Industry Moves: InfoSpace Changes CEO After Six Years
This story was written by Rafat Ali.
InfoSpace (NSDQ: INSP), now focused only on online directory and meta search services after divesting off mobile two years ago, has changed its longtime CEO: Jim Voelker is retiring after six years at the company, and though he will remain as board chairman through 2010. Taking over is William Lansing, former president and CEO of Value Vision Media, where he launched ShopNBC.TV, the online component of the shopping TV channel by the same name. VVM is 30 percent owned by GE Equity and NBC Universal (NYSE: GE). Lansing left VVM in October 2007 after the board asked him to resign, though no specific reason was given at that point. From 2001 to 2003, he served as a partner of General Atlantic Partners, a private equity investment firm. Prior to his tenure at GA, Lansing was CEO of NBC Internet, part of NBC during the first Internet boom. Infospace is announcing its Q408 results next week, so possibly more on this move thenMore details in release.
This news comes as a lawsuit filed against INSP recently alleged that the Bellevue company's executives and board members arranged an improper $49 million gift for themselves as special dividends in 2007 and 2008.
By Rafat Ali