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The TV industry spent the better part of the past year re-vamping their corporate structures to put streaming at the center of their businesses. How will the 2021 annual ad haggle reflect these pivots?
Despite a global pandemic, last year’s negotiations for ad commitments ended up closely resembling the decades-old practice of selling primetime inventory ahead of the fall. Some of the ad innovations that were expected to gain greater adoption were put on pause as brands stuck with the tried-and-true amid so much economic uncertainty. Will 2021 see those efforts regain momentum?
Ad Age’s TV Pivot will bring together ad sales leaders, as well as top agency and brand executives, to discuss the state of the TV ad marketplace and how streaming is poised to reinvent the $20 billion upfront marketplace.
Transforming research for campaigns that deliver
Sponsor session
In a world with more content than ever before, how do you cut through the noise and grab viewers’ attention? How do you reach not just people, but the right people with your content? You do it with the help of data. Eliza Jacobs from PBS and Raj Manocha from Methodify by Delvinia dive into how research technology can be leveraged to get the insights needed to make informed decisions for successful campaigns. They discuss how PBS has transformed its research process, and how they have utilized Methodify to support this transformation.
TV advertising winners and losers during COVID-19
Sponsor session
The pandemic accelerated television’s shift toward streaming and away from cable, but many brands are still sticking to pre-COVID strategies. By neglecting to invest in Connected TV platforms, they’re missing a chance to reach millions of viewers with campaigns featuring precision targeting, accurate reporting, and a track record of driving measurable conversions. SteelHouse CEO Mark Douglas joins Ad Age's Loni Venti to explore the rapid changes occurring on television. They discuss the types of brands at risk of losing out, lessons from those on the winning track, and predictions for what the future holds for TV advertising.
The evolution of the connected TV marketplace
Sponsor session
The shift from traditional TV watching to streaming accelerated exponentially this past year and, for the first time, connected TV outpaced other categories in video ad spending per advertiser. But along with clear benefits, including advanced targeting and frequency optimization, brands face the challenges of balancing a more complex media mix and meeting consumer demand for seamless experiences. LG Ads’ Raghu Kodige joins Ad Age's John Dioso to discuss how marketers can take advantage of CTV’s speed, agility and precision as well as the new opportunities in the marketplace.
Cross-screen marketing in the evolving TV ecosystem
Sponsor session
In today’s TV marketplace, data activation and measurement are integral to optimizing a cross-screen strategy. LiveRamp TV’s Jay Prasad and Ad Age’s Brekke Fletcher discuss how advertisers and media companies can rethink the approach for integrated marketing programs across screens in 2021 and what it will take to implement them successfully.
The future of addressable TV
Sponsor session
Fragmentation has significantly changed consumer TV consumption making the right audiences harder to find than ever before. Addressable TV seeks to connect linear TV and OTT/CTV through the strategic use data, but there are a number of obstacles preventing advertisers from realizing the full potential of addressability. Cadent and Dish discuss how the industry should approach the issues of operational complexity and siloed platforms in the addressable TV market.
For more information, please email aaevents@adage.com.
To inquire about available sponsorship opportunities, email aasales@adage.com.
Kevin is responsible for DISH and SLING TV’s advertising sales, analytics and operations, leading initiatives which include cross-platform addressable and programmatic sales. Kevin is a seasoned revenue executive with 20+ years of experience leading Sales, Operations, Client Services and Strategy teams. During his career, Kevin built, scaled and led successful sales organizations at Viacom, CBS SportsLine, Turner Broadcasting, Verve, and Viggle. Prior to joining DISH in 2018, Kevin served as Chief Revenue Officer of Verve. During his 9-year tenure at Viacom, Kevin held a variety of roles including Executive Vice President of Digital Advertising.
Jean-Paul “JP” Colaco is head of advertising sales at WarnerMedia, responsible for overseeing advertising monetization of WarnerMedia’s vast collection of multi-platform media brands and globally recognized film and television content library.
JP is a proven leader and innovator in advertising. He has a track record developing successful businesses spanning start-ups, media conglomerates and top-tier tech organizations. In late 2020, he joined WarnerMedia as a catalyst for the company’s transformative efforts in video advertising, including the upcoming AVOD launch of HBO Max and development of next generation video advertising capabilities.
