Meltwater Announces New CEO and Executive Transition

SAN FRANCISCO (May 13, 2020) – Meltwater, a global leader in media intelligence, announced today that Niklas de Besche will become Chief Executive Officer and founder Jorn Lyseggen will become Executive Chairman of the Board.

Meltwater’s Board of Directors said de Besche, who is currently Executive Director of Products, will take over as CEO on June 1, 2020 as part of a long-anticipated succession plan.  

“It’s an honor to have the opportunity to serve as the CEO of the company that I’ve been part of building for many years,” said de Besche. “I look forward to working with our terrific Meltwater team as we continue to grow and deliver market-leading solutions to our clients.”

Lyseggen, who has been CEO since Meltwater’s founding in 2001,  has been on medical leave since last fall. In consultation with the Board, he offered to step aside from day-to-day management of the company to focus on strategic issues as a member of the Board. He had high praise for de Besche.   

“Niklas has played a major role in making Meltwater what it is today,’’ Lyseggen said. “He has been instrumental in setting the culture, building passion for our clients, and driving innovation in our product. In addition to being one of the most inspiring and driven leaders at Meltwater, he is also an incredibly kind and generous person. It has been an absolute privilege to have worked side by side with Niklas for all these years and see him grow into the executive he has become.

As a Board member, Lyseggen will focus on long-term strategy and merger-and-acquisition opportunities. 

“The Meltwater Board of Directors wishes to thank Jorn for his contributions and vision over the last 18 years. He bootstrapped a small, Norwegian startup into its global leadership position in the market, serving over 30,000 customers around the world,” said a spokesperson for the Board.  “From a board position Jorn will now focus on long-term-term strategy to further accelerate growth. We are excited about the next chapter in the Company’s journey, under Niklas’ stewardship.”

About Meltwater
Meltwater was founded in 2001 as the world’s first online media monitoring company. Today, we are a global leader in media intelligence and social analytics, helping to bridge the gap between Public Relations, Communications and Marketing departments with an intuitive, all-in-one solution powered by AI-driven insights. Over 30,000 of the world’s most respected brands rely on Meltwater to help inform their strategic decision-making, and with over 55 offices across six continents, Meltwater is a truly global partner. We are also proud to own and operate the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST), a pan-African entrepreneurial program & incubator, fostering the next generation of African tech talent. Learn more at meltwater.com.