ADVERTISER CAMPAIGN MANAGEMENT
Roku, Inc. | September 23, 2022
Today, Roku, Inc. (Nasdaq: ROKU) announced that three senior executives have been named as presidents of the company’s media, devices, and consumer experience business areas.
Media industry veteran Charlie Collier will be joining Roku as President, Roku Media, effective in late October, based in New York. Under Collier’s leadership, Roku Media will reinforce Roku’s commitment to serving advertisers, content partners, and consumers across Roku’s market-leading streaming platform.
In addition, Mustafa Ozgen and Gidon Katz are being elevated from their current senior vice president roles at Roku. Ozgen will now serve as President, Devices, and Katz will now serve as President, Consumer Experience. Collier, Ozgen, and Katz will report to Anthony Wood, Roku Founder and CEO.
“As Roku grows internationally, these positions will help bring more focus to key areas of our business as the global shift to streaming continues,” said Anthony Wood, Founder and CEO, Roku.
“As Roku grows internationally, these positions will help bring more focus to key areas of our business as the global shift to streaming continues,” said Anthony Wood, Founder and CEO, Roku. “Charlie, Mustafa, and Gidon bring extensive industry knowledge and leadership experience to Roku. I look forward to working with them and their teams as we continue to innovate and build our position as the #1 TV streaming platform in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico* and our overall global footprint.”
In his new role, Collier will oversee the growth and evolution of Roku Media globally, which includes ad sales and Roku’s ad platform business as well as content for Roku’s owned and operated channels, including The Roku Channel.
Collier brings over 25 years of experience in media business leadership and transformation. He currently serves as the CEO of FOX Entertainment Group, where he is responsible for driving the overall vision and business at FOX Entertainment. He oversees the FOX network, FOX Alternative Entertainment, and FOX Entertainment Studios. He helped position the company as a leading content creator with a leadership position in ad-supported direct-to-consumer streaming. He contributed to growing Tubi, raising its profile and increasing the AVOD services original content offering. He also has helped lead several other business transformation initiatives, including TMZ, the founding of Studio Ramsay Global, the launch of Blockchain Creative Labs, and the acquisitions of Bento Box Entertainment, the animation company behind “Bob’s Burgers,” and indie studio MarVista Entertainment. Previously, he held senior roles at AMC Network, Court TV, Oxygen, and A&E Networks. During his tenure at FOX and AMC, both networks experienced increases in key business metrics, including ad revenue and ratings, Emmy Award-winning programming, and expansion of their digital platforms.
Alison Levin, Vice President, Ad Revenue and Marketing Solutions; Louqman Parampath, Vice President, Ad Product; Mirjam Laux, Vice President, International Advertising and Content; and Rob Holmes, Vice President, Programming will report to Collier.
Collier will also collaborate on commercial strategy with Tedd Cittadine, Vice President, Content Partnerships, who continues to lead Roku’s relationships with third-party apps and streaming services, and Gil Fuchsberg, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development & Strategic Partnerships, to whom Cittadine will continue to report.
“There is a tremendous opportunity to further accelerate and evolve Roku’s business as the streaming platform built for advertising, and Charlie is the ideal person to help us capitalize on the moment,” said Wood. “He is a proven leader who brings vast experience, a history of evolving businesses, strong creative instincts, talent relationships, and a track record of driving revenue and growth. He will play an integral role in helping us achieve even greater success as a next-generation media company.”
“Roku is a pioneer in streaming television and has achieved scale and significant relationships with our partners that will continue to be unique and valuable at this pivotal time in the industry,” said Collier. “As a partner of Roku, I’ve seen firsthand the power and potential the platform provides advertisers, partners, content creators, and consumers. I’m eager to work with Roku’s talented team to continue to innovate, grow, and bring the company and its partners to the next level.”
Prior to joining FOX, Collier was President and General Manager of AMC, SundanceTV, and AMC Studios, overseeing the creative and business operations of all three divisions. While he was at AMC, the network and business transformed, growing all key metrics and scoring creatively with hits including the Emmy Award-winning "Mad Men," "Breaking Bad," and "The Walking Dead." Collier also held business and sales roles at Oxygen Media, A+E Networks, and TeleRep. Since 2019, Collier has been named to The Hollywood Reporter 100, the publication’s list of the most powerful people in entertainment. He is regularly featured in Variety’s edition of Variety500, an index of the 500 most influential business leaders shaping the global media industry.
