Former AOL Exec Joins the Rubicon Project to Further Expand UK Team

Platform-A Veteran To Improve Adverting Networks’ Access to Premium Web Inventory

LONDON, UK – September 10, 2009 - the Rubicon Project, the Internet advertising infrastructure company, has appointed AOL’s Oli Whitten to oversee and develop relationships with the leading online advertising networks across Europe.  Reporting to VP and GM International, Jay Stevens, Whitten will manage an account team tasked with growing relationships with online advertising networks and continuing to build the yield they deliver for publishers working with the Rubicon Project.  Whitten will work closely with Justin Thomas, Director of Publisher Development for the Rubicon Project in the UK.  
Commenting on the appointment, Jay Stevens says, “We offer online advertising networks across Europe the best access to the most quality impressions from premium publishers.  Whitten brings deep technical knowledge, an entrepreneurial attitude and a keen understanding of the online advertising network landscape, Ultimately, he and his team will further increase yield for our customers, premium Web publishers.”
Oli Whitten continues, “I was attracted to the Rubicon Project because of their innovative technology, well-respected management team, and their commitment to offering significant value to ad networks – such as through their Certified Inventory program, which was created to satisfy ad network and advertiser needs for improved access to safe, high-quality website inventory and audiences. I understand the dynamics in the UK industry and will work with the leading ad networks to bring them more quality inventory to increasingly improve yield for publishers.”

In his former role as Director of Publisher Services for Platform-A UK, Whitten directed a team of sixteen responsible for the acquisition and management of media and data across Platform-A’s display, video, behavioral, mobile and affiliate networks – working with companies such as Advertising.com, AOL Media Networks and Tacoda. He represented Platform-A on the Internet Advertising Sales Houses (IASH) Council and at the Association of Online Publishers (AOP) and developed strategic relationships with other Time Warner business including Turner, IPC, AOL Media Glow and Warner Brothers.  In July 2009, Whitten was recognized as one of Media Week’s ‘30 under 30’.

the Rubicon Project expanded into the UK in June 2009 to allow online publishers in the UK and Europe to benefit from its Ad Network Optimisation (ANO), powered by patent-pending SmartMatch™ technology.  In August 2009, the Rubicon Project further developed its global presence with the opening of its Sydney, Australia office and the appointment of Kaylie Smith, formerly Head of Platform Japan + Asia Pacific at Google, as Managing Director for Asia Pacific.


About the Rubicon Project
Based in Los Angeles, the Rubicon Project launched in 2007 and set on a mission to automate the $65 billion global online advertising industry. Responding to one of the largest problems plaguing website publishers today – monetizing ad space that goes unsold (as much as 70 - 80 percent) across a fast-growing number of global ad networks – the Rubicon Project pioneered the category of Ad Network Optimization (ANO). Backed by $33 million in funding from Clearstone Venture Partners, Mayfield Fund, and IDG Ventures, the Rubicon Project developed its patent-pending Smart Matching™ technology, which uses billions of pieces of proprietary market data to match each publisher ad impression to the best money-making opportunities from ad networks.

The company serves more than 1500 premium customers (publishers like Gannett, CareerBuilder, Washington Post/Newsweek Interactive and YellowPages.com) by optimizing more than 45 billion ads each month across hundreds of demand sources. Reaching more than 500 million unique Internet users, the Rubicon Project is one of the largest sources of ad inventory and reach on the Internet and the preferred source of targeted, audience-segmented inventory for ad networks and other resellers, many exclusive, around the world. The unique combination of demand optimization and SmartMatch™ technology drives revenue lift ranging from 30-300% for the Rubicon Project’s customers.

Contact:
the Rubicon Project
Devan Fearman
Devan@rubiconproject.com
310-207-0272
Joanna Burton
JBurton@rubiconproject.com
+44 20 3170 5616

Print Share This