CHICAGO: Cision president Erik Huddleston has exited the PR software company, making him the second senior executive to depart in as many months.
“This was a mutual agreement and we cannot comment further as a matter of policy,” a spokesperson said via email.
Huddleston’s departure came one month after former CEO Kevin Akeroyd stepped down. Akeroyd said he left Cision to spend time with his family after guiding the company through its acquisition by private equity firm Platinum Equity for $2.7 billion. Platinum Equity partner Brandon Crawley is serving as Cision’s interim CEO.
Huddleston was a key architect of Cision’s $225 million acquisition of TrendKite, a company he led as CEO for almost five years. The deal gave TrendKite a valuation more than eight times greater than its revenue. Huddleston joined Cision at the start of last year.
“After four years at TrendKite and then immediately starting on Cision being taken private, this was a natural off ramp for me personally and the best thing for Cision, as well,” Huddleston said, via email. “I really enjoyed the Platinum team, and think they were the perfect partner for Cision. I expect it will turn out well for everyone.”
Backed by private equity firm GTCR before its sale to Platinum Equity, Cision acquired a dozen companies since its merger with Vocus in 2014. Cision went public in 2017 before Platinum Equity took it private.
