Roku set to name Publicis exec as head of ad sales

Roku is gearing up to name Jay Askinasi, who currently serves as CEO of Publicis Media’s PMX U.S., as its head of ad sales, according to three people familiar with the matter. Roku and Publicis spokespeople declined to comment. Askinasi did not immediately reply to requests for comment. Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs The news was first reported by Business Insider. Askinasi’s title will be global head of media revenue and growth, and he will report directly to Charlie Collier, president of Roku Media, according to a source close to the matter. The role will be an expansion of the role previously held by Alison Levin. Levin left Roku late last year to become president of advertising and partnerships at NBCUniversal. She had led Roku’s advertising business for nearly a decade. This would be the first senior hire by Charlier Collier since his appointment as president of Roku Media in 2022. In the role, Askinasi would oversee ad sales for Roku’s connecte TV platform, which places advertisers within its user interface as well as among content in its network of FAST channels and partner content, including the Roku Channel. Recently, Roku has become popular for its “Roku City” screensaver, an animated cityscape featuring entertainment IP and, more recently, a place to incorporate advertisers. Roku has also been a leader in developing interactive ad formats, such as shoppable ads. In last year’s third quarter, Roku had an estimated 51% market share among CTV platforms, according to CTV privacy company Pixalate. Askinasi has spent over three years at PMX, Publicis’s media investment division. Prior to that, the executive had served as head of agency and platform partnerships at AT&T’s ad tech arm Xandr, and transitioned to ad sales at Warner Media for a short period. Askinasi has also previously worked in sales for Undertone by Perion as well as media buying for Omnicom’s PHD.

Roku set to name Publicis exec as head of ad sales

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