I met with Brian Gumbel a few months ago at Soho House in NYC amidst an epic downpour featuring wind and rain on a blistering February evening. I was there to meet Brian about Dataminr, which I’ve been working with since Ted Bailey founded the business in 2009. It’s been quite a journey. Since its inception, Dataminr has evolved from a promising startup to a leader in real-time information discovery.
The company has essentially been on the “watchlist” by everyone in the AI community for quite some time, as pioneers in the industry, constantly pushing the boundaries and defying expectations. They have recently entered a new layer called ReGenAI. Essentially, the platform is so powerful that it can now regenerate event alerts in real-time as events change and developments unfold. It’s exciting stuff. The positive impact this new development will have on all industries, from corporate security to crisis management, private and public sector, is mind-blowing. It’s a significant milestone in the company’s journey, and it showcases Ted and the board’s commitment to continuous innovation, which brings me to my meeting with Brian.
About an hour into our discussion, I realized that Brian possessed three key qualities I look for in CEO and COO candidates: a track record of setting strategic direction and achieving measurable results, learning from past failures to shape his career, and embodying the essential qualities I seek in great leaders: Humility, Honesty, Hustle, and HUNGER.
Representing exceptional companies like Dataminr requires trust, but also demands a level of maturity and ego control – like Brian Gumbel has – to realize that a President & COO role supporting a great founder in a generational company, is significantly more meaningful than a CEO role for a turnaround company with a legacy business model.
In the fast-paced world of technology, visionary leadership is crucial. This type of leadership is essential in tech companies, where the pace of change is rapid and the stakes are high, but for a company to succeed there must be agility and flexibility. It’s a balancing act. Visionary leaders foresee industry trends and prepare their organizations with the ability to circumnavigate challenges that may arise. They inspire their teams with a compelling vision of the future and the steps needed to achieve it. It didn’t take long before I could see that Brian exemplifies what it means to not just keep up with innovation but to drive it, and more importantly to adapt and thrive. Qualifications, excellence, experience, and drive will enable you to lead, but good leaders have more than just an impressive resume, they make an impression on you. Brian has an openness and approachability that is rare, and a deep understanding that people are at the core. The true value of these attributes is not to be understated.
Brian Gumbel’s appointment as President of Dataminr is emblematic of Dataminr’s twofold evolution as it continues to grow. It reflects its deep understanding of the market’s needs and its ability to anticipate and solve future challenges for both organizations and the company itself. The company’s product solutions have transformed how organizations handle information, providing timely and actionable insights that drive better decision-making. This impact is not just technological but also strategic, helping companies across sectors to navigate an increasingly complex and volatile world.
Brian’s vision aligns perfectly with Dataminr’s mission to lead in AI-driven information discovery. Brian’s strategic mindset, combined with his hands-on experience, positions him to steer Dataminr through its next phase of growth, and perhaps most importantly, he brings a fresh perspective and a proven track record of achieving measurable results, which will be invaluable as Dataminr continues to expand its capabilities and market reach and heads towards IPO.
With the appointment of Brian as President, there is a newfound synergy at the top, and a guiding pair of hands just at the point of rapid expansion. This signifies a new chapter for the company and the timing couldn’t be more perfectly succinct.
My meeting with Brian left a lasting impression. Despite the less-than-ideal weather, our conversation was enlightening and inspiring. Brian’s passion for his work and his commitment to excellence were evident. He is not just a leader but a visionary who understands the broader implications of his work and its potential to make a significant impact.
We headed home that evening, soaked not just from the downpour but also from a shared commitment to explore something truly groundbreaking.
Congratulations to Ted Bailey, founder and CEO of Dataminr, for articulating a vision that goes beyond titles and resonates with what matters most to executives—envisioning the future with a company positioned to shape it. Here at Daversa Partners, we warmly welcome the new President of Dataminr, Brian Gumbel.