Latest news with #DeanForbes
Techday NZ
27-06-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
Forterro expands industrial software with TARGIT acquisition
Forterro has entered a binding agreement to acquire Danish business intelligence company TARGIT, bringing more than 1,000 SME customers and new analytics expertise into its portfolio. The move marks Forterro's first business intelligence acquisition and is expected to deepen its focus on the industrial and manufacturing midmarket by integrating analytics and data intelligence with its enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions. Expanding product offering Dean Forbes, Chief Executive Officer of Forterro, said the acquisition represents a key development in the company's business strategy. Speaking on the deal, Forbes commented: "This is a significant strategic step for Forterro. TARGIT is a well-established, highly scalable, BI solution with deep domain knowledge, trusted by SMEs around the world to transform data into actionable insight. With TARGIT, we can help customers unlock even greater value from their ERP data, enabling smarter decision making and driving better business outcomes. "This integration not only strengthens our BI capabilities, but also broadens our strategic focus beyond core ERP, creating new opportunities to deliver value and growth." Forterro, headquartered in London, provides software for over 25,000 midmarket manufacturing businesses across the UK and Europe. This acquisition follows the company's previous deals in 2025 and aims to strengthen its capabilities with a specialised focus on data-driven decision support for customers in the industrial sector. Details of the acquisition TARGIT, founded in 1986 and based in Aalborg, Denmark, is recognised for its TARGIT Decision Suite, an end-to-end BI platform available both on cloud and on-premises. The platform is designed to automate reporting and promote data-driven decision making, and has established a strong foothold in sectors such as manufacturing, retail, dealership, and various public services. Jakob H. Kraglund, Chief Executive Officer of TARGIT, welcomed the acquisition, stating: "We're very excited to be joining Forterro as it's an organisation which we believe can help us to significantly accelerate growth and expand the reach of our comprehensive BI platform and verticalised solutions. We also share a strong commitment to customer value and success, and core values such as agility, innovation and integrity. "With Forterro's support, we can boost development and advance far beyond what was previously possible while staying true to the strengths and values that have brought us success so far." Kraglund will remain as CEO of TARGIT for the duration of the transition to Forterro, after which he is scheduled to leave the company. The transaction involves Forterro acquiring TARGIT from GRO Capital, a private equity firm focused on B2B software organisations in Northern Europe. Completion of the deal is expected on 08 July 2025. Integration and customer base The acquisition brings more than 1,000 SME customers of TARGIT's analytics platform into the Forterro ecosystem. This is expected to offer additional capability for manufacturing and industrial clients seeking to extract actionable insight from operational data held within their ERP systems. Both companies emphasised shared values such as a focus on customer outcomes and a commitment to integrity and flexible business solutions. According to Forterro, the integration of TARGIT's platform will enable it to offer a wider set of services, supporting midmarket customers in automating processes and making data-led decisions. TARGIT's platform has received industry recognition, including awards for vendor credibility and leadership in multiple business intelligence categories by analyst firms such as Dresner and BARC. Its solutions are developed to be configurable according to user needs and integrate with existing business systems. The acquisition follows Forterro's growth strategy to broaden its market reach and product portfolio in industrial software solutions. It now positions the combined entity to offer both ERP and BI functionality tailored to midmarket manufacturers, with support provided through more than 40 office locations and a workforce exceeding 2,500 employees. Completion of the transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions. The companies intend for existing customers to see continued support with the potential for enhanced product development following the acquisition.
Times
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
The Forbes Family Group wants to give everyone a leg-up
'I have such impostor syndrome sitting at those tables,' Danielle Forbes says, putting a hand to her chest. 'The other day we were leaving Soho House after an event and I saw [the comedian] Judi Love. I couldn't believe she was there. I'm such a massive fan. And then she said, 'Oh my God, it's Danielle from FFG!', and I couldn't believe she knew who I was. I nearly passed out.' You might not know who Danielle Forbes is, but plenty of others do. The joint chief executive of the Forbes Family Group (FFG) is perhaps better known as the wife of Dean Forbes, a multimillionaire recently named the most influential black person in the UK, knocking the former British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful off the top of the Powerlist 2025. 'I feel that a lot. I think, how do you know me?' she says. 'But it's those rooms we are creating, it's becoming so much bigger, and people are watching and wanting to be in those rooms.' Those rooms are the events that Danielle creates with her co-chief executive, Davina Forbes-Williamson, Dean's cousin. Danielle, who is softly spoken, perhaps a bit shy, is behind FFG's charitable giving — more than £1.7 million since 2020 — while Davina, the co-founder of a talent search agency, is eloquent and punchy, an obvious businesswoman to spear their networking events. Together, FFG covers donations, business events for underrepresented communities and glitzy fundraising galas with Idris Elba and Rio Ferdinand as guests. FFG was sparked by lockdown. 'We were queueing up to get necessities and we thought how difficult this must be for single mums, for those without much money,' Danielle says. Dean had worked his way out of poverty, making his fortune in private equity. They were doing very well, so decided they wanted to give back. 'Growing up in single-parent households,' she continues, 'that was something that was dear to our hearts.' Dean was raised on a housing estate in Catford, southeast London, caring for his siblings and mother, who has muscular dystrophy, while Danielle's mother was also on her own, looking after three daughters on a council estate in Battersea. 'We didn't have much money. I felt I didn't have what other kids have.' That's very much not the case for their three children. Danielle met Dean when they were 18, when he was trying (and failing) to make a career as a footballer. Danielle owned her own flat and car, and had a job as an executive assistant. 'I didn't mind, but he felt insecure about it. But it worked. We fell in love very young and we didn't have very much, which is why it's so important to give back now that we can.' Giving back tends to focus on personal causes such as raising awareness around leukaemia, which one of their twin daughters was diagnosed with when she was two. 'It was a horrible time: she was in hospital for a year, and had chemo and many blood transfusions.' The experience showed Danielle that there is a particular lack of awareness around blood donations among the Afro-Caribbean community. 'We donated to the African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust for years, but starting FFG was a game-changer.' Last year's FFG gala raised £435,000 for it in one night. Other charities they support include Power the Fight, a community programme to end youth violence (a particular problem where Dean grew up), and Mentivity, which provides mentoring and holiday clubs for underprivileged children. • How more of us are leaving £1m gifts to charity Davina is passionate about the business side of things; she has acted as an unofficial career coach to Dean over the years. 'When football wasn't working out I told him to get a job,' she says cheerfully. She now focuses on FFG's investment and connection programmes, aimed at underrepresented entrepreneurs, mostly people of colour. 'It's about socioeconomic disparity and lack of access,' she says. 'We'd spent years acting as mentors to family friends needing advice. We wanted to do that for more people and provide wider access to our networks.' They started organising Radar events, inviting prominent people such as the technology millionaire Duane Jackson and the software chief executive Elona Mortimer-Zhika to speak on stage and then network with the audience for two hours afterwards. They have also launched a pitching programme, where applicants are guided by industry bigwigs and the winners are awarded £45,000 investment between them for their fledgling businesses — a sort of kinder version of The Apprentice. Really it's about connecting people, facilitating the kind of advice and mentorship that's usually the reserve of the privileged. 'We know the value of having people around who can support you, inspire you, give you a kick up the bum,' Davina says. 'At the core we are family, and we know how much that support means.'
