PA Media Group today (10 July 2025) announces the appointment of Candice Murray as SVP, Global Revenue at Alamy. 

Alamy has one of the world’s most diverse creative and editorial content collections. With over 400 million assets across editorial, archival, creative, and panoramic images, vectors and video, it is one of the most compelling and comprehensive collections available to creative and editorial teams globally. 

The SVP, Global Revenue will play a pivotal role in developing and executing Alamy’s global go-to-market strategy across all regions and lines of revenue, including enterprise, ecommerce, distribution, data services, partnerships, copyright enforcement and secondary rights. 

Candice has over 25 years of licensing experience across sales, business development and editorial. Prior to Alamy, she spent eight years at Shutterstock in multiple senior leadership roles, and before that was Executive Director, Content Licensing at Condé Nast. Candice has served on the boards of the Digital Media Licensing Association and the News Media Coalition. 

Candice Murray says: “I am thrilled to join Alamy at such an exciting time. The company has a strong foundation and an ambitious vision for the future. This is an incredible opportunity for me to work with the Alamy team to accelerate growth, deliver exceptional value to our customers, and to strengthen our position in the market. 

Lira Mendonca, Managing Director at Alamy says: “We are excited to welcome Candice to the team. She is a dynamic and passionate leader that brings a strong track record of building and managing high-performing teams, which will be instrumental as we enter our next phase of growth. With her leadership, we are confident we will deepen customer and partner relationships and unlock new opportunities to accelerate our long-term vision.” 

PA Media Group acquired Alamy in 2020 as part of its long-term strategy to further diversify its business, which comprises of specialist media companies spanning news and information, data, technology, marketing and communications. 

-ends- 

About Alamy 

Alamy isn’t just a stock image platform; it’s a playground for creatives like you. We offer fresh, inclusive content that has fuelled the imaginations of brands like Netflix, Ogilvy, and Red Bull. With over 150,000 content creators from across the globe, our powerful search makes finding the perfect creative or editorial stock photos, vectors, 360-degree images, and videos a breeze. 

At Alamy, we believe in the power of difference. We celebrate a diverse community of creators and believe it’s this very variety that fuels creative brilliance. We foster a supportive and inclusive environment, working with integrity and respect for both creators and customers. We empower our community by encouraging boldness and bravery, taking calculated risks to constantly improve. 

Our core values are simple: your success is our success (we’re customer-centric). We achieve greatness together, learning from both triumphs and challenges (team spirit is key). We strive to be better than yesterday, always innovating (continuous improvement is our motto). We embrace creative solutions and aren’t afraid to take risks (boldness and bravery pave the way). Finally, we do the right thing, always (integrity and responsibility are at the heart of everything we do). 

Alamy is more than just a platform; it’s a community that values creativity, celebrates difference, and empowers you to push boundaries. 

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London 6^th May 2025 – PA Media Group has announced the appointment of Bruce Marson to the role of Chief Financial Officer.

Bruce will join the business in June from M&C Saatchi plc, the global creative solutions company, where he was Group Chief Financial Officer. 

Bruce will oversee the financial management and corporate growth strategy of PA Media Group and report directly to the Chief Executive Officer, Emily Shelley.

Emily said: “Bruce brings vast experience of fronting business and finance transformation. He is a trusted leader with an impressive track record of having worked for some of the biggest media companies in the world”.

“He joins PA Media Group at an exciting time of change and innovation as we continue to grow the business through increased use of data and technology’”

Bruce said: “This is a pivotal time for PA Media Group and I’m really excited to join at a time of renewal and growth. PA Media Group has a brilliant reputation as a trusted leader in the industry and I look forward to bringing decades of knowledge of corporate finance to the company”. 

Bruce will work alongside a new leadership team at PA Media Group.  David Henderson joins the company as Chief Technology Officer in July. Ranj Begley recently took up the role of Chief Revenue Officer and Managing Director.  Jack Lefley joined as Editor-in-Chief of PA Media at the start of the year.

Bruce has over 30 years’ experience working in international blue-chip businesses, including Technicolor, BBC, Dentsu, BT and British Airways.

ENDS

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London 28th April 2025 – PA Media Group has announced the appointment of David
Henderson to the role of Chief Technology Officer.

David will join the business in July from Global, the media and entertainment business, where
he was Chief Technology & Product Officer.

