Digital marketing agency Pyxl simultaneously announces headquarters move to Nashville
Digital marketing agency, Pyxl, announced that Daniel Houghton, former CEO of Lonely Planet and 2017 Forbes 30 under 30 honoree, will join the company as CEO.
Houghton spent the last five years transforming the iconic, travel brand from traditional publisher to a well-balanced media company that saw sales of their traditional print guides grow whilst launching a digital media platform that engaged millions globally.
Houghton has a strong passion for helping businesses transform and be successful in the ever-evolving digital landscape, taking a proactive approach rather than reactive to challenges in the market.
“I was so fortunate to have a front-row seat in defining a digital strategy that helped transform a 40-year-old brand that needed new digital products and direction when I arrived.
“My passion for partnering with companies globally to transform those that have lagged behind and those that need an innovative new digital strategy is what fuelled my move to lead Pyxl,” said Daniel Houghton, CEO of Pyxl.
During Houghton’s time at Lonely Planet, he discovered that many companies fall behind in their digital strategy because they stick with what they know – traditional – and end up stalling because their competitors are evolving with market innovations.
Under his leadership, Lonely Planet became a global leader for travel guidebooks by adopting new technologies and a new mindset, realising that it is never too late, and that transformative digital strategies are available to anyone. This is one of the many offerings he is excited to provide to clients at the agency.
Pyxl was founded by high-tech and digital marketing entrepreneur, Brian Winter, in April 2008 when he purchased a small, marketing firm in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Since then, the three-time Inc 5000 company has experienced significant growth whilst expanding to Nashville and Scottsdale, Arizona, delivering digital marketing services to an impressive list of clients in high-tech, healthcare, education and retail.
“After 10 years of significant growth, it was time to expand our executive team and recruit a leader that will forge new partnerships, adopt new technologies and extend our digital capabilities for the continued growth of the company and the benefit of our clients.
“The opportunity to have Daniel lead our company is one of those serendipitous moments where you realise you have found the right person for your employees and your clients, and you cannot wait to see what unfolds over the next 10 years,” said Brian Winter, founder and Chairman of the Board of Pyxl.
As part of Houghton’s hiring, the agency announced that Nashville will be the company’s headquarters. The combination of Nashville’s growth over the past five years, an expanded talent pool and ease of travel to every major city in the United States, drove the decision to move.
According to Winter, the agency is constantly looking to expand the depth and breadth of their talent with deep interest in employees with diverse backgrounds and experiences to ensure they are developing and executing on the most impactful digital strategies for clients.
The CEO will be based in Nashville along with critical operations functions including HR, finance and marketing.
“There are big things happening in Nashville right now that position us for strategic growth opportunities. It is an exciting time to be here and have a tangible impact on the digital success of various companies we partner with.
“My vision is to create digital transformations for our clients that align with and exceed their business goals. Our success is measured by the results we get for our clients,” added Houghton.
Additionally, the agency intends to continue to invest in Knoxville and Scottsdale as critical hubs for design, development and communications talent. Its robust offering of integrated digital services includes strategy, brand and identity creation, design, media planning and management, and website and application development.
