Heather Farley is CEO of Access Intelligence, the B2B media and events company (formerly known as Phillips Business Information) serving the marketing, media, eSports, PR, cable, healthcare management, defense, energy, infrastructure, engineering, satellite and aviation markets. Its leading brands include: LeadsCon, AdExchanger, AdMonsters, Event Marketer, Satellite Conference & Exhibition, Experience Power, Defense Daily, Chemical Engineering and eSports & Gaming Business Summit.
Farley was appointed CEO this year (succeeding now chair Don Pazour) after working for Access and its predecessor for almost 35 years. The Maryland, US-based company – which is privately-owned by Jeffrey Stevenson, managing partner of media investment firm Veronis Suhler Stevenson – is believed to have revenue of some $90mn and a headcount of 250.
Heather Varley graduated in government, politics and economics from the University of Maryland.
What were your earliest ambitions?
My earliest career ambition was to be a lobbyist – which probably only happens if you grow up in Washington DC. I generally liked the idea of analyzing a situation from different angles and trying to convince people to come round to my point of view. It seemed like something I’d be good at. While my aspirations changed along the way, the core of communicating a value proposition has been a constant throughout my career.
What was your first job in media and what did it teach you?
My first job in media was with Phillips Publishing International, a pre-eminent paid newsletter publisher in the 1980s and 90s, in marketing. That role was instrumental in teaching me the fundamentals of the business. How to assess a market, identify audience, create product and, ultimately, how to put those pieces together to generate revenue. Direct response marketing also requires a good amount of data analysis and P/L responsibility. Those early skills continue to serve me well.
What were the milestones of your career at Philips Business?
The culture at PBI was highly entrepreneurial. As a result, you were encouraged to move between brands to gain experience and expertise. I began my career in marketing and it’s still a passion point. My most memorable milestones were those inflection points when I stepped beyond marketing first into sales management then into content management. Taking the time to dig in and learn those job functions was, for me, a necessity and the best way to have credibility with my team. At PBI, I learned that putting yourself out there and taking risks could accelerate your career inside an organization – that working through obstacles and challenges provides a depth of experience that has been critical to my success.
What’s special about Access Intelligence?
I think one of the things that differentiates us is our focus on, what we call, Gold Collar workers – those decisionmakers who buy our products and services. While many B2B media companies are fueled almost entirely by ad spend and sponsor/exhibitor dollars, a large percentage of our revenue comes from the end-user/ reader.
In the last five years, Access has built dominant market positions in AdTech, Infrastructure and Gaming through the acquisition of Ad Exchanger and P3C Media and the launch of the eSports and Gaming Business Summit. Each of these serves high-growth, well-funded market positions.
What have been your main achievements?
Before Access, my background was primarily in subscription-based newsletters and organic revenue growth. When Access was acquired as a platform company for Veronis Suhler Stevenson, I became more involved in M&A and in magazines and tradeshows.
What have been your learnings from the recent challenges for B2B media?
Looking back, for me the biggest learning from the “Covid Era” is the importance of being decisive, moving quickly and failing-forward. If you are implementing a lot of new ideas quickly, you know that some will fail. You must create a culture where you can double down on the winners, kill the losers and move forward. When you are in the midst of a global pandemic, the speed and urgency of change were a matter of survival.
What’s your own primary role?
I’ve always enjoyed diversity in my job and that continues in my role as CEO. I most enjoy the time I spend with our teams focusing on strategic and product development. While strategy and revenue generation are key, I also like to dig into the data—ours and the overall industry—for trends, opportunities and any early warning signs. The most fun thing I do is attend our events. To experience the culmination of a year’s work—knowing how much has gone into those few days—and feeling the appreciation of the community and the elation of the team…well there’s nothing else quite like it.
Which companies do you most admire?
I’ve always admired Industry Dive. Sean Griffey took a single business model and was able to scale it to great success. It takes tremendous discipline to stick to your strategy and not get distracted. It’s impressive. Beyond media, Amazon is the gold-standard for user-experience. They make every interaction easy and intuitive. From search to preference to purchase, everything just flows.
What are the best lessons you have learned?
First, if you work with really committed, smart, creative people, even the hard work is fun. Second, the best way to excel in your career is kick ass in your current role. Finally, don’t just be a mentor, be a champion. Let people know you are in it for their success, then prove it through your actions.