Gidon Katz, President, Consumer Experience, who joined Roku in 2022 as senior vice president of Consumer, leads Roku’s Consumer Experience team, overseeing product, customer journeys, editorial, customer marketing, payments, and merchandising. Prior to joining Roku, he was President of Direct to Consumer for NBCU, launching Peacock in the U.S. Before moving to the U.S., Gidon led Sky’s streaming service Now for six years, having previously launched Virgin Media’s VOD service.
Mustafa Ozgen, President, Devices, joined Roku in February 2019 as senior vice president and general manager of account acquisition, overseeing key programs like Roku TV, Roku Players, Roku Ready Soundbars, and more. Ozgen joined Roku from SmartKem, a producer of semiconductors used in flexible displays, where he served as CEO. Previously, he served as CEO of QD Vision, a nanotechnology materials company, which was acquired by Samsung. Earlier in his career, Ozgen held senior management and engineering roles at Sigma Designs, CSR, Zoran, Oak Technology, TeraLogic, and WindRiver Systems. He also served for seven years as an officer in the Turkish Navy.
About Roku, Inc.
Roku pioneered streaming to the TV. We connect users to the streaming content they love, enable content publishers to build and monetize large audiences, and provide advertisers with unique capabilities to engage consumers. Roku streaming players and TV-related audio devices are available in the U.S. and in select countries through direct retail sales and licensing arrangements with service operators. Roku TV™ models are available in the U.S. and in select countries through licensing arrangements with TV OEM brands. Roku is headquartered in San Jose, Calif. U.S.A.
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PROGRAMMATIC ADVERTISING
MiQ, AirGrid | November 04, 2022
In its commitment to enabling the next generation of programmatic advertising, MiQ, the global programmatic media partner, today announced the acquisition of UK-based AirGrid, the privacy-first audience platform. Powered by edge computing, AirGrid adds critical publisher-focused technology capabilities and proprietary data to MiQ’s extensive solution suite, accelerating its leadership in shaping the cookieless future for clients.
AirGrid is the only platform which enables marketers to connect directly to publishers for privacy-first and cookieless audience creation and activation. Instead of using cookie-based data, AirGrid uses machine learning to segment publisher audiences without the use of any identifiers. It then stores, models, and activates locally on-device or “at the edge” so that user data never leaves a device. In addition to maximising yield for publishers, these capabilities supercharge marketer audience strategies across a network of premium publishers, without ever having to handle user data, and increases reach in cookieless environments, such as the Safari web browser.
“Just two months after our monumental PE investment from Bridgepoint, we’ve made this exciting move with AirGrid that gives us a transformational technology asset to remain front of the pack in delivering privacy-first programmatic solutions to our clients,” said John Goulding, Global Chief Strategy Officer for MiQ “With AirGrid, publishers and marketers will be able to target inaccessible audiences previously out of reach due to cookie blockers. It’s a win-win-win scenario. Publishers get better control, access, and monetisation opportunities, brands can apply more precise targeting functionality to key audiences historically out of reach, and consumers’ data never leaves their device.”
AirGrid bolsters MiQ’s existing cookieless suite of authenticated data connection, advanced contextual data methods, and clean room solutions, which together power better analytics and targeting. With a global reach of hundreds of millions of users, AirGrid’s solutions are available now for any campaigns targeting UK supply, providing instant access to first-party data from five UK publishers and over 750 domains. MiQ is already working to expand this to the U.S. and Canadian markets, which will be available in the second half of 2023.
AirGrid will retain its brand name and serve as a standalone entity under the MiQ umbrella.
“Google may have delayed the cookieless deadline to 2024, but its reality is already here,” said Dennis Yurkevich, AirGrid founder and CEO and now Managing Director and CTO.
“Google may have delayed the cookieless deadline to 2024, but its reality is already here,” said Dennis Yurkevich, AirGrid founder and CEO and now Managing Director and CTO. “The internet has experienced rapid change, even within the last several years alone, as consumers, legislators, and other tech giants demand the eradication of data practices of the past. We need to heed their words proactively versus reactively when it’ll be far too late. We’ve watched as MiQ has led this charge for years, and we’re excited to be on board now to drive even further innovation for publishers and marketers in this future.”
Goulding continued, “The addition of AirGrid is just the beginning for MiQ. With our newly-formed M&A business division, we’re laser-focused in executing our strategic plan to drive impactful growth and expansion of our business, and serve as the preeminent authority on privacy-first digital advertising.”
