Forbes hires Ahmed to explore M&A, partnerships

Forbes has hired Taha Ahmed as strategic investment associate, a new management role within the company that focuses on mergers and acquisitions, strategic and venture investments, and partnerships.

The hiring follows Forbes’ acquisition earlier this year of The Memo – a British online publication that enabled Forbes to rapidly expand its footprint in Europe – and underscores the opportunity for the brand domestically and abroad.

Ahmed, who joins from Group Nine Media, is charged with helping Forbes identify areas of future growth within digital media as well as in emerging areas, such as artificial intelligence, fintech and blockchain.

Group Nine Media’s prominent brands include The Dodo, NowThis, Seeker and Thrillist.

“Forbes consistently innovates across all measures of our business, and we are continuously looking around the corner at what’s next,” said Mike Federle, CEO of Forbes Media, in a statement. “We were among the first major media organizations to successfully transition to digital, and we continue to significantly diversify our revenue through a number of innovative initiatives. With the addition of Taha, we will be developing a more robust acquisition strategy for future innovation and growth.”

Ahmed is a former Goldman Sachs analyst.