Before joining WarnerMedia, JP was at Apple where he led the Americas Region for the rapidly growing Apple Search Ads business. He also spent time as President of Revenue for Fresno Unlimited, a company that uses machine learning-based (AI) proprietary insights to reinvent the premium content model. And previously, he was Chief Revenue Officer for Jaunt XR, a virtual reality startup. In that role, he was charged with turning Jaunt, which raised more than one hundred million from Disney and others, into a viable acquisition. Jaunt was sold to Verizon in 2019.
In 2013, JP joined Vessel as SVP of Advertising and Business Development and was a founding member of the senior executive team that launched the subscription-based, early-access short-form video platform globally. He led all advertising sales, marketing and signed content deals with over 300 worldwide content owners. The company was sold to Verizon in 2016.
Earlier in his career, JP was one of the founding leaders of Hulu as the SVP of Advertising. He grew sales from zero to over $500 million annually, earning the recognition of the Interactive Advertising Bureau for “Sales Team of the Year.” He also spent more than ten years at The Walt Disney Company where his last role was Senior Vice President of Business Development, reporting to CEO Robert Iger. He also was President and General Manager of Radio Disney Worldwide, where he grew and expanded the kids and family-targeted radio network across the USA and around the world. Prior, JP worked at McKinsey and Co. as a consultant focused on strategic planning for entertainment and high technology companies.
JP earned a B.A. in economics and an honors B.A. in business administration from the Ivey Business School at the University of Western Ontario in Canada. He also received his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Ad Council.
WarnerMedia is a leading media and entertainment company that creates and distributes premium and popular content from a diverse array of talented storytellers and journalists to global audiences through its consumer brands including: HBO, HBO Max, Warner Bros., TNT, TBS, truTV, CNN, DC, New Line, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies and others. The organization also includes Xandr’s suite of advanced advertising solutions designed to help to improve advertising for brands, publishers, and consumers.
WarnerMedia is part of AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T).
Mark oversees the direction of SteelHouse with his 20 years of product development experience gained through repeated success in helping fast-growth companies transition into emerging markets. He started at Oracle. Shortly after, Mark founded a series of successful startups resulting in IPOs and acquisitions. He was the VP of Technology at eHarmony where he built personality-matching technology. More recently, Mark built new technology for Rubicon Project as the VP of Engineering.
As President of Advertising Sales, Rita Ferro leads advertising sales for ABC Entertainment, ABC Daytime and ABC News; Disney Channels Worldwide; ESPN Networks and ESPN+; Freeform; FX; Hulu; and National Geographic. She also leads the integrated sales team for Disney Digital, the Company’s online, mobile and social offerings. Additionally, Ferro directs National TV and Regional Ad Sales for ABC’s eight owned local TV stations.
Under her leadership, Disney offers advertisers a one-stop approach to leverage the breadth of Disney’s portfolio and reach audiences across all of the Company’s media properties. Her direction has transformed Disney’s advertising strategy and influenced the industry at large – resulting in a consultative and insights-led sales approach that allows clients to drive maximum growth in their businesses.
In an industry historically dominated by men, Ferro is at the top of her profession and continues to be a disruptor and pioneer in the advertising space. In addition to her professional successes, her commitment to mentorship is paving the way for other women – especially Latinx women – to advance in the field.
Marianne Gambelli serves as President of Advertising Sales for Fox Corporation, where she oversees all linear and nonlinear sales across FOX’s portfolio of brands, including FOX Broadcasting Company, FOX Sports, FS1, FS2, FOX Deportes, FOX News Channel and FOX Business Network.
Before assuming her current role in March 2019, Ms. Gambelli served as President of Advertising Sales for FOX News and FOX Business Network. During her tenure, FOX News experienced record years in advertising sales for both 2017 and 2018.
Prior to joining FOX News in May 2017, Ms. Gambelli served as Chief Investment Officer at Horizon Media where she managed its $7 billion investment portfolio. She was responsible for a team of over 350 general market investment specialists and actively developed key new business acquisitions across top tier brands. Ms. Gambelli joined the company in 2012 from NBCUniversal, where she most recently held the title of President of Sales and Marketing. During her 22-year tenure at NBC, Ms. Gambelli oversaw partnerships and strategy across NBC’s News, Sports and Entertainment brands, optimizing its $7 billion in media investments.
In 2018, Ms. Gambelli was recognized with the Multichannel News Wonder Women award. In 2012, Advertising Age named Ms. Gambelli as one of the 100 Most Influential Women in Advertising and in 2002, she was honored as part of the American Advertising Women to Watch. While at NBC Universal, she was a member of GE’s Women’s Network and served as a Division NBCUniversal Leader. She was also a Leader in the company’s Commercial Leadership Program.
