Intelligent CXO Issue 11 | Page 63

GET TO KNOW

OR LENCHNER , CEO OF BRIGHT DATA

Bright Data is a leading public web data gathering platform , with enterprises and SMEs alike relying on the company ’ s solutions . Or Lenchner , CEO of Bright Data , speaks to Intelligent CXO about his most memorable achievement , management philosophy and why responsible conduct is one of Bright Data ’ s key focuses .

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Describe your current job role
I ' m CEO of Bright Data , a leading public web data gathering platform . I ’ ve been in this role for the past three-and-a-half years . The company was established in 2014 and acquired by UK
private equity firm EMK Capital in late 2017 . I was nominated for the CEO role shortly afterwards .
What would you describe as your most memorable achievement ?
Dealing with the pandemic for the past two years . I ' m grateful to my team and proud of our company . With the pandemic outbreak , we all faced a massive unknown factor ; many companies were initially , consequently scaling back . Being the market leaders in the web data space , we quickly understood that web data will become a musthave commodity to all organisations , including academic and research institutions – it is simply the only source of data that can accurately and reliably reflect your reality in real-time . Public web data lived up to its promise and helped us and our customers successfully navigate this pandemic in multiple ways . In fact , during the past year , Bright Data has doubled in size and far surpassed the US $ 100 million revenue mark .
Additionally , I ' m proud of the new pro-bono organisation we launched , The Bright Initiative . Powered by Bright Data , this separate organisation and programme use public web data to drive positive changes in the world . When the pandemic began , we decided to allow free use of our products and platforms . Now this organisation includes 300 + partners that promote valuable cases , like battling climate change or fighting for social justice . The Bright Initiative also serves 100 + leading universities worldwide , including Oxford , King ’ s College and Princeton , supporting research , or running educational sessions . To date , we have run , on average , five masterclasses or workshops a month .
What style of management philosophy do you employ with your current position ?
The style is cultivated by our company ’ s culture , which focuses on getting jobs done . To thrive in the tech world , you need to present the best innovation that ' s attuned to your customers ’ needs , addresses their biggest challenges and can be released fast to the market . As such , you need to foster a culture of true employee empowerment , where every employee feels responsible for their domain – like the owner of a small start-up . Therefore , we look for the greatest technological and data-savvy minds and we make sure they feel they ' re valued and that they ' re connected to the market and know how to anticipate every angle of its emerging needs .
What do you currently identify as the major areas of investment in your industry ?
Innovation will always be at the forefront , but we can ' t forget responsible conduct . Particularly with the data domain , we must follow a compliance-driven approach and culture and
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