Ad tech company RAAS LAB, which aims to deliver cookieless, hyper-relevant targeting and creative, has made a pair of c-suite appointments to help launch its latest tool. Paul Blackledge has joined the business as Chief Technology Officer, while Clay Lenhart has come in as Chief Architect.
Blackledge has been tasked with directing product development, enriching customer value, and ensuring seamless delivery processes, while Lenhart will oversee technology architecture, bridging the gap between advertisers and their customers with ‘meaningful engagements.’
“Given my previous experience with Tom [Ives], Steph [Hallam] and Clay, combined with RAAS LAB’s unrelenting ambition to lead the market, joining the business at this critical juncture was a compelling decision,” said Blackledge. “Tom and Steph have crafted a crystal-clear product value proposition and I am eager to help propel their vision into reality. Especially at a time when the industry is crying out for such an offering.”
Lenhart added: “RAAS LAB’s exceptional team and their unmatched expertise have the potential to revolutionise the industry. There’s a palpable sense of excitement and innovation permeating the company as it enhances its core product and implements news features to address the challenges facing the industry. I am proud to be an integral part of this transformative journey.”
The hires are part of RAAS LAB’s build-up to the launch of The Snippet, which harnesses artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) to analyse and optimise contextual and creative data at scale.
Both Blackledge and Lenhart’s previous roles were at Brandtech Group-owned digital marketing agency Jellyfish.
Blackledge spent almost 14 years at the agency, most recently serving as Senior Director, Software Engineering. He joined Jellyfish after his previous company, Latitude Group, was acquired by the agency.
Lenhart, who boasts over 20 years’ experience, also joined Jellyfish from Latitude, where he served as Technical Architect. Lenhart also established his own consultancy, Lenhart Solutions, which he led for over a decade, specialising in offering bespoke ad tech solutions.
“RAAS LAB has significantly bolstered its strength with the addition of Paul and Clay,” said Thomas Ives, Director and Founder of RAAS LAB. “Knowing them professionally at Jellyfish, their combined expertise in software development and execution will be a significant advantage to RAAS LAB as we scale up our offering – in particular, launching The Snippet: RAAS LAB’s answer to a market that is increasingly demanding more tailored and responsive solutions.”
*RAAS LAB is a client of Bluestripe Communications, owned by Bluestripe Group, publisher of NDA
