We’re asking some of our industry’s leading figures to nominate their digital hero and to explain what’s so special about them.
Fenestra CEO Ashley MacKenzie’s over-twenty-year career has seen him at the heart of the media and digital industry. The seasoned entrepreneur founded Base79, one of the leading MCN’s globally, before selling it to Rightster Group Plc for $85mn in 2014. He founded Fenestra in 2017, which is having huge success in applying blockchain technology to the issue of media transparency.
Who is your digital hero?
Sam Fenton-Elstone, CEO & Founder of the wonderfully named Anything is Possible (AIP) Media.
Sam left a high-flying corporate gig as Chief Digital Officer of VCCP Media (part of Chime Comms) to found AIP with his friend Mark Raymond and huge conviction in their vision including a more efficient, cleaner ecosystem.
What have they done to win hero status in your eyes?
Startups are hard, but start-up media agencies are in some ways the hardest of all. You can count on two hands the number of successful ones over the past two decades.
Sam has not only done it but he’s leading with a disruptive view of how AIP work with their clients and the degree of transparency they deliver. It’s no surprise that they’re rapidly scaling and winning new business.
How has his heroism helped drive digital?
All movements need selfless, brave, flag-bearers and Sam is an experienced operator who knows what drives our industry’s P&L.
By demanding full transparency in his partners, he sets a standard that all must follow. In the face of accepted wisdom, AIP are proving every day that transparency is good for business.
Ad buyers and publishers will benefit heavily from this emerging new standard. In full disclosure, Fenestra is a technology partner of AIP. Natch!
What the biggest challenges in digital we need another hero to solve?
How do we get “influencer marketing” working in a repeatable, scalable way to drive relevant brand metrics?
What is your most heroic personal achievement so far in digital?
Playing a small part in helping many great people start their social and influencer marketing careers at Base79 … a legacy we’re looking to repeat at Fenestra!
