Samba TV Brings On Industry Veterans Josh Jacobs And Monte Lutz To Drive Growth And Innovation Amidst Gaining Market Share with AI Technology

Global Leader in AI Technology for Media Analytics Strengthens Leadership Team with Appointments of Jacobs as Chief Product Officer and Lutz as Chief Marketing Officer

SAN FRANCISCO - December 12, 2024 - Samba TV, the global leader in AI technology for media analytics, today announced two strategic additions to its leadership team. Josh Jacobs has joined the company as chief product officer, and Monte Lutz has been appointed chief marketing officer. These seasoned industry executives bring decades of experience in ad tech, programmatic innovation, brand marketing, and transformation to Samba TV.

Jacobs will leverage his deep technical expertise and extensive leadership background to oversee product strategy and development, driving Samba TV's mission to create a more efficient and effective advertising ecosystem powered by its first-party TV data and identity solutions. His proven ability to scale businesses, forge impactful partnerships, and navigate complex markets will be instrumental in advancing Samba TV's position as the industry leader in AI technology for media analytics.

Lutz, a transformative leader in marketing, brand strategy, and digital innovation, joins Samba TV with an extensive background leading marketing for globally recognized brands. Lutz was the vice president and global head of marketing for creative products at Adobe, where he led marketing for Photoshop and successfully launched major AI-based initiatives, including Firefly Generative AI. Other executive roles include senior vice president of marketing at Activision, executive vice president of social strategy and programming at Edelman Digital, and CMO of Danny Wimmer Presents, a music festival producer. Lutz previously served as a strategic advisor to Samba TV.

"As Samba AI™ continues to shape the future of omniscreen advertising and measurement, we are thrilled to welcome both Josh and Monte to our leadership team," said Samba TV Co-founder and CEO Ashwin Navin. "Josh's technical expertise and Monte's marketing acumen will enable us to deliver innovative products and impactful campaigns that transform how the industry leverages AI-driven solutions and will bring new capabilities for our customers."

Jacobs has held leadership roles across major organizations, including serving as CEO of Omnicom's global programmatic buying business, Accuen, and as the president of OMG's enterprise partnerships group. His tenured career also spans executive roles across ad tech platforms, as well supply and demand-side businesses, including Mode Media, The Arena Group, and Yahoo!, where he successfully grew and managed nine-figure businesses.

"Samba TV's commitment to building a trusted and independent data-driven advertising ecosystem resonates deeply with me," said Samba TV Chief Product Officer Josh Jacobs. "I am excited to join this exceptional team to accelerate growth, drive product innovation, and deliver transformative solutions for advertisers. I look forward to contributing to Samba TV's AI-backed mission to power a more scientific model for advertising and a better viewing experience for everyone."

Lutz brings a successful track record of amplifying brand narratives and unlocking growth opportunities through strategic marketing and digital transformation. "Samba TV is at the forefront of revolutionizing advertising as a trusted partner using data and AI-driven insights to connect audiences, drive performance, and measure marketing outcomes," said Samba TV Chief Marketing Officer Monte Lutz. "I'm thrilled to join a team dedicated to delivering transformative solutions for our customers and eager to shape the story of Samba TV at this dynamic moment for the advertising industry."

With these pivotal hires, Samba TV continues its mission to create and deliver transformative AI-generated data and insights for high-performance, privacy-first advertising solutions across screens, bolstered by Samba TV's recent acquisition of global contextual targeting provider, Semasio.

About Samba TV

Samba TV enables the next-generation TV experience powered by its first-party data, helping viewers engage with relevant media and empowering brand marketers to quantify that engagement. Samba TV's insights are built on a comprehensive source of real-time viewership data across broadcast, cable, over-the-top, and digital media. Invented in 2011, Samba TV's technology is integrated at the chipset level across 24 Smart TV brands globally, analyzing the content on screen in real time.

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