Charles G. McCurdy is Chairman and CEO of Apprise Media LLC, which he founded in January 2004, and Chairman and CEO of its Canon Communications LLC unit.

McCurdy has more than 30 years of experience in managing and investing in niche media, information and education companies. He is also acknowledged as an industry leader, and currently serves as Vice Chairman of American Business Media and as a member of the Executive Committee of the Society of Independent Show Organizers. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Cygnus Business Media.

As Chairman and CEO of Apprise, McCurdy has led the acquisition and development of three platform companies. Canon Communications (www.cancom.com) is the leading B-to-B company dedicated to the advanced manufacturing sector worldwide, and is active in trade shows, magazines, and digital media. Since its acquisition in 2005, Canon has experienced significant organic growth in its trade show and digital media sectors, including expansion in Western Europe and East Asia. Canon has completed more than ten follow-on acquisitions as well. Two other platform companies, Beckett Media LP and Action Pursuit Group LLC, were acquired in 2005, and after significant growth in their digital and events areas, were divested in 2008.

As a co-founder, President and Director of PRIMEDIA Inc. (NYSE: PRM), he oversaw the acquisition, development, and build-up of more than 20 platform niche media companies. He engineered the company’s entrance into a broad range of niche media businesses, including enthusiast and business-to-business magazines, consumer guides, specialty video, supplemental educational publishing, and their related online and digital media activities. McCurdy pioneered the practice of the leveraged build-up in the niche media and information sector through the 1990′s. He developed and helped implement the strategy of growing niche media businesses by surrounding their markets with print, live events, and digital products. He successfully led the raising of more than $9 billion in debt and equity financings.

Prior to launching PRIMEDIA, McCurdy was the top finance and development executive at Macmillan Inc., the educational and professional book publisher and business-to-business information services provider. He started his publishing career as an editor.

He received an MBA from Columbia and his BA from Yale, Magna Cum Laude.