Nineteen Group Names Justin Childs as COO for Americas

Nineteen Group, recognised as the fastest-growing exhibitions and media company in the UK and supported by Phoenix Equity Partners, has appointed Justin Childs as Chief Operating Officer for Nineteen Group Americas. Childs brings over 15 years of experience leading strategy, marketing, and transformation across events, media, and digital communities.

He began his trade show career at Diversified Communications under the leadership of Mary Larkin, who was appointed earlier this year as President of Nineteen Group Americas. Her appointment followed Phoenix Equity Partners’ £200 million continuation fund, strengthening their long-term partnership with Nineteen Group.

What excites me most is the clarity of vision and commitment to culture … Nineteen leads with trust, ambition, and a people-first mindset. With Mary leading the Americas, it feels both familiar and forward-looking.

-Justin Childs

I am thrilled to have Justin’s support in shaping our business and applying structure to ambition. Justin is a trusted, values-led operator who gets the best out of teams.

-Mary Larkin, President, Nineteen Group Americas.

Childs has previously held leadership roles at Informa, Clarion, and Arc Network, where he most recently served as Chief Marketing Officer.

Justin’s appointment reflects the ambition we have for the Americas. He brings the right mix of edge and empathy. With Mary, Alison, Jon, and now Justin, we’re assembling a world-class team to accelerate our next phase of growth.

-Peter Jones, CEO of Nineteen Group