On Wednesday, MMW learned that Rubicon Project — the Global Exchange for advertising — named Michael Barrett the company’s new Chief Executive Officer.
Frank Addante will continue with the company as Founder and Chairman focused on Rubicon Project’s vision, strategy and thought leadership for the future, this week’s announcement reads.
Michael Barrett was most recently the CEO of Millennial Media, the leading independent mobile marketplace, which was acquired by AOL/Verizon, and is a “seasoned media executive who brings both a proven leadership and a deep knowledge of the advertising and digital media space to Rubicon Project,” the firm says.
Previously, Michael was Chief Revenue Officer at Yahoo!. Prior to Yahoo!, he was the CEO of AdMeld, a programmatic supply side platform acquired by Google in 2011. Michael has had a long career in advertising and media, having served as Chief Revenue Officer at AOL and Fox among other executive leadership roles.
“The need and importance for an independent advertising exchange is bigger than ever before,” said Frank Addante, Chairman and Founder of Rubicon Project. “Michael is the right leader to help Rubicon Project achieve our vision. I have been appreciative and proud to serve our team as CEO for the past ten years. I love this company and I’m proud to continue in our mission as Chairman and Founder. Rubicon Project’s strategic position is strong and our team is more focused than ever. I’m excited to bring Michael on to our team as CEO. Michael understands our customers’ needs well, having led the advertising businesses for some of the largest publishers in the world and he has tremendous experience in mobile advertising and even a supply-side platform. The combination of Michael’s proven experience and natural cultural fit is why I approached Michael to lead this company as CEO through its next phase of growth.”
