuala Lumpur, Melbourne and Hong Kong between 1995-1998. Shoba moved to New York in 1998 to establish Bulletin in the U.S. Bulletin was sold in early 2001 to Cordiant Communications plc, a publicly-listed marketing services group that was subsequently acquired by WPP Group
.
Shoba Purushothaman and Anthony Hayward co-founded The NewsMarket in 2000 and Shoba served as CEO and Anthony as Chairman of the Board. The Company established operations in London, Mumbai, Munich, Ahmedebad, Beijing and San Francisco while she was CEO. Investors include Apax Partners
, Battery Ventures, Hearst Interactive Media and Softbank Capital
. Shoba left The NewsMarket operating team in September 2009 upon the completion of its acquisition of NASDAQ-listed Medialink. She is non-executive Chair of the re-branded entity, Synaptic Digital.
The NewsMarket is an online distribution service that brings newsmakers and journalists together via a single Web-based platform to allow the exchange of video news content. News organizations utilizing its services include CNN, CNBC, BBC, EuroNews, Bloomberg TV and Reuters. As of early 2009, more than 25,000 media outlets in 190 countries use The NewsMarket site [2] to access, preview and order free broadcast-quality video and other multimedia content for use in their programming.
Shoba has given guest lectures at Columbia University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Stern School of Business, NY University, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California and Berkeley University, California. She is on the Advisory Board of Columbia University’s Strategic Communication program at the School of Continuing Education.
She completed her BA in English Literature and Japanese language from Monash University (Melbourne, Australia).
Shoba Purushothaman was a recipient of a Journalism Fellowship awarded by the Asia Foundation
in 1986 at the Center for Foreign Journalists.
Shoba Purushothaman completed the Master in Economic Communication from American University (Washington D.C.) in 1988. In 2000, she completed the executive education program, the Owner-President Management program at Harvard Business School.
Honorable Mention, Entrepreneur of the Year, Inc. 2005
Asian American Business Development Center Outstanding 50 Asian Americans 2005
Finalist, Ernst & Young, Entrepreneur of the Year, 2006, New York
Springboard Enterprises North Star Award 2008
currently Chairman of Synaptic Digital, a company created when TheNewsMarket, a digital news video platform co-founded by Shoba Purushothaman and her business partner Anthony Hayward, acquired NASDAQ-listed Medialink in 2009.
Shoba served as CEO and President of The NewsMarket until March, 2009. Prior to The NewsMarket, Shoba was a partner and director of Bulletin International, an international broadcast PR consultancy that was sold in 2001 to Cordiant Communications Group, now part of WPP. Shoba Purushothaman spent the first nine years of her career as a journalist.
Career
Shoba Purushothaman began her career as a journalist with Malaysian Business, a business magazine based in Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
. She then worked for Dow Jones & Company
Dow Jones & Company
Dow Jones & Company is an American publishing and financial information firm.The company was founded in 1882 by three reporters: Charles Dow, Edward Jones, and Charles Bergstresser. Like The New York Times and the Washington Post, the company was in recent years publicly traded but privately...
, at its Wall Street Journal newspaper and its newswires Dow Jones Capital Markets Wire and AP-Dow Jones News Service in in Washington D.C., New York and London.
Shoba met her future business partner Anthony Hayward when she was working at the Wall Street Journal as an intern and he was a photo-journalist with Reuters News in Washington D.C. in 1987.
After nine years as a journalist, Shoba joined Anthony Hayward in 1994 at Bulletin International plc in London as a partner. Shoba established Bulletin’s Asian operations, head-quartered in Singapore in 1995. Bulletin grew regional operations in Kuala Lumpur, Melbourne and Hong Kong between 1995-1998. Shoba moved to New York in 1998 to establish Bulletin in the U.S. Bulletin was sold in early 2001 to Cordiant Communications plc, a publicly-listed marketing services group that was subsequently acquired by WPP Group
WPP Group
WPP plc is a global media communications services company with its main management office in London, United Kingdom and its executive office in Dublin, Ireland. It is the world's largest advertising group by revenues, and employs over 150,000 people in 2,400 offices in 107 countries...
.
Shoba Purushothaman and Anthony Hayward co-founded The NewsMarket in 2000 and Shoba served as CEO and Anthony as Chairman of the Board. The Company established operations in London, Mumbai, Munich, Ahmedebad, Beijing and San Francisco while she was CEO. Investors include Apax Partners
Apax Partners
Apax Partners LLP is a global private equity and venture capital firm, headquartered in London. The company also operates out of eight other offices in New York, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Tel-Aviv, Madrid, Stockholm, Milan and Munich. The firm, including its various predecessors, have raised...
, Battery Ventures, Hearst Interactive Media and Softbank Capital
Softbank Capital
SoftBank Capital is a venture capital group in the United States, focusing on technology and telecom early stage businesses. The firm is established and led by four partners: Ron Fisher, Eric Hippeau, Steve Murray, and Michael Perlis...
. Shoba left The NewsMarket operating team in September 2009 upon the completion of its acquisition of NASDAQ-listed Medialink. She is non-executive Chair of the re-branded entity, Synaptic Digital.
The NewsMarket is an online distribution service that brings newsmakers and journalists together via a single Web-based platform to allow the exchange of video news content. News organizations utilizing its services include CNN, CNBC, BBC, EuroNews, Bloomberg TV and Reuters. As of early 2009, more than 25,000 media outlets in 190 countries use The NewsMarket site [2] to access, preview and order free broadcast-quality video and other multimedia content for use in their programming.
Shoba has given guest lectures at Columbia University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Stern School of Business, NY University, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California and Berkeley University, California. She is on the Advisory Board of Columbia University’s Strategic Communication program at the School of Continuing Education.
Education
Shoba Purushothaman studied at the Methodist Girls’ School (Junior and Senior) in Kuala Lumpur.She completed her BA in English Literature and Japanese language from Monash University (Melbourne, Australia).
Shoba Purushothaman was a recipient of a Journalism Fellowship awarded by the Asia Foundation
Asia Foundation
The Asia Foundation is a non-profit, non-governmental organization professing a commitment to "development of a peaceful, prosperous, just, and open Asia-Pacific region." The Foundation supports Asian initiatives to improve governance, law, and civil society; women’s empowerment; economic reform...
in 1986 at the Center for Foreign Journalists.
Shoba Purushothaman completed the Master in Economic Communication from American University (Washington D.C.) in 1988. In 2000, she completed the executive education program, the Owner-President Management program at Harvard Business School.
Awards & Honors
Journalism Fellowship from the Asia Foundation, 1986Honorable Mention, Entrepreneur of the Year, Inc. 2005
Asian American Business Development Center Outstanding 50 Asian Americans 2005
Finalist, Ernst & Young, Entrepreneur of the Year, 2006, New York
Springboard Enterprises North Star Award 2008
External links
- http://www.capellman.com/chad/2009/05/profiling-shoba-purushothaman.php
- http://www.venturevoice.com/2006/03/vv_show_29_shoba_purushothaman.html
- http://www.inc.com/magazine/20020601/24260.html
- http://money.cnn.com/2006/03/23/smbusiness/women_fsb_angel/index.htm
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlcgIsh6h_c
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZ6zF-esHdo