Toluna Announces Planned CEO Transition After 25 Years; Founder Frédéric Charles Petit to remain as Board Member, Senior Advisor and Shareholder

Toluna, a global leader in consumer insights and market research technology, today announces a planned leadership transition. After 25 years leading the company he founded, Frédéric Charles Petit, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, intends to transition from his role as CEO following the appointment of his successor as part of a carefully planned succession process designed to ensure continuity for clients, employees and partners.

Following the transition, Mr. Petit will continue to serve on Toluna’s Board of Directors, will remain a significant shareholder of the company, and will take on an ongoing strategic advisory role for areas central to Toluna’s next phase of growth.

The Board, in close consultation with Mr. Petit, has initiated a structured succession process. A comprehensive transition plan is in place, including a defined handover with Mr. Petit, to ensure continuity for the company’s clients, employees, and partners. The Board expects to confirm the appointment of the company’s next Chief Executive Officer shortly.

Mr. Petit founded Toluna 25 years ago and built it into a global organisation serving many of the world’s leading brands and research agencies. Under his leadership, Toluna pioneered the integration of online consumer panels with research technology, and more recently positioned the company at the forefront of AI-powered insights.

“Founding and building Toluna over the past 25 years has been the privilege of my professional life,” said Mr. Petit. “The company today stands on solid foundations, with exceptional people, a clear strategy, and a technology platform built for the next AI era of insights. After a quarter of a century at the helm, this is the right moment for a transition to new leadership. I am delighted to continue contributing to Toluna’s journey as a member of its Board, as an advisor to the Board and the Executive team and as a shareholder.”

“On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Frédéric for his vision, his energy, and his extraordinary commitment to Toluna over the past 25 years,” said Bruce Haymes, Chairman of Toluna. “He built this company from an idea into a global leader, and he leaves it with a strong platform, a talented team, and a clear strategy for the future. We fully support Frédéric’s view that this is the right moment to begin a carefully planned transition and are pleased that the company will continue to benefit from his contribution as a Board member, an ongoing advisor and as a shareholder where his counsel will remain invaluable.”

Toluna’s strategy, client commitments, and day-to-day operations will continue without disruption throughout the transition period and beyond, with Mr. Petit’s continued involvement as a Board member and advisor supporting the leadership team as it executes the company’s growth strategy and advances Toluna’s position as a leader in technology-enabled and AI-powered consumer insights.

About Toluna

Toluna is a global insights leader that equips brands with trusted consumer intelligence that keeps them one step ahead, delivering insights at the speed they need without sacrificing the confidence their decisions require. For over two decades, Toluna has helped organizations of every size increase their impact through deep research expertise and advanced technology.

Toluna’s consumer panel, 80 million people strong, is now augmented by a fully synthetic panel, extending its reach to audiences and questions beyond the scope of traditional methods and delivering limitless insights. A leader in AI-driven research with a consistent presence among GRIT’s most innovative suppliers, Toluna serves clients in more than 75 markets and is recognized worldwide for both the quality and speed of its research.