David will oversee the end-to-end technology function across the business portfolio and will
lead the next phase of PA Media Group’s digital transformation.

Emily Shelley, CEO PA Media Group, said: “David’s understanding and experience of adapting
businesses to meet the changing media landscape will be invaluable as we plan for the future
at PA Media Group.

“He joins the business at an exciting time as we review our platforms and begin a new
programme of innovation.”

David said: “I’m thrilled to be joining PA Media Group at a time of renewal. Audiences want and
expect information they can rely on, and PA Media Group has a standout reputation for being a
trusted leader in the media industry.

“I look forward to bringing fresh thinking and new technologies to drive growth and innovation
for customers.”

David will work alongside Ranj Begley who recently took up the role of Chief Revenue Officer
and Managing Director of PA Media. In January Jack Lefley joined as Editor-in-Chief of PA
Media.

At Global, David led an ambitious digital transformation that grew revenues, diversified
channels, and increased audiences. David has previously held leadership roles in the media,
sports and gaming industries, including as Chief Information Officer at dmg media, the owner
of Daily Mail, Metro, and Mail Online.

ENDS

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PA Media Group, today (14/04/25), announces the appointment of Paul Hunt as Managing Director of StreamAMG, its sports streaming business.

StreamAMG is a trusted partner to sports rightsholders, working with some of the biggest clubs, leagues and federations in sport to deliver live sports video streaming at scale and help them maximise the value of their video rights. Delivering more than 15,000 live events each year, resulting in over 52,000 hours of content watched by sports fans in 200 countries each year.

Gareth Bramall, Chief Strategy Officer at PA Media Group, commented: “We are thrilled to have appointed Paul to take the StreamAMG business forward on its next chapter of growth. He brings extensive industry experience, both with sports club and technology providers, a passion for sport and a clear vision for the businesses future success”.

Hunt has a wealth of knowledge of the industry having held senior commercial roles with a number of leading football clubs and strategic management experience with Second Spectrum and more recently Genius Sports. His strong commercial acumen, general management experience and extensive sports rightsholder relationships set him apart from other candidates.

Hunt takes over from Interim Managing Director Dan Grey who has been at the helm of the business for the past 7 months. Grey will continue to support the business over the coming weeks before returning to the start-up sector to pursue other opportunities.

Hunt said “I am absolutely delighted to be joining StreamAMG at such an exciting time. The business has a fantastic reputation, an incredibly talented team, and a huge opportunity to grow as the demand for high-quality sports streaming continues to accelerate. I am looking forward to working with the team at StreamAMG and PA Media Group to unlock even more value from video content for both existing and new partners.”

ENDS

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PA Media Group today (20/1/25) announces the appointment of Josh Sparke from 1 March 2025, as Managing Director of Podium, its sports and betting data business.

Podium is a trusted market leader in providing sports data, content, and technology. Podium, until recently known as PA Betting Services, was rebranded to reflect its growth and evolution in the racing and betting sector. The business delivers global coverage through a unified distribution network, serving sportsbooks, rightsholders, affiliates, media, and technology platforms.

Gareth Bramall, Chief Strategy Officer at PA Media Group, commented: “Following a rigorous selection process with exceptional candidates, Josh stood out. He brings extensive industry experience, passion for sport and has a clear vision of growth for Podium”.

Sparke has a wealth of knowledge of the industry having worked with leading brands such as Betmakers and Livescore. His strong relationships with sports and racing rightsholders as well as an entrepreneurial mindset will enhance Podium’s position in the market. Sparke takes over from Eugene Delaney, who will remain as an advisor to the business.

Sparke said ‘PA Media Group has a proud and reputable history and has been at the heart of racing for over 40 years. I’m fortunate to be inheriting a strong team from Eugene and I’m joining Podium at an exciting time, following its acquisition of iRace and significant investments in product and technology. We have a strong foundation for innovation, partnerships, and sustainable growth in the UK and internationally. I look forward to making Podium a global leader in racing and sports betting content”

ENDS

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London 17th October, 2024 – PA Media Group has announced the appointment of Ranj Begley to the dual role of Chief Revenue Officer and Managing Director, PA Media.

Ranj will join the business at the beginning of 2025 from the digital newspaper and magazine subscription streaming service, Readly, where she has been Managing Director and Chief Content Officer since 2014.

Her appointment is the latest addition to PA’s senior team following the recruitment of Jack Lefley, Managing Editor of the Evening Standard, as PA Media Editor in Chief.

