Restaurant & Food Group by Informa Connect taps Joe Donnelly to lead growth and digital innovation

The Restaurant & Food Group by Informa Connect, the leading B2B integrated media group in foodservice and food retail, has named Joe Donnelly its Group Director and Publisher, overseeing growth and digital innovation for its media and event brands.

In his new role, Donnelly will be responsible for driving revenues and spearheading the development of media products for the group’s award-winning brands, including Nation’s Restaurant News, Supermarket News, Restaurant Hospitality, Food Management and CREATE: The Future of Foodservice.

“I am excited to join this group of unparalleled media brands and look forward to building a culture of innovation that will turbocharge our growth for years to come,” Donnelly said. “The Restaurant & Food Group’s ability to engage audiences, empower customers and connect business leaders is unmatched, and I look forward to taking the brands to new heights.” 

Donnelly, left, has more than 15 years of experience launching, leading and growing B2B media brands and brings a proven track record of steering businesses through periods of rapid growth. He joins from Informa Tech, a division of Restaurant & Food Group parent Informa PLC, where he most recently led a strategic team tasked with accelerating digital revenues and data growth across the business.

“Joe has a deep understanding of the intersection of technology and business that will allow us to offer the sophisticated solutions our customers need to grow their businesses,” said Susan Szymanski, director of sales for the Restaurant & Food Group. “His proven ability to create cutting-edge products and services in B2B markets will strengthen our position as the partner of choice for foodservice and food retail leaders.”

“Over the past few years, new technologies have radically altered the restaurant and retail businesses our editors cover. The media business has evolved, too,” said Sam Oches, editorial director for the Restaurant & Food Group. “Joe’s proven success with digital media will help us unlock new opportunities to create the engaging and highly interactive experiences today’s readers expect.”

Donnelly came to Informa by way of acquisition, having facilitated the sale of Light Reading, a leading global tech brand, to Informa in 2016 as equity owner. At the time, he served as chief financial and operations officer for Light Reading. Since joining Informa, Joe has held a number of senior leadership roles and launched and led a variety of strategic B2B businesses and communities for technology professionals.