About MiQ
We’re MiQ, a programmatic media partner for marketers and agencies. We connect data from multiple sources to do interesting, exciting, business-problem-solving things for our clients. We’re experts in data science, analytics and programmatic trading, and our team of people are always ready to react and solve challenges quickly, to make sure you’re always spending your media investments on the right things in the right places.
Headquartered in London, MiQ has offices across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. We were named to AdExchanger’s Programmatic Power Players list in 2022, 2021, and 2020, were awarded Most Effective Use of Data at The Drum’s Digital Industries Awards 2021 and named 4th in The Sunday Times International Track 200 for 2019. MiQ operates globally from 18 offices located in North America, Europe and APAC.
You can find out more here: wearemiq.com.
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AD TECH AND MARTECH
Comcast Advertising | September 15, 2022
Comcast Advertising today announced that it has appointed Pooja Midha as Executive Vice President and General Manager for Effectv, the advertising sales division of Comcast Cable. She replaces James Rooke, who recently took on the role of president, Comcast Advertising.
In this position, Midha will oversee a national team spanning sales and sales development, operations, technology, product, data innovation and insights, and customer experience. She will continue to foster the company’s efforts to bring more widespread use of data to TV strategies, including the focus on multi-screen, audience-based advertising, as well as driving the growth of addressable advertising and programmatic capabilities across the company.
Midha will report to Comcast Advertising President James Rooke. She will be based in New York.
“Pooja is the right leader for Effectv at this time, especially as the company continues its transformation within the rapidly changing television landscape,” said Rooke.
“Pooja is the right leader for Effectv at this time, especially as the company continues its transformation within the rapidly changing television landscape,” said Rooke. “Through her recent work at Comcast Advertising, as well as her work within the industry as a pioneer and catalyst in driving innovation across both sales and software for premium premium video advertising, I am confident that she will lead the Effectv team to the next level of success.”
Midha has over 20 years of experience in the media and advertising sector, with a track record of transforming businesses, creating new models, developing brands and partnerships, and exceeding revenue goals. She has extensive knowledge of digital, video and television advertising, from pioneering digital and cross-screen strategies for major media companies and cable networks, to shepherding new technologies focused on consumer engagement and measurement for premium video.
In her role as Comcast Advertising’s first-ever chief growth officer, Midha oversaw global marketing across Comcast Advertising, FreeWheel and Effectv, including the launch of Effectv’s sales development organization. In addition to strengthening each unit’s brand and differentiated value, she worked with the leadership team to enhance the company’s products and solutions within a shifting, multi-screen landscape, emphasizing data and customer value.
“I’m excited, humbled and very much looking forward to leading Effectv in my new role,” Midha said. “In the last two years, Effectv has made significant progress in its mission to become the world’s smartest audience delivery company. I can’t wait to start working with the leadership team and network of talented employees to accelerate industry innovation and drive business results for our clients by combining the power of TV with the best of digital to connect their brands with multi-screen audiences.”
Prior to joining Comcast Advertising, Midha served as president of the advertising technology company true[X]. Before true[X], Midha was senior vice president, digital ad sales and operations for the ABC Television Network. Earlier in her career, Midha held a variety of senior sales and marketing roles at Viacom (now Paramount), including positions at MTV Networks, MTV Networks International and Nickelodeon. She started her career in advertising sales at Dow Jones & Company.
Midha is a frequent industry spokesperson and thought leader and has won numerous industry awards, including being named a 2016 Adweek Young Influential and a 2021 Multichannel News Wonder Woman. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Lehigh University and an MBA from Columbia Business School. Midha lives with her husband and two young daughters in New York City.
About Comcast Advertising
Comcast Advertising is the advertising division of Comcast Cable. As a global leader in media, technology and advertising, Comcast Advertising fosters powerful connections between brands and their audiences as well as among publishers, distributors, MVPDs, agencies and other industry players. Effectv, its advertising sales division, helps local, regional and national advertisers connect with their audiences on every screen by using advanced data to drive targeting and measurement of their campaigns. FreeWheel, its media and technology arm, provides the technology, data enablement and convergent marketplaces required to ensure buyers and sellers can transact across all screens, across all data types and all sales channels, in order to ensure the ultimate goal – results for marketers. Comcast Cable, along with NBCUniversal and Sky, is part of the Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA). Visit http://comcastadvertising.com/ to learn more.
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