Dotdigital Group plc (AIM: DOTD), the London-headquartered provider of an AI-powered marketing automation and personalisation platform, has announced the grant of 3,473,996 options over ordinary shares to its Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary. The options were granted on 3 November 2026 under the Dotdigital Performance Share Plan 2017, with vesting contingent on continued employment and defined performance targets. The combined award represents 1.14% of the company's total voting rights, bringing total outstanding options to 15,138,316, equivalent to 4.9% of voting rights.

Key Points

  • Dotdigital Group plc (AIM: DOTD) — AI-powered marketing automation platform used by more than 9,800 brands across 150 countries
  • 3,473,996 share options granted to three senior leaders on 3 November 2026 at a nominal exercise price of 0.5 pence per share
  • Options vest subject to total shareholder return and earnings per share targets for the financial year ending 30 June 2029
  • Investors may watch whether future performance against TSR and EPS targets signals management's confidence in medium-term growth

Options Allocated Across CEO Milan Patel, CFO Tom Mullan and Company Secretary George Kasparian

The announcement confirms that Chief Executive Officer Milan Patel received the largest individual allocation of 1,190,476 options, while Chief Financial Officer Tom Mullan was granted 748,299 options. Company Secretary George Kasparian received 156,724 options. All three grants were transacted off-market on 3 November 2026 over ordinary shares of 0.5 pence each, with ISIN GB00B3W40C23. The exercise price in each case is set at the nominal value of 0.5 pence per share, meaning any gain for recipients would depend entirely on Dotdigital's future share performance relative to the defined vesting conditions.

Vesting Conditions Tied to Total Shareholder Return and Earnings Per Share to June 2029

The options are exercisable only if two performance conditions are met by the financial year ending 30 June 2029: Dotdigital's total shareholder return and its earnings per share must reach defined thresholds, alongside continued employment throughout the performance period. The announcement does not disclose the specific numerical targets attached to either metric. This structure aligns the long-term financial interests of Dotdigital's senior leadership directly with those of shareholders, a common governance practice for AIM-listed technology companies seeking to retain executive talent whilst incentivising measurable value creation.

Total Outstanding Options Now Represent 4.9% of Dotdigital's Voting Rights

Following the 3 November 2026 grant, the total number of options outstanding across Dotdigital stands at 15,138,316, representing 4.9% of the company's total voting rights. The newly granted options alone account for 1.14% of voting rights. Investors tracking potential dilution should note that these options would only convert to ordinary shares if the stated performance conditions are satisfied by June 2029. No new shares were issued as part of this transaction; the announcement reflects a conditional commitment rather than an immediate change to Dotdigital's share capital structure.

Dotdigital's AI Marketing Platform Serves Over 9,800 Brands Across 150 Countries

Founded in 1999 and headquartered in London, Dotdigital operates offices across Manchester, Southampton, New York, Melbourne, Sydney, Singapore, Tokyo, Warsaw and Cape Town. The company's platform integrates customer data, intelligent automation and cross-channel campaign execution, targeting marketers across customer acquisition, engagement, personalisation, loyalty and advocacy use cases. Its technology is deployed by more than 9,800 brands in 150 countries, underpinning a broad international revenue base. The scale of its global footprint and AI-driven product development are key competitive differentiators as the marketing automation sector faces intensifying competition from both established software vendors and emerging AI-native platforms.