A graduate of Pace University with a Bachelor of Business degree in Marketing, Ms. Gambelli began her career on the agency side, working for Grey Advertising and Backer Spielvogel Bates. In 2016, she was awarded an Honorary Degree from Pace Pleasantville Chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma. She is currently a Board Member of the International Radio and Television Society (IRTS) Foundation.
Eliza Jacobs is the Director of Consumer Insights & Analysis at PBS, where she manages primary research/consumer insights as part of PBS’s Business Intelligence Group. Eliza graduated from of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia with a bachelor’s degree in Communication. She later obtained a master’s from Georgetown University in Communication, Culture and Technology. Originally from Buffalo, NY, Eliza now resides in Alexandria, Virginia with her family. Go Bills!
Kim Kelleher is the President of Commercial Revenue and Partnerships for AMC Networks, responsible for the company’s advertising sales organization across its linear television networks, digital sales and integrated marketing.
Kelleher’s career in media, marketing and advertising spans two decades. Prior to joining AMC Networks she was the chief business officer of GQ, GQ Style, Golf Digest, Golf World, Pitchfork, and Wired Media Group, which includes Wired and Ars Technica.
Prior to that, she was chief business officer of Allure, Brides, Glamour, Self, and Teen Vogue and the chief revenue officer of Wired Media Group.
Before joining Wired Media Group, she was president of Say Media, where she oversaw the company’s business strategy including global sales, marketing, production, communications, media solutions, and content operations.
Prior to Say Media, Kelleher served as worldwide publisher of Time. During her tenure she was named Advertising Age’s Publisher of the Year in 2011. Before that, she was vice president, publisher of Sports Illustrated, where she was the first female executive to lead Sports Illustrated advertising sales in the history of the brand.
Previously, Kelleher spent six years at Self where she was named Condé Nast’s Publisher of the Year in 2008. She also served as vice president and publisher of Condé Nast’s Golf for Women, which was named to AdWeek’s Hot List in 2005. Additionally, she has represented Mademoiselle, Elle, Elle Décor, Mirabella, Teen, and others.
Kelleher is a 2007 inductee into the American Advertising Federation’s Advertising Hall of Achievement, the industry’s premier award for outstanding advertising professionals. She has been featured in Advertising Age’s “40 Under Forty” and “Media Mavens,” as well as Folio’s “Industry Influencers.” In 2018 Kelleher received the prestigious Matrix Awards from New York Women in Communications and was inducted into the Hall of Mentorship for the IRTS Foundation.
In addition to her professional success, Kelleher has been involved with numerous philanthropic initiatives. Kelleher is past-chair of the American Advertising Federation and serves on several boards including: the Board of Governors of Cancer and Careers, the charitable arm of Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW); Past-President of New York Women in Communications; and is an active member of the Board of the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communications, Ad Council and the International Radio & Television Society (IRTS) Foundation.
Kelleher is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and resides in New York with her husband and two sons.
Raghu is the Chief Product Officer and Co-founder of LG Ads. Previously, Raghu was VP of Products at VideoSurf where he built one of the first TV second-screen applications for iOS and Android. VideoSurf was acquired by Microsoft Xbox where Raghu worked on content experiences for Xbox and launched immersive second-screen products such as SmartGlass. Prior to that Raghu spent a decade at Yahoo! and built the big data content platform which powers most Yahoo! sites. Raghu also ran engineering for Yahoo’s marketplace properties with a combined user base of over 100M unique and $300M in revenues. Raghu has an MBA from Wharton and a MS in Computer Science from Syracuse University. He lives in Silicon Valley with his wife and two boys.
Raj Manocha is the CEO of Methodify by Delvinia, where he has played a pivotal role in developing the research automation platform. He has also lead the international expansion of the company’s data collection services. He is responsible for the sales and commercialization efforts across parent company Delvinia's business units, all of which are focused on innovative data collection. Raj is Chair to the Board of the International Chapter of the Insights Association. He is also on the Advisory Board of the Master of Science in Marketing Research Program (MSMR) at Michigan State University.
