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About Me
This entry was posted on 7/1/2006 1:06 AM and is filed under uncategorized.
My professional bio describes me as "...an innovative thinker and industry leader with fifteen years of experience in both the United States and Europe. As a pioneer in the world of online advertising, Ari first launched one of the largest advertisement-supported financial web sites in 1996. Introducing unprecedented innovation to the industry with Zacks.com. [Pre-bubble-burst], Zacks.com controlled over 80% of the financial content market online and was one of the top-ten most popular financial web sites from 1997-2000."
Of course all of that was before a wife and kids.
After leaving Chicago, and Zacks, I participated in London-based IPO for a internet investor relations communications firm, WILink.com. I have consulted for Fortune 500 companies on internet initiatives, start-up ventures and projects. Working with companies like First American, American Express, Microsoft, Prudential, and Cendant I have lead in the development of online initiatives that drive traffic and exposure, generate revenue and leverage media to build brands, exposure and opportunities. Throughout my career I have worked closely within the Internet Advertising industry.
Prior to joining ad serving company TruEffect, I collaborated with Microsoft Marketing to set and execute strategic go-to-markets that leveraged the Microsoft Office product suite. At TruEffect, I led the effort to promote and evangelize TruEffect's online ad serving solutions for advertisers and agencies on a global level. Our team of sales personnel work collectively to educate and proliferate the market with: (1) DirectServe Technology, the next generation of behavioral targeting which allows for customer re-targeting, (2) SafeServe cookieless ad serving and (3) TruAdvertiser.xls, which is the ad server interface built entirely within Microsoft Excel. TruEffect is a Certified Microsoft Partner.
Following TruEffect, I moved to San Francisco to serve as first as Vice President of Publisher Services and later as General Manager for LookSmart. My focus was to lead LookSmart's emerging business practice with the suite of PPC text ad serving products to customers like ASK.com. In addition to global sales, technical engineers and account managers, I also managed corporate and product marketing.
Now I am working as a consultant in the Bay area for venture funded companies that need assistance identifying and developing solid revenue opportunities. Specifically, I am leveraging my unique ability to identify market opportunities for online media technologies and position these companies where they can win in this economy at scale.
Long-term, I seek a full-time operating role. So as a consultant working with VC firms, boards of directors and founders I am getting exposed to lots of new technologies and early stage businesses that are in need of leadership, clarity of purpose and hard-driven direction. Stay tuned and I will let you know when I land.
Personally I grew up in NY and went to college at Cornell to be a veterinarian - can't imagine that! After dropping out of the vet program I went to Purdue University in Indiana and graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Animal Science and Genetics - something that I use all the time! I met my wife Sarah in college and we moved to Chicago where I joined the early team at Zacks and got started on my Internet career. Timing is everything.
Fast forward, I lived in Chicago for 7 years, moved to Richmond, Va for 1 yr while commuting to London to work for WILink.com. Returned to the United States and moved to Denver where we live for 6 years. I have three kids, 2 boys and a girl. We skied, hiked, biked and did all the Colorado things when we could and I worked the rest of the time. Now we live in San Francisco and have adjusted well to the move.
I'm a closet internet geek. I sneak off to my PC whenever nobody is looking. When the family goes to sleep, I am back online. When we watch a family movie, I have my laptop with me. Its pathetic but its my passion.
Family comes first for me, but proactively driving this industry forward and participating in the next series of events is what my career is about. Thanks for tuning in.
   
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