Oliver Ratzesberger, former Teradata CEO, appointed chair of OpenCorporates

LONDON, Oct. 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- OpenCorporates Ltd, the largest open database of companies in the world, and key infrastructure in anti-financial crime and master company data, is proud to announce the appointment of Oliver Ratzesberger as the first chair of its board. 

Oliver is an immensely experienced and respected leader in the world of big data, and brings to OpenCorporates over 30 years of experience in fast scaling companies such as Teradata and eBay.

OpenCorporates has grown rapidly in the last 9 years with its website attracting millions of visitors each month, due to strong demand for its White Box company data. It has set new standards in data quality, in transparency, in provenance, and in governance – and is now trusted by over 400 organisations, including government agencies, financial institutions and blue chip companies around the world. Its data helps power integrity workflows, solve key data management challenges and provide the corporate transparency needed to create a trusted business environment.

OpenCorporates CEO and Co-Founder, Chris Taggart, said, "We are immensely excited by Oliver joining OpenCorporates, to accelerate our growth and impact, and help take us to the next level. His experience scaling companies, tech expertise and deep commitment to the public benefit is a perfect fit for OpenCorporates – a successful, growing public benefit company that is transforming the business information landscape."

Oliver Ratzesberger said, "OpenCorporates' unique vision and data assets bring transparency to the globalized economy. I am excited to join the mission and support its global expansion."

About Oliver Ratzesberger

A seasoned executive leader, Oliver Ratzesberger has held roles including Board Director, CEO, COO and Chief Product Officer (CPO). Oliver is both a business leader and an experienced technologist who has led company transformations to launch subscription business models, implemented lean business operations and brought to market new as-a-service products. Over his career, Oliver has worked extensively with Fortune 500 executives and boards around the globe, resulting in broad cross-industry perspectives.   

Oliver's extensive experience spans technology companies including Teradata and eBay, as well as board positions at Tech San Diego and University of California San Diego (UCSD). As a technologist and thought leader, he has delivered many keynotes, written publications and led innovation in the fields of data and analytics, digital disruption, sustainable tech and cloud. His book co-authored with Professor Mohanbir Sawhney, "The Sentient Enterprise: The Evolution of Decision Making", was published in 2017 and made The Wall Street Journal Best Seller List. Oliver is an alumnus of Harvard Business School.

About OpenCorporates

OpenCorporates is the largest open database of company information in the world, containing information on over 180 million companies in 130+ jurisdictions, all from primary public sources, and all freely available on the OpenCorporates website. It has pioneered White Box data – data that is well-defined, has clear provenance, uses open identifiers and has strong data-quality feedback loops – in contrast to legacy Black Box data models, which are no longer fit for purpose in today's data-driven world.

Founded 9 years ago, it is a public-benefit company, with a unique public-benefit business model. Leading journalistic organizations and anti-corruption NGOs rely on OpenCorporates' data, as well as financial institutions, tech companies and government agencies – including the US Federal Government. It is self-funded, powered by strong organic growth, and an innovative tech-powered data collection system.

OpenCorporates also has a unique governance model, overseen by the OpenCorporates Trust, which ensures it will always be independent, and deliver its mission, with a world-class set of trustees: Esther Dyson, Jane Wales, Mike Olson, Patrick Alley, Giannina Segnini and John Githongo.

Press contact:

Laurence Reid, laurence.reid@opencorporates.com  

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