Mark Marshall was named President, Advertising Sales and Partnerships, NBCUniversal, in 2018. In this role, Marshall has strategic oversight of all advertising sales initiatives for NBCUniversal’s NBC Broadcast Entertainment, NBC Sports, advanced advertising sales and client partnerships. Marshall reports to Linda Yaccarino, Chairman, Advertising and Partnerships, NBCUniversal.
Previously, Marshall held the post of Executive Vice President, Entertainment Advertising Sales Group, NBCUniversal. In this role, Marshall oversaw the combined advertising sales for NBC Broadcast Entertainment, USA, Syfy and WWE. Before that, Marshall held the post of Senior Vice President, Portfolio Advertising Sales, NBCUniversal, where he oversaw the sales efforts for NBCUniversal’s Atlanta, Chicago and Detroit offices on behalf of the company’s entire portfolio of broadcast networks, cable networks and digital platforms.
Prior to joining NBCUniversal, Marshall held multiple advertising sales positions at Turner Broadcasting (1999-2013). In his most recent role at Turner, Marshall served as Senior Vice President and National Sales Manager (2009-2013), during which he oversaw client relationships for the NBA, MLB, NASCAR, PGA Championships and the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament for the Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles and Atlanta regions.
From 2007-2009, Marshall was Vice President and National Sales Manager for Turner Sports, leading the Midwest regional sales, and served as Vice President of Turner Sports Advertising Sales for the West Coast region (2003-2007). He joined Turner in 1999 as Account Executive, and began his career at the Family Channel (1992-1999).
Marshall received his Bachelor of Arts from Valparaiso University. He lives in Connecticut with his wife and children.
Laura Molen is President, Advertising Sales and Partnerships, NBCUniversal. In this role, Molen leads strategic agency relationships and oversees many key advertising sales initiatives for NBCUniversal across Entertainment, Hispanic, News, Peacock, Direct-to-Scale, and Syndication. In addition, she actively helps lead and support the division's efforts around Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Molen reports to Linda Yaccarino, Chairman, Global Advertising and Partnerships, NBCUniversal.
Most recently, Molen was Executive Vice President, Lifestyle and Hispanic Advertising Sales, overseeing sales for broadcast network Telemundo, including its World Cup coverage, and leading cable networks Bravo, E! and Oxygen, among others. She joined the company in February 2013 as Executive Vice President, Cable Advertising Sales, NBCUniversal, overseeing sales of NBCUniversal’s impressive cable entertainment networks – including the No. 1 cable network USA, Syfy, E!, Esquire Network, Chiller, Cloo and WWE.
From 2011-2013, Molen served as Executive Vice President of Network Sales for Univision Communications Inc. In this role, Molen led all advertising sales and marketing operations for Univision Network, TeleFuture Network and Univision Cable Networks, to an unprecedented approximately $2 billion in revenue.
Prior to joining Univision, Molen served as Senior Vice President, Strategic Partnerships for VH1 Ad Sales and Marketing at MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom. In that role, she led the network’s sales organization into cross-platform solutions and spearheaded strategies to bring advertisers into original programming. In 2010, Molen led VH1’s rebranding to advertisers and audiences, which resulted in one of the most successful upfronts in the network’s history. Molen was a 16-year veteran of Viacom and held several positions at VH1, Spike TV, UPN and Paramount Domestic Television.
Before Viacom, she held account executive positions at E! and Turner Broadcasting’s CNN/Headline News. She has also worked on the advertising agency side in buying roles at McCann Erickson and Grey Advertising.
Molen is a passionate advocate for the accurate portrayal of women and girls in all media, and has done significant work around the ANA’s #SeeHer initiative since its inception. She also supports The Female Quotient, which supports advancing workplace equality and has served as an Advertising Women of New York mentor to many women in the industry throughout her career. Additionally, she mentors inner city youth in the Development School For Youth NYC where she has been honored for her work to break the cycle of poverty, and serves on the International Radio and Television Society (IRTS) Foundation board. Molen was named to Ad Age's 2020 Women to Watch list which spotlights executives in media, marketing and advertising who are reshaping the marketing landscape and lighting the way for other women to succeed.
Laura is a graduate of the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.
Patty Morris is Assistant VP, Marketing & Brand at State Farm.
State Farm is the largest Auto and Homeowners insurer in the U.S. with 84 million policies and accounts in force, net worth of $116 billion and current ranking of #36 on the Fortune 500 list. Nearly 19,000 agents and 69,000 employees serve customers throughout the U.S.
