UK startup Swiftkey has landed one of Europe’s most experienced tech executives. James Bromley, the former managing Director of the MailOnline.com and who over-saw the sites gigantic growth, has joined as Chief Operations Officer.
Swiftkey is best-known for its smart prediction apps, the SwiftKey Keyboard for Android and SwiftKey Note for iPhone and iPad. It’s raised $21.6 million to day from investors including Index Ventures, Octopus, Cambridge Capital Group and Accel Partners.
Bromley will be responsible for scaling and accelerate the business, working with the founders, Jon Reynolds and Ben Medlock.
He told us: “SwiftKey has been on every Android phone I’ve owned and has always been a company I’ve admired from afar. I’m excited about joining one of the most talented teams I’ve met to help deliver upon their audacious product and commercial aspirations.”
He spent five years as MD of MailOnline.com, taking it to 190 million users each month, a turnover of more than £40m per annum.
This appointment follows other senior hires at SwiftKey in recent months. They included Chief Software Architect Steve Spence, who joined from Google; VP, Design, Scott Weiss, who joined from Misys Plc and Jennifer Kutz, Head of US Communications, from Moshi, the apple accessories company.
For the past year Bromley has been angel investing, mentoring a selection of startups and travelling, including a period of work in Rwanda for the Nike Foundation.