Former Acxiom and Direct Media executive Stephen H. Brighton has founded Waypoint Data Solutions LLC, a data services company in Annapolis, MD. It opens Sept. 1.
Brighton joined Acxiom, Little Rock, AR, in 1989 as a division leader responsible for several accounts, including list brokerage and management firm Direct Media Inc., Greenwich, CT. He helped negotiate Acxiom's acquisition of Direct Media in 1996.
At that time Brighton took the CEO position at Direct Media, but he returned to Acxiom in late 1999 before the companies split. Upon his return there, Brighton held various leadership positions, the last of which was senior vice president of sales.
Brighton retired from that post in February and sailed the Bahamas for three months. But his retirement proved to be short-lived.
“I needed a challenge,” he said. “I was bored.”
So he teamed with his son Drew, also a 10-year veteran of Acxiom, to start Waypoint. Drew Brighton will serve as company president.
“We're working primarily in the political industry right now,” Stephen Brighton said. “Drew was involved in that at Acxiom, and we both have a keen interest in that.”
The company is working with organizations such as America Coming Together and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee as well as political industry consultants. Waypoint also is building a national voter registration file.
“We think there is a significant need in the industry,” he said.
Waypoint also will focus on utilities, financial services, catalog, nonprofit and government. It will provide packaged as well as custom solutions.
Kristen Bremner covers list news, insert media, privacy and fundraising for DM News and DMNews.com. To keep up with the latest developments in these areas, subscribe to our daily and weekly e-mail newsletters by visiting www.dmnews.com/newsletters