Patty joined State Farm in 1999 and has served in various creative and marketing positions for the last 22 years. In her current role she oversees Branding and Acquisition; including strategy, media/sponsorships and creative development. Patty and her team have led successful marketing and branding campaigns such as Discount Double Check, Magic Jingle, the return of Jake from State Farm and most recently, State Farm’s first ever Super Bowl campaign.
Peter Olsen is President, Ad Sales, A+E Networks. In this role, Olsen oversees Ad Sales, Advanced Targeting Teams and Content Partnerships across the company’s portfolio of linear and non-linear brands. He was promoted to this role in October 2014.
Previously Olsen served both as Senior Vice President and then Executive Vice President, Ad Sales, HISTORY/H2, also held similar role on A&E & Bio. He joined A+E Networks in 2005.
Prior to this, Olsen served at Mediacom as EVP/Director of National Broadcast. He was named National Media Buyer of the Year by Ad Age’s Television Week in 2003. His prior experiences include sales positions at WSBK-TV Boston and within the Sports division at NBC.
Peter graduated with a B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Massachusetts.
Jamie’s expertise is in enabling the evolution of the Advanced TV marketplace through data, automation and attribution. Before Cadent, she cofounded one2one Media, and she was a founding member and Managing Partner at MODI Media, GroupM’s Advanced Television group. Jamie began her career at GroupM’s MEC. She has received many TV and advertising industry honors, including Multichannel News Wonder Woman and Digital All-Star, GABBCON Media Executive of the Year, and Cynopsis Top Women in Digital.
Jay Prasad joined LiveRamp TV as Chief Strategy Officer in January 2020. LiveRamp, a data connectivity platform leveraged by brands and their partners to deliver exceptional experiences, tapped Prasad, formerly Chief Strategy Officer at ad-tech firm VideoAmp, to create a holistic go-to-market strategy and capture the opportunity in data-driven marketing in TV streaming. Prasad joined LiveRamp shortly after the company’s $150 million acquisition of Data Plus Math.
Joy Profet is Head of Growth and Operations at MAGNA where she is responsible for overseeing marketing and growth to bring the MAGNA offering and capabilities to Mediabrands agencies and clients, IPG affiliate partners and intelligence subscribers.
Joy was most recently a Partner and Chief Operating Officer at Kind Capital, an impact investing firm compelling greater capital and diversity in the education, healthcare, environmental sustainability and financial technology sectors. A consummate advocate of social equity, Kind Capital endorses and evangelizes the importance of environmental, social and governance integration across private, philanthropic and capital industries.
Prior to Kind Capital, Joy was Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Essence Communications, with responsibility for the brand’s financial, planning and administrative functions. As COO, Joy also partnered with the leadership team to design and execute Essence’s global strategic vision across all media platforms and had direct management of live experiences. With an established track record of success in growth outcomes, Joy’s collaborative work style and rigorous performance management, allow her to accomplish short- to long-range growth goals and objectives.
Before joining Essence, Joy was Vice President of Business Development for NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. At NBC Universal’s Business Development group, Joy focused on providing acquisition recommendations, negotiations, structuring and deal-execution primarily for the station distribution, content and filmed entertainment divisions.
Prior to joining NBC in 2000, Joy was an Associate in JP Morgan’s Investment Banking Division. She specifically focused on serving media clients in the field of mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, equity and debt offerings and capital maximization strategies.
Joy holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Economics from UCLA, where she received the Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship.
Joy is a wife, mother and active member of Heritage Baptist Church in Manhattan, NY.
Michael is an award-winning sales professional with 20+ years of experience driving revenue for youth culture brands. As the Head of Sales & Partnerships for REVOLT, his team provides actionable insights, authentic creative, and contextual planning for brands looking to connect with young adults through the power of Hip Hop and Black Culture.
Michael is skilled in branded content creation, cross-platform campaigns, experiential events, and technology-fueled partnerships. He formulated first of its kind co-sales initiatives with major players including ESPN, Jaunt VR, Twitter, VEVO, Vice, Electus, and Funny or Die and was a founder in the development of the multi-award winning REVOLT Music Conference and REVOLT Summit X AT&T.
Before joining REVOLT, Michael spent 13 years with Fuse and MuchMusic serving as VP of Advertising Sales, overseeing the Eastern Region's TV and Digital teams and opening their first ever Midwest office in Chicago.
