Linkby Appoints Val Morgan's Brian Florido as Commercial Product Director

Former Val Morgan Digital managing director Brian Florido has joined Linkby as commercial product director, bringing the total number of former Pedestrian Group employees at the Australian editorial distribution company to at least seven.

Florido to Lead Pubfeed Product Expansion

Florido will oversee Linkby's Pubfeed product, which distributes editorial content across publisher websites in a feed format. Brands pay either per click (CPC) or per impression (CPM), while editors retain control over the content.

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Linkby co-founder Chris Wirasinha described Florido as "a savvy executive with deep relationships across the global publishing landscape," adding that he "built the Val Morgan Digital business from the ground up and was instrumental in the record-breaking commercial success that Pedestrian achieved."

Florido said his experience implementing Pubfeed at Val Morgan Digital shaped his decision to join. "I saw first-hand Linkby's ability to bridge the gap between performance focused brands and digital publishers," he said. "The combination is building a global growth engine for performance marketers and a transformative new source of revenue for publishers."

A Deliberate Talent Network Takes Shape

Florido's appointment continues a pattern of Wirasinha recruiting former Pedestrian colleagues into Linkby's commercial team. Five other former Pedestrian staff currently hold roles at the company: Pete Richardson (head of partnerships, Australia), Jaymie Walker (senior partnerships manager), Liam Creeley (partnerships manager), Bec Hawkins (partnerships and growth manager), Chris Neill (content editor), and Isabella Noyes (ecommerce content writer).

This alumni concentration spans commercial partnerships, content, and growth functions. Wirasinha co-founded Pedestrian Group in 2005 and sold it to Nine Entertainment in 2019, building a 14-year talent base now being deployed at Linkby.

The same approach was applied to Linkby's US expansion. Following a US$15 million Series B led by Volition Capital, co-founder Adrian Fagerlund relocated to New York as chief revenue officer. Former Pedestrian publisher Vanessa Lawrence also relocated to lead New York operations.

Linkby's Growth Trajectory and Market Position

Linkby currently serves over 3,800 brands and 600 publishers, with more than 1,500 agencies and brands actively using the platform. The company employs over 100 people.

The United States represents 55% of Linkby's total revenue and has been growing at approximately 100% year-over-year. The company has announced plans to double its US team to over 40 people.

Florido's appointment as commercial product director positions him to expand Pubfeed across Linkby's existing publisher network. His prior hands-on experience with the product at Val Morgan Digital means he arrives with direct operational familiarity alongside his commercial background.

Digital advertising now accounts for 70% of total ad spend across Asia-Pacific, with online video revenues projected to grow from US$64 billion in 2024 to US$89 billion by 2029. This environment has increased pressure on publishers to find revenue sources beyond traditional display advertising, the gap that Linkby's CPC and CPM editorial model is designed to fill.

Linkby operates across Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom.