The share price of ASX-listed Xamble Group Limited (ASX:XGL) spiked to a high of A$0.017 last Thursday, 9 April 2026, from Wednesday’s close of A$0.011, before ending the week at A$0.015, marking a gain of about 36% over the two trading days.
This development came after the company announced a leadership transition ahead of the expected completion of its acquisition of YouthsToday, with chief executive officer Jason Thoe set to step down effective 15 April 2026. He will be succeeded by Adrian Tan, who has been appointed interim chief executive officer from 1 May 2026 for a six-month term.
Xamble told the exchange that the appointment was aimed at ensuring the enlarged group is ready to execute from day one once the transaction is completed, while also accelerating the use of artificial intelligence across the business to improve efficiency, reduce costs and support growth.
Tan brings more than two decades of experience in digital business building, data and AI strategy, and large-scale organisational transformation across Southeast Asia. He currently serves as regional head of data and AI at ADA Global, where he leads strategy and growth across five Southeast Asian markets and has played a central role in scaling hyperscaler partnerships and enterprise revenue streams.
Before joining ADA, he was chief commercial officer and a member of the executive committee at BonusLink, where he delivered two consecutive years of record revenue performance and led a major digital transformation, including the launch of an app that surpassed one million downloads and 400,000 daily active users. Earlier in his career, he also held roles at Ernst & Young Advisory Services and KPMG Advisory.
Xamble described the YouthsToday acquisition as one of the most strategically significant steps in its history. Upon completion, the group’s influencer community is expected to grow 2.77 times from 6,931 to 19,233, while agency relationships are projected to rise 3.42 times from 19 to 65.
Its footprint would also expand from three to seven Southeast Asian markets, namely Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines and Myanmar. Total platform reach is expected to increase from 100.7 million to 623.2 million.
The company said the enlarged platform would allow it to offer brands, agencies and SMEs a fuller spectrum of influencer solutions across nano, seeder, micro and macro tiers, strengthening its relevance to both regional and global clients.
Xamble is also positioning the transaction as a profitability and efficiency play. It said annualised cost savings of at least A$700,000 are expected after completion, driven by the elimination of operational overlaps and the systematic deployment of AI automation across campaign management, influencer matching, reporting and client servicing. The company added that it sees AI-driven headcount reduction as a structural improvement to its cost base rather than a cyclical one.
In addition to cost synergies, Xamble said it expects revenue synergies through cross-selling opportunities across the combined influencer network and agency client base, as well as geographic synergies from YouthsToday’s established regional presence. A structured review of the combined management team will also be undertaken after completion to determine the optimal permanent leadership structure.