Michael earned his bachelor's degree from University of Delaware's Lerner College of Business and Economics. His passion for music and technology was already in focus, working with Hi Frequency Marketing, interning at Blue Note Records, and hosting his own show on WVUD's college radio station.
Fernando Romero is Head of Advertising Sales for Fuse Media and part of the Latino-led management group which owns and operates the company.
Romero oversees Fuse Media’s mission of providing advertisers with access to its one-of-a-kind audience as the only entertainment company focused on celebrating Blended America. Under his leadership, the company delivers brands and their agencies with a highly desirable audience comprised of young, multicultural demos which make up the fastest-growing segments of today’s U.S. population.
His responsibilities also include overseeing the sales, sponsorships and operations across all the company’s brands including its linear services Fuse and FM; Fuse.TV; video 360, social platforms and OTT properties; Fuse Backstage and Fuse Sweat. Additionally, he leads the event marketing division which creates partnerships, branded content, experiential opportunities and custom events for marketers.
Romero joined Fuse Media as Vice President, Digital Sales, in July of 2018, after holding sales leadership positions at Issuu, NBCUniversal’s DailyCandy and Rainbow Media Networks (for the AMC, WE and an earlier iteration of the Fuse network). His career has also included experience at MTV Networks, Time Inc. and GILT.
Jo Ann Ross, President and Chief Advertising Revenue Officer, ViacomCBS Domestic Advertising Sales, is responsible for overseeing the newly combined company’s sales efforts across all platforms. She reports to ViacomCBS Chief Executive Officer Bob Bakish.
Ross, the first woman to serve as sales chief of a broadcast network, is the longest-tenured sales head in broadcast television working in various sales roles at CBS over the last 27 years. She was promoted to her current role following the close of the merger between CBS Corporation and Viacom in December 2019.
Prior to joining ViacomCBS, Ross served as CBS’ President and Chief Advertising Revenue Officer since August 2017. In that role, she was responsible for overseeing CBS’ multiplatform advertising sales effort. Ross previously served as President, Network Sales, CBS Television Network since October 2002, responsible for overseeing all sales for CBS Entertainment, Sports, Daytime, News and Late Night.
Before being named president of the CBS sales division, Ross served as Executive Vice President of Sales (September 1998-2002), responsible for oversight of all sales for CBS’ primetime schedule. She also played a major role in creating new ways to sell Network programming, including reality, scripted, news and late-night genres. She joined CBS in 1992 as Vice President of Olympic Sales, in charge of Network sales for the Lillehammer Winter Olympics in 1994 and the Nagano Winter Olympics in 1998.
Prior to joining CBS, Ross was with the ABC Network for three years, where she sold daytime before being named a Prime Account Executive. Before that, Ross worked at the media buying firm Bozell, starting as an assistant buyer and working her way up to Senior Vice President, where she ran the network buying department.
In March 2019, Ross was named to Multichannel News’ Wonder Women Class of 2019 honoring female executives in the media industry. She received The Gracies Leadership Award from the Alliance of Women in Media in November 2018 and the IRTS’ Hall of Mentorship Award in September 2018. She was inducted into the DTC Hall of Fame in 2015 and Broadcasting & Cable’s Hall of Fame in 2013. For many years running, Ross has been one of The Hollywood Reporter’s “100 Most Powerful Women in Entertainment,” and she has been selected to the “AdWeek 50” list of the most indispensable executives behind the CEO from marketing, media and tech. Additionally, she was included on the list of power women in Variety’s 2018 Women’s Impact Report; she was named the Women in Sports and Entertainment “Woman of the Year” in 2005; and in September 2002, she was named one of Advertising Age’s “Media Mavens,” an annual compilation of the industry’s top media stars.
Donna Speciale is President of Advertising Sales and Marketing at Univision Communications Inc., the leading Spanish-language content and media company in the United States, where she leads the expansion and advancement of Univision’s offering for advertisers. A leading innovator in the modern advertising industry, Speciale is tasked with showcasing Univision’s unique value proposition for advertisers and helping those partners realize the growth potential of engaging Hispanic consumers. She also ensures Univision continues to serve as a trusted partner to the advertising and marketing community by implementing advanced ad sales innovations and providing advertisers new and compelling ways of reaching consumers. Speciale oversees the go-to-market strategy for Univision’s multiplatform portfolio, which includes top-rated Spanish-language broadcast and cable networks, plus the leading streaming and digital business featuring PrendeTV, the first free, ad supported, premium streaming service designed exclusively for U.S. Hispanics.