Ranj will oversee all commercial and operational activities for PA Media, the core news agency, as well as strategic and commercial initiatives across the group, joining the executive team and reporting directly to new Group CEO, Emily Shelley.

Emily said: “Our industry is evolving faster than ever and dynamic organisations like PA Media need leaders with a creative, commercially focused and entrepreneurial mindset to thrive and grow.

“In an era when insights and data are at a premium, Ranj’s pedigree, industry relationships and understanding of emerging opportunities will guide PA Media into the next stage of its long and successful history.”

Ranj added, “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to join PA Media, an organisation with an outstanding reputation for innovation and agility, and one that stands at the trusted heart of the media industry.  This heritage of excellence, innovation, and adaptability to market demands, paves the way for substantial growth potential.

“Under Emily’s leadership, I look forward to the opportunity of working alongside a talented team of colleagues and valued customers to turn our ambitious plans into reality. It’s an exciting time, and I’m eager to contribute to the organisation’s continued success.

“Furthermore, I consider it a true privilege to be part of an organisation that closely aligns with my personal values.”

At Readly, Ranj was responsible for defining commercial and business strategy and driving business performance, as well as overseeing the launches of new products, markets and initiatives.  Before Readly, she held roles across marketing and publishing at Dovetail Services, Highbury House Communications and CDS Global.

ENDS

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London / Dublin, 8^th October, 2024 – PA Media has announced a new partnership with The Journal FactCheck, supported by the Google News Initiative, aimed at tackling mis- and disinformation ahead of the next Irish general election.

Both organisations are accredited by the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) and will collaborate in the coming months to examine and debunk false claims before they take hold.  They will also make these checks available to news publishers for free via PA’s distribution network.  This means the integrity of debates around key issues can be maintained, and the public can go to the polls armed with accurate information to make an informed decision on election day, which could take place later this year.

The threat posed by mis- and disinformation means newsrooms across Ireland are looking for ways to protect their operations, publications and readers in the run-up to the general election.  To support this, as part of the new partnership, publishers will be offered free digital verification training sessions for their journalists, helping to upskill staff and providing the tools they need to identify and combat false information during the election campaigns.

Those journalists will also be invited to join the Election Check 24 communication channel, where they will be able to flag any potential concerns and work with the fact-checking team in real time.

Wesley Johnson, Head of Production at PA Media commented, “With the constant and growing threat from false and fake claims, we want to use our position at the heart of the media industry to strengthen our democracy and help voters to make well-informed decisions based on facts, not falsehoods.

“Giving journalists the skills and verification tools they need to tackle mis- and disinformation will help prepare them for key challenges in the future.”

Susan Daly, Managing Editor at Journal Media, said, “Citizens face a barrage of information in navigating everyday life and quality journalism has an ever-increasing role to play as a trustworthy resource and buttress against disinformation. The Journal FactCheck is delighted to partner with PA Media to strengthen our contribution to this effort. We hope that by distributing verified, factual and objective reporting to PA Media’s diverse clients and their audiences, we can support the Irish electorate in making informed decisions as they go to the polls in the upcoming general election.”

The project follows the success of PA Media’s Election Check 24 coalition, also supported by the Google News Initiative, which partnered with news outlets and fact-checkers around the UK’s general election earlier this year.

Notes to Editors:

About PA Media Group

PA Media Group is a diverse portfolio of specialist media companies spanning news & information, data, technology, marketing and communications. Our flagship brand, PA Media, is the UK and Ireland’s national news agency. 

Alongside PA Media, the Group is also the parent company of Alamy, a stock imagery business; Sticky, a digital marketing agency; Hydrogen, a social media agency; the video streaming business, StreamAMG and iRace and PA Betting Services, specialist providers of data, content and related services to the betting sector.  Other brands include PA TV Metadata, PA Mediapoint and the PA Media Academy. PA Media Group also owns stakes in the financial news provider, Alliance News, and automotive content business Baize Group.

PA Media Group has 20 shareholders, who are mainly UK news and media businesses. The largest shareholders include DMGT plc, Informa plc, News UK plc and Reach plc.

