Measurement Company Brings in New Talent to Accelerate Strategic Cross-Platform Initiatives on Heels of Appointing its New President
RESTON, Va., Sept. 12, 2018 - Comscore (NASDAQ: SCOR), a trusted partner for planning, transacting, and evaluating media across platforms, today announced that it has made several key hires aimed at accelerating key cross-platform and data science initiatives designed to help partners navigate and grow their businesses amid an increasingly complex and splintered media environment.
Ajay Sravanapudi, former CTO of Videology, will join the company as senior vice president of technology architecture and engineering; Kumar Rao, former chief of measurement science at Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), as vice president of analytics; and Sumit Shukla, former vice president of strategic partnerships & corporate development at Neustar, as senior vice president of strategic partnerships at Comscore. The appointments come on the heels of the announcement that award-winning marketing executive Sarah Hofstetter, current chairwoman of 360i and former CEO of the Dentsu-owned agency, will join Comscore as President in October.
Ajay Sravanapudi will play an integral role in streamlining the company’s product stacks to enable and accelerate true cross-platform measurement. Sravanapudi joins Comscore’s development team from Videology, a pioneer in addressable video advertising technology, and has 15 years of experience in building ad tech solutions to solve for complex business challenges. He has a track record as an industry change agent, creating a team culture that inspires a focus on quality, velocity, scale and reliability.
“I am excited by the opportunity to join an organization that is dedicated to delivering trusted, innovative solutions that support every part of the media and marketing ecosystem,” said Sravanapudi. “Comscore is ripe to win in the marketplace. I look forward to bringing my expertise in development, implementation and continuous improvement to help streamline Comscore’s current offerings and accelerate the company’s rapid progression.”
Commenting on Sravanapudi’s appointment, Brian Pugh, executive vice president of product technology at Comscore, said, “This is a pivotal moment for the Comscore development team. Ajay is a critical hire as we advance our mission to be a transformative cross-platform currency. Ajay’s extensive experience in pioneering advanced video technologies and dynamic leadership style will help Comscore continue to build its momentum in the marketplace. We could not be more elated to welcome him to the team.”
Kumar Rao brings over 14 years of data science expertise and practice to help further boost Comscore’s product innovation and analytical capabilities. Rao has extensive experience designing and developing digital (desktop, mobile, and over-the-top) and television measurement products. As a results-driven data analytics executive, Rao will help lead a team of data scientists to develop new analytical methodologies and solutions designed to solve the unique media measurement challenges born out of an increasingly cross-platform world.
“I have a long history of working in the measurement space and I’m looking forward to bringing my skill set to Comscore,” said Rao. “Cross-platform measurement is ready for innovation, specifically when it comes to data science applications, and I know Comscore has the assets and talent to lead in the new measurement landscape.”
On Rao’s appointment, Michael Vinson, senior vice president of statistical operations at Comscore commented, “Kumar is yet another strategic hire for the Comscore technology team. He has been developing measurement solutions across channels (OTT, TV, mobile, desktop) for over 7 years and has a deep understanding of the current complexities that exist in this space. Adding Kumar to the team will continue to enhance our analytical capabilities, especially in regard to data science.”
Sumit Shukla joins Comscore’s strategic partnerships team to lead its relationships and strategic plans with major digital platforms. Shukla has extensive marketing analytics, data and strategic partnerships experience, and most recently led business development, corporate development and strategy for Neustar’s Marketing Solutions division. Prior to that, Shukla also worked at Rocket Fuel (now Sizmek), [X+1] and Microsoft in similar functional capacities.
“This is an important moment in our industry and I look forward to joining Comscore to help strengthen and grow the strategic partnerships that are central to cross-platform measurement,” said Shukla. “As consumer behavior continues to evolve within a dynamic media environment, building strong and trusted partnerships with the leading digital platforms is increasingly critical to providing actionable reporting and insights.”
On Shukla’s appointment, Cathy Hetzel, executive vice president of commercial at Comscore, said, “Sumit has ample experience in building and managing partnerships across the data, identity, media, and walled garden ecosystems. These are complex and ever-evolving ecosystems, so bringing in someone with a deep understanding of the digital space will only help strengthen Comscore’s position as a trusted currency and partner for both media buyers and sellers.”
Ajay Sravanapudi BioAjay Sravanapudi is a strategic technology visionary and entrepreneur. Prior to joining Comscore, he was the CTO of Videology until the company was acquired by Amobee/Singtel. At Videology he led the development of their world class ad decisioning and optimization technologies. Ajay joined Videology when his company, LucidMedia was acquired in 2012. As the CEO of LucidMedia, he pioneered the creation of one of the first display demand side platforms in the industry. Over the past 15 years, he has led the development of many key elements of a typical ad tech stack – ad serving, DMP, real-time bidding, and optimization. He has a track record as an industry change agent, creating a team culture that inspires a focus on quality, velocity, scale and reliability.
Kumar Rao BioKumar Rao is a results-driven data analytics executive with years of experience managing product portfolios across multiple vertical markets and geographies. Most recently, Kumar was the Chief of Measurement Science at Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) where he led a team of measurement scientists that designed and developed a new TV audience measurement currency for India. Prior to his time at BARC, Kumar was the Executive Director of Measurement Science at Nielsen. Kumar has a Master’s in Survey Research and Methodology and a Master’s and Bachelor’s in Engineering and Management.
Sumit Shukla BioSumit Shukla most recently led Business Development, Corporate Strategy and Corporate Development functions for Neustar Marketing Solutions. His team directed Neustar’s partnerships within the broader marketing ecosystem, creating new channel revenue streams, helping define product & corporate strategy, and supporting M&A. Prior to Neustar, Sumit was the business development, data team lead at Rocket Fuel, where he managed the data licensing and partnerships team, drove strategic partnerships and built new revenue channels. He joined Rocket Fuel from its acquisition of [x+1], where he worked on corporate and business development. Prior to [x+1], Sumit held multiple positions at Microsoft, including developing and managing relationships with strategic startups, accelerators, the venture/angel community, and roles within Microsoft Advertising. He has an MBA from Columbia University and a Bachelor’s in Systems Design Engineering from the University of Waterloo.
About ComscoreComscore (NASDAQ: SCOR) is a trusted partner for planning, transacting and evaluating media across platforms. With a data footprint that combines digital, linear TV, over-the-top and theatrical viewership intelligence with advanced audience insights, Comscore allows media buyers and sellers to quantify their multiscreen behavior and make business decisions with confidence. A proven leader in measuring digital and set-top box audiences and advertising at scale, Comscore is the industry’s emerging, third-party source for reliable and comprehensive cross-platform measurement.
MediaMarie ScoutasComscore, Inc. press@comscore.com