GroupM’s Global Chief Product Officer Leaves for DoubleVerify

In the newly created chief product officer position for DoubleVerify, Smith will focus on building products for brands and agencies, as well as bolstering the company’s offerings in the fast-growing connected TV space. 

Smith’s hire comes after DoubleVerify named Mark Zagorski its new CEO in July. Zagorksi came over from Telaria, a supply-side platform that specialized in CTV, after it was acquired by Rubicon Project.

Smith will report to COO Matt McLaughlin, who lauded the newly hired chief product officer’s proven track record of product innovation.

“At DV, we strive to deliver best-in-class solutions across the digital ecosystem, helping to build a better industry. Jack is an excellent addition to our company, as we continue to build our brand and drive our advertiser suite of media quality and performance solutions globally,” McLaughlin said in a statement.

CTV ad spend is expected to reach $10.81 billion by 2021, up from nearly to $7 billion in 2019, according to eMarketer. It’s also seen steady growth during the novel coronavirus pandemic as more people stay home and watch TV. 

The relatively nascent medium is also wracked with fraud, since it lacks standards and bad actors are attracted to the higher CPMs the medium commands. Around 20% of over-the-top impressions are fraudulent, according to advertising consortium AdLedger. 

Prior to his seven-year stint at GroupM, Smith led product development at Simulmedia, a data-driven TV ad platform. 

Smith said he’ll be working on innovations in CTV and “performance solutions.”

“I’m thrilled to bring my product expertise to bear in support of the company’s mission—to build a better advertising industry,” he said in a statement.