About Journal Media 

Journal Media is an independent Irish online news organisation. It publishes one of Ireland’s market-leading online news sources, The Journal, and operates the award-winning The Journal FactCheck and The Journal Investigates units. It also publishes sportswriting and podcasting outlet, The42.
The Journal FactCheck was established in early 2016 in the run-up to that year’s general election, has been the only verified Irish signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) since 2017 and is the fact-check partner in the Ireland EDMO hub (European Digital Media Observatory).
Journal Media publications are fully-compliant members of the Press Council of Ireland.
Find more fact-checks at https://www.thejournal.ie/factcheck/news/ and our media literacy Knowledge Bank at https://www.factchecking.ie/

About the Google News Initiative

The Google News Initiative works with publishers and journalists to fight misinformation, share resources and build a diverse and innovative news ecosystem.

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London, 30^th September 2024 – PA Media today announces the appointment of Jack Lefley as Editor-in-Chief.

Lefley will take over from Pete Clifton, who recently decided to step down having led the national news agency’s editorial operations since January 2015.

Currently Managing Editor of The Standard, Lefley, 46, will take the reins at PA Media in the New Year.

Emily Shelley, CEO of PA Media Group, said: “We’ve been through a highly competitive selection process featuring some outstanding external and internal candidates and Jack’s track record and his vision for PA Media stood out.

“He brings together the traditional skills, strong editorial values and frontline experience needed for one of the busiest roles in news, and a detailed understanding of our customer needs.”

Lefley has had a long and distinguished career at the Standard serving under six editors, rising through the editorial executive ranks since joining as a reporter in 2006.

In recent years he has overseen the switch to a ‘digital first’ approach and the wholesale modernisation of the 200-year-old London title’s editorial operations.

He said: “Throughout my career I’ve always been a huge admirer of what PA does and the editorial values of accuracy, impartiality and speed that it stands for. I’ve relied on PA’s journalism as a reporter, a news editor and editor and it’s a great honour to be invited to step into Pete Clifton’s considerable shoes.

“My focus will be on taking PA forward into a new era. That’ll mean accelerating digital transformation, maintaining the exemplary editorial standards that define PA, growing the outstanding video services and making the best use of data in our decision making.”

In July, Pete Clifton,62, announced his intention to step back from full-time work after 43 years in journalism and a decade at the helm at PA.

Clifton said: “It has been an enormous privilege to lead PA through so much change over the past decade and maintain its reputation for fast, high-quality newsgathering.

“It’s the best role in journalism and I know Jack will do a brilliant job maintaining PA’s position at the heart of the media landscape in the UK, Ireland and beyond.”  

Ends

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Originally launched as Election Check 24, with a focus on providing accurate information in the run-up to the UK general election, the fact-checking project which trained almost 400 journalists in digital verification skills and published 112 fact checks, will be extended to run until the end of 2024.

It will now incorporate a real-time response to major incidents where mis- and disinformation is spreading.  Partnering with Full Fact, the UK’s largest fact checking charity working to find, expose and counter the harms of bad information, PA Media will distribute rapid fact checks including comment and analysis from experts, to rebut false narratives around major breaking stories.

PA Media Academy will also offer updated digital verification and training sessions for journalists in newsrooms across the UK and Ireland. The Digital Verification course has been designed by journalists with years of experience in fact-checking online information and debunking misinformation. Courses will primarily be delivered remotely to meet the needs of our news partners and will be taught by The Academy’s specialist journalist trainers using interactive news scenarios to accelerate and reinforce learning.

Recent research from the Reuters Digital News Report 2024 showed a growing concern about misinformation, with seven in 10 people in the UK worried about being able to tell the difference between real and fake when it comes to news.  To provide an expanded service, allowing publishers and their teams to separate fact from fiction, PA Media will build on the demand from customers to enhance the original initiative by:

• Distributing a comprehensive fact-checking service on topical issues of the day, including health, the economy, education and immigration for example, and exploring innovative way to present them to a younger generation, including video.
• Updating digital verification and training sessions for newsrooms across the UK and Ireland to add to the current course offerings.
• Expanding fact-checking support by providing greater two-way engagement and by offering secondments for journalists from partner organisations to work alongside the PA Media team.

Wesley Johnson, Head of Production at PA Media, said: “There’s no doubt that our collaboration with fact-checking organisations has improved the ability of publishers to provide verified information that the public can trust amongst a sea of fake news.  Growing the service to cover new areas and major incidents means that we are providing an additional layer of much-needed support for the industry to maintain credibility and trust, both of which have always been at the core of PA Media’s business.”

