Exec had been with VideoAmp, Viacom, OpenAP

Over-the-top ad-tech company MadHive said it hired Brian Lin as chief product officer, new position.

Lin, previously senior VP of product strategy & publisher partnerships at VideoAmp, will be focusing on local reach extension and fraud detection products, categories that helped MadHive grow by 200% last year.

“We are seeing explosive growth in OTT and local, and we have an exciting opportunity to avoid some of the issues that we had with digital early on,” said MadHive CEO Adam Helfgott. “It is a pivotal moment for the advertising ecosystem, and we’re excited to welcome Brian to drive innovation.”

Before VideoAmp, Lin held posts at Viacom, OpenAP and Cablevision.

“OTT and local are an integral part of the marketing mix, but the industry needs to take the necessary steps to ensure a mutually beneficial ecosystem for advertisers, publishers, and consumers,” said Lin. “MadHive is not only solving for inefficiencies within the supply chain and OTT fraud, but it is also laying the foundation for the next generation of advertising technology.”

Lin sees the COVID-19 crisis as an opportunity for the ad tech business.

“Advertising as a whole has been hit pretty hard but it will come back and I think a lot of the tech companies in this space as well as the media owners themselves are really looking to take this time to really redefine and rejigger their go-to-market strategy.with a lot of the new capabilities and try to double down on what marketers and advertisers are looking for,” he said.

“While this is certainly a bad situation all around, I see any opportunity. OTT and CTV are being heavily adopted with everyone being self-quarantined. They know this is coming and its something we ought to embrace,” he said.

That said, the middle of a pandemic is an unusual time to start a new job.

“It is absolutely insane. Just trying to navigate the new organization and meeting everybody in this time of change with everybody working from home. What an experience,” Lin said.

“I've been trying to keep self-disciplined and setting up 30 minute pockets of time with with everybody in the company and just spending a little bit of time with each of them and it's just fascinating.” he said. “You get to see everyone in their own natural habitat, in pajamas and hoodies.”