Expana has appointed Julie Harris as CEO, effective Jan. 26. She succeeds Spencer Wicks, who will retire Jan. 23 after more than seven years leading the agrifood-focused price reporting agency and market intelligence provider.
Harris joins Expana from IWSR, the beverage-alcohol data and insight provider, where she served as CEO and led the company through major product expansion, platform modernization and a sale to WGSN in 2025. Her career includes senior roles at Immediate Media, Upper Street Events, Comparison Technologies and WGSN. She brings global experience from working and living in Europe, North America and Asia.
“Expana is an essential partner for organizations navigating uncertainty in global supply chains, a role that has never been more important,” Harris said.
“I’m delighted to join the team at such a pivotal moment, building on the group’s strong foundations and accelerating the development of its platform, pricing benchmarks and intelligence products. I am most grateful to Spencer for ensuring a seamless transition, and I look forward to meeting our customers and partners over the coming months and developing partnerships across the supply chain.”
Platform transformation under Wicks
Under Wicks’ leadership since 2018, Expana grew into a global intelligence business, expanding its position as the agrifood industry’s independent benchmark provider. He oversaw the acquisition and integration of Agribriefing, bringing together Urner Barry, Mintec, Feedinfo, Stratégie Grains and other specialist intelligence units under one company.
The group recently launched its next-generation platform, transforming how customers access price data, forecasts, cost models and analysis from commodity price subject-matter experts.
“Leading Expana has been the privilege of my career,” Wicks said. “The business is in a strong position, with a world-class team and a product set that is transforming how organizations make decisions in volatile agrifood markets. Julie is the right leader to take Expana forward and I’m delighted to be handing over to someone with her experience and perspective.”
Wicks will continue as CEO until Jan. 23, working closely with Harris to ensure an orderly transition.
Expana enables organizations to make strategic decisions in markets defined by volatility, opacity and risk. The company equips organizations with data on when to buy or sell, sourcing strategies, reformulation options and pricing approaches. The platform unites frequently updated pricing data, predictive forecasts, cost modeling and expert analysis.
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