Chris Morris, Chief Executive of Full Fact, commented: “Participating in Election Check 24 gave Full Fact the ability to spot and call out bad information at source in the most fast-moving political environment for years. We’re delighted to continue our work with PA Media and excited about the reach, credibility, and impact available to this unique partnership tackling misinformation.”

ENDS

About PA Media Group

PA Media Group is a diverse portfolio of specialist media companies spanning news & information, data, technology, marketing and communications. Our flagship brand, PA Media, is the UK and Ireland’s national news agency. 

Alongside PA Media, the Group is also the parent company of Alamy, a stock imagery business; Sticky, a digital marketing agency; Hydrogen, a social media agency; the video streaming business, StreamAMG and iRace and PA Betting Services, specialist providers of data, content and related services to the betting sector.  Other brands include PA TV Metadata, PA Mediapoint and the PA Media Academy. PA Media Academy is a leading centre for journalism, communications, media and content training, running in-person, remotely-delivered and online courses for UK and global clients.  PA Media Group also owns stakes in the financial news provider, Alliance News, and automotive content business Baize Group.

PA Media Group has 20 shareholders, who are mainly UK news and media businesses. The largest shareholders include DMGT plc, Informa plc, News UK plc and Reach plc.

About Full Fact

Full Fact is the UK’s largest fact-checking charity working to find, expose and counter the harms of bad information.

https://fullfact.org

About the Google News Initiative

The Google News Initiative works with publishers and journalists to fight misinformation, share resources and build a diverse and innovative news ecosystem.

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London, 23^rd May 2024 – PA Media, the UK and Ireland’s national news agency, has launched a new initiative aimed at combating mis- and disinformation related to the upcoming general election.

Election Check 24 is a coalition of news publishers and fact-checkers brought together by PA Media, supported by the Google News Initiative, to ensure that information is accurate, reliable and factually correct.

PA Media’s fact-checking operation is accredited by the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) and the new project will operate as a network of news publishers and fact-checkers who will help identify misinformation.  It will provide news publishers with comprehensive fact checks free of charge, as well as explainers and analysis from PA and its partners. 

It comes ahead of UK voters going to the polls in an election which will bring significant challenges for publishers, platforms and journalists in terms of identifying correct information in the midst of unreliable claims, fake accounts and AI-generated images and video.

Local, national and international news publishers who join the coalition will also be offered free, in-person, two-hour digital verification training sessions for their newsroom, run by the PA Media Academy, and giving advice on improving the skills of journalists in identifying and tackling mis- and disinformation.

Wesley Johnson, Head of Production at PA Media, commented: “The coming election will present a series of challenges the like of which we haven’t yet seen in terms of separating truth from falsehoods and misrepresentation.  As a trusted partner at the heart of the UK’s media ecosystem, we see a real benefit in providing a service for publishers and journalists that can wade through a huge volume of information to offer much-needed veracity when they are already under resource and time pressures.

“We’re grateful for the robust support of the Google News Initiative and hope that like-minded partners will join this coalition in order to strengthen the integral role of the media in holding politicians and parties to account and ultimately in upholding a democratic election process.”

News publishers and fact-checkers can join the coalition and start receiving the checks from today by emailing electioncheck24@pamediagroup.com.

ENDS

For further information:

Amanda Willard, Head of Communications, PA Media Group: (amanda.willard@pamediagroup.com)

Wesley Johnson, Head of Production, PA Media: (wesley.johnson@pa.media)

About PA Media Group

PA Media Group is a diverse portfolio of specialist media companies spanning news & information, data, technology, marketing and communications. Our flagship brand, PA Media, is the UK and Ireland’s national news agency. 

Alongside PA Media, the Group is also the parent company of Alamy, a stock imagery business; Sticky, a digital marketing agency; Hydrogen, a social media agency; the video streaming business, StreamAMG and iRace and PA Betting Services, specialist providers of data, content and related services to the betting sector.  Other brands include PA TV Metadata, PA Mediapoint and the PA Media Academy. PA Media Group also owns stakes in the financial news provider, Alliance News, and automotive content business Baize Group.

PA Media Group has 20 shareholders, who are mainly UK news and media businesses. The largest shareholders include DMGT plc, Informa plc, News UK plc and Reach plc.

About the Google News Initiative

The Google News Initiative works with publishers and journalists to fight misinformation, share resources and build a diverse and innovative news ecosystem.

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