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Ms. Laird, 41, has been an investment banker to the media and information industries since 1994. Prior to founding Laird˛, she was Director of the Database Information Strategic Industry Group at Veronis, Suhler & Associates Inc. Ms. Laird’s professional and transactions experience include:
In the database information sector: The sale of SDG Oil & Gas, a leading provider of strategic consulting services to the oil & gas industry, to IHS Inc., a global provider of information and decision-support tools and services to the energy, defense, aerospace, construction, electronics, and automotive industries;
The sale of Current Analysis West - the leading provider of competitive response data, tools and analysis to IT manufacturers, resellers, and buyers - by Current Analysis to The NPD Group, the leading provider of consumer and retail market research information for a wide range of industries;
The sale of SDG Life Sciences, a leading provider of strategic consulting services to the life sciences industry, to IMS Health, the leading global provider of pharmaceutical market intelligence;
The sale of ARBOR, Inc. Market Research & Consulting, a leading provider of brand health tracking and allied marketing research services in several industry verticals, to GfK AG, a global market research leader headquartered in Nuremberg, Germany;
The sale of the GHS, LLC, a leading provider of health risk assessment and health outcomes research to the health insurance industry, to National Research Corporation (NASDAQ: NRCI);
The sale of the database assets of Sheldon I. Dorenfest & Associates, Ltd., the premier source of sales and marketing information for healthcare information technology vendors, to HIMSS Analytics, the for-profit subsidiary of the Healthcare Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS);
The sale of ARS, Inc., the leading provider of worldwide competitive intelligence and channel analysis to IT manufacturers, resellers, and buyers, to Current Analysis, Inc.
The sale of the RADAR assets of Statistical Research, Inc. (“SRI”), a leader in media audience measurement, to Arbitron, Inc. (NYSE: ARB); and the sale of SRI’s custom research assets to Knowledge Networks, Inc.
The sale of the research assets of RHK, Inc. a leading provider of telecommunications research, advisory and consulting services, to UK-based Ovum Ltd.;
Consultation on the sale of ARBOR, Inc. Education and Training to ResCare, Inc. (NASDAQ: RSCR);
The financing of Luxury Link, the leading Internet marketing and e-merchant channel for luxury travel properties, by The Gannett Company/USAToday.com (NYSE: GCI);
Advised on the initial public offering of The Advisory Board Company (NASDAQ: ABCO);
The purchase by National Research Corporation (NASDAQ: NRCI), the leader in healthcare performance measurement, of the patient-centered satisfaction business of Picker Institute;
Advised on the initial public offering of the Corporate Executive Board Company (NASDAQ: EXBD);
The sale of Federal Sources, Inc., the leading provider of database information, research, and consulting services in the public sector information technology market, to PRIMEDIA Information, Inc.;
The sale of Pasha Publications Inc., the leading provider of pricing, economic and operational information on natural gas, electric power and coal to the energy and finance industries, to Pearson’s Financial Times Energy, now part of McGraw-Hill’s Platts energy group;
The sale of CDB Infotek, a leading online public records database company, to ChoicePoint (NYSE: CPS);
The sale of Plog Research, the leading travel/leisure industry database market research firm, to NFO Worldwide, a multi-national marketing information company (now part of TNS); and
The financing of the World Wide Web ratings company, Media Metrix, by Greylock Management Corporation, Oak Investment Partners, and Venrock Associates, on behalf of The NPD Group, the founder.
Her transactions in the radio sector include the formation of Broadcasting Partners Holdings, LP ("Broadcasting Partners") by VS&A Communications Partners II, LP, for the purpose of investing in radio groups. She represented Broadcasting Partners in their equity investments in Spring Broadcasting, a radio broadcasting company formed to acquire ten radio stations in New Bedford/Fall River, MA, Atlantic City, NJ, New London, CT, and Waukegan, IL; Pilot Communications, a radio broadcasting company which operates four radio stations in Syracuse, NY, two in Ithaca, NY, four in Augusta-Waterville, ME, and four in Northern Maine; Mercury Radio Communications, which owns four stations in Buffalo, NY; Sound Broadcasting, which owns three radio stations in Monroe, LA; and Gleiser Communications, which owns five radio stations in Tyler-Longview, TX.
As an associate with Veronis, Suhler & Associates Inc., Ms. Laird was instrumental in the completion of a broad range of communications industry transactions aggregating over $300 million in value, including the sale of CityMedia, Inc., a publisher of six local business journals and an alternative newsweekly to American City Business Journals, Inc., a unit of Advance Publications/Newhouse; and the sale to CUC International (now Cendant) of North American Outdoor Group, Inc., a family-owned affinity group, magazine and continuity book publisher focusing on hunters, fishermen, and do-it-yourselfers.
Ms. Laird joined VS&A in 1994 from Emmis Broadcasting's Hot 97, WQHT-FM in New York, where she was an account executive. She has over ten years of radio industry experience, including sales, programming and promotions (WAQX-FM and WYYY-FM, Syracuse, NY), audience research (The Arbitron Company), and advertising copywriting, and production.
Ms. Laird holds a BS (summa cum laude) in Television, Radio, Film and Marketing Management from Syracuse University and an MBA (summa cum laude) from Fordham University. She participates in functions associated with the Software and Information Industry Association, the Advertising Research Foundation, and the Direct Marketing Association. |