Jon Steinlauf is Chief US Advertising Sales Officer for Discovery Inc. In this role he manages all ad sales for Discovery's 17 TV networks and for all of its digital properties. He is also responsible for the company's ad sales research and marketing, branded entertainment, pricing and planning, and inventory control.
Prior to joining Discovery, Steinlauf was President, Advertising Sales and Marketing at Scripps Networks. During his 18 years there, he successfully branded the company's cable networks with advertisers. The company became known for having the most upscale and engaged viewers in all of cable.
He was also instrumental in the creation and monetization of integrated marketing strategies that delivered both incremental revenues for Scripps and additional value for its advertisers. Scripps' ad sales and marketing teams historically ranked at the top of the industry’s Beta Research Ad Executive Study for overall service, multi-platform ad opportunities and upfront presentations.
Steinlauf served as Vice President of Ad Sales for Turner Broadcasting’s TBS and TNT networks (1992-2000) and as Director of Ad Sales at ESPN (1985-89). He began his career as a media buyer at Young & Rubicam.
Steinlauf has been named five times to Adweek’s “Adweek 50,” an honor that publication bestows on the top business leaders in advertising and media, as well as being named four times to Cablefax’s “Cablefax 100,” saluting the most influential executives and power players in television. In 2013, Broadcasting and Cable honored Steinlauf in its’ cover story on the media industry's "next wave of leaders.” He also earned the National Television Ad Sales Executive of the Year Award given by the Myers Report in 2007. He is a frequent panelist at industry conferences on topics such as branded entertainment, and the future of multiplatform advertising and consumer viewing habits.
Steinlauf is a graduate of Duke University. He and his wife Joanne and their daughter Sloan reside in New York City.
Consumer centric, results-oriented, digital first global marketer with over 20+ years of experience in successful brand strategy development, digital transformation, data driven marketing, communications planning and media buying for global brands such as Calvin Klein, P&G's Gillette Franchise, Johnson & Johnson, Verizon Wireless, and Burger King.
Now as VP, Marketing for ThirdLove, a successful and growing digital disrupter in the women's intimates industry, she has a keen understanding of consumer trends, especially as they relate to diverse genres, modes of consumption and audience demographics. Expertise using data and analytics to drive incremental growth, support of marketing strategies and new business opportunities.
Rob Tuck was named Executive Vice President, National Sales, The CW, in 2008, and leads all of the network’s sales and advertising. Tuck reports directly to Mark Pedowitz, President, The CW. Based in New York City, he manages The CW’s sales forces in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.
In this role, Tuck oversees all of The CW’s multi-platform national sales efforts for all CW and CW Seed program offerings. This includes the network’s broadcast primetime advertising, as well as all digital and OTT sales platforms. Under Tuck, The CW has been a leader in the industry in digital sales, implementing its breakthrough convergence sales strategy in 2010, which was widely embraced by both advertisers and viewers. Convergence also introduced a new methodology for measuring online viewership, which worked within the existing television investment model for advertisers.
Previously, Tuck served as Executive Vice President, Sales and Planning, The CW since 2006. Prior to The CW, Tuck had been Senior Vice President, National Sales, The WB since 2002. He joined the The WB in 1995 during its first broadcast season, rising through the ranks serving as Vice President of East Coast Sales, Vice President of Western Sales, and Vice President of Pricing.
Before joining The WB, Tuck served as Group Director of National Broadcast at TeleVest (now MediaVest), and as a research manager for MMT.
Tuck earned his bachelor of science from State University of New York at Stony Brook.
Jeanine Poggi covers the TV industry and how broadcast and cable networks and distributors are adopting to the changes in the world of TV advertising. She joined Ad Age in 2012, following six years covering the retail and media industries and other financial sectors for Women's Wear Daily, Forbes and TheStreet.
John Dioso has been the Editor of Ad Age Studio 30, the creative content arm of Ad Age, since August 2018. Built on the same bedrock of journalistic integrity, Ad Age Studio 30 specializes in multichannel membership content for Ad Age subscribers, as well as custom and sponsored content that resonates with its audience.
During his career, Dioso has overseen some of the most popular and celebrated media brands in the world, including Cosmopolitan, Rolling Stone, Glamour, Martha Stewart Living and Us Weekly. As Executive Managing Editor of Cosmopolitan, his management of the editorial team helped lead the magazine to the first National Magazine Award in its history.
Before that, Dioso was the longtime Deputy Managing Editor of Rolling Stone. During his tenure, Rolling Stone won numerous awards, including the 2007 National Magazine Award for General Excellence. In 2010, he edited Rolling Stone’’s best-selling special issue “The Beatles: 100 Greatest Songs.”
Dioso lives in Brooklyn with his wife, cat, and way too many guitars. They have three daughters.
Brekke Fletcher is a freelance Lifestyle Editor, currently working with Ad Age and Time Magazine. For the last five years, Fletcher was the Executive Editor of Style and Travel for CNN. Prior to that Fletcher was at The Wall Street Journal where she served as managing editor of WSJ Magazine, During her time at WSJ, she managed the magazine's editorial team, oversaw travel news coverage and frequently wrote destination and entertainment stories. She has worked at various publications, starting with the launch of Lucky Magazine and later taking on managing editor roles at publications such as Jane Magazine, Men's Journal and Newsweek.
Fletcher is a graduate of Northwestern University and is currently based in Brooklyn.
Loni Venti is a freelance writer, editor, and brand consultant based in Brooklyn, NY. In addition to contributing to AdAge, you can find her articles in publications like Allure, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, and Harper's Bazaar. Her editorial brand work includes creative direction, storytelling, and copy for IPSY, Smashbox, WASO by Shiseido, The Derm Specialists, The Makeup Museum and more.
We’re a leader in helping brands find unduplicated reach across a fragmented TV landscape, and maximize return on ad spend. We bring together years of experience in delivering premium home entertainment products to consumers worldwide, with big data and Video AI designed to connect brands with audiences across all screens.
Our platform brings together the two best TV industry leaders’ technologies and devices, to create one platform for activating and measuring media across connected TVs and digital video. Our actionable insights help marketers fine tune cross-screen campaigns in flight; and understand ad performance to optimize media buys.
Advertisers now have a single source for LG CTV inventory, with one-stop planning, activation and measurement across all viewing platforms. With our premium LG smart TV ad inventory, combined with deterministic TV data from a broad range of smart TV brands, LG Ads stands out for its expertise in reaching both massive-scale and granular custom audience segments, and for helping brands understand business outcomes from TV. To learn more, visit www.lgads.com.
Methodify by Delvinia is an automated market research platform that gives modern insights professionals direct access to consumers and innovative research technologies to empower decision makers. Learn more at Methodify.it.
SteelHouse builds advertising software for brands to drive measurable conversions, revenue, site visits and more through the power of television. SteelHouse Performance TV is the world’s first and only Connected TV advertising platform optimized for direct-response marketing goals. It redefines what advertisers can do with television, giving them the power to tie performance directly to their TV campaigns.
Television is the most powerful ad medium in the world. We believe that it belongs right alongside paid search and social in advertisers’ direct-response marketing strategies. That’s why we applied our years of experience building performance marketing software to create an ad platform that combines the precision of digital with the impact of television. SteelHouse Performance TV offers a suite of targeting, measurement, and automated optimization technology designed to deliver the results marketers expect from their performance channels. Our mission isn’t just to ensure your TV campaigns hit your goals, it’s to leave a lasting impact that helps you drive business for years to come.
Talkwalker is a listening and analytics company that empowers +2000 brands to optimize their digital strategies by understanding conversations at scale. Our state of the art platform uses AI technology to analyze and monitor online conversations in the form of text, image, and video (and now, voice!) in real time through social media, news, blogs, forums etc. in 187 languages.
Cadent powers the evolution of TV brand advertising. We provide marketers, agencies, operators, and media owners with data-driven solutions for buying and selling TV advertising. By connecting brands with opportunities across national inventory sources—cable, broadcast, and OTT—our technology improves efficiencies and boosts the results of linear, addressable, and cross-screen campaigns. For more information, visit cadent.tv or follow @CadentTV
Jason Brown is addressable advertising lead for WarnerMedia Ad Sales. Prior, he was chief revenue officer for Xandr, AT&T’s advanced advertising company. Named Salesperson of the Year in 2019 by Cablefax, Jason led national advertising sales at DIRECTV, as well as at AT&T AdWorks following the company’s acquisition. Jason has led the transformation of a traditional TV sales model to an audience-first approach across addressable, digital and programmatic, in his time as a national sales leader at some of the top companies in the TV, video and mobility business.