# Matthew Schultz (@mjs.dev)

Profile: https://sifa.id/p/mjs.dev
Headline: Global Chief Product Officer

## About

Technology leader with a multi-discipline passion for architecture, engineering, strategy, and user experience.

I transform ideas into delivered products.

I create plans, build teams, form strategies, and deliver results. I solve problems, push boundaries, communicate with audiences, connect people, and deliver products people love to use. I illustrate need, make business cases, deliver value, and wield a simple stick. I'm an early adopter, a big thinker, and look-ahead trend spotter. I am a disrupter of "…because that's the way we've always done it."

I'm in love with building products. I have extensive experience is in adtech and martech including AI, analytics, data, media, search, and identity platforms. My current focus is AI, agentic, and gen-AI tech, strategies, and applied solutioning.

I believe providing value is simple if you listen, learn, communicate, and most importantly, deliver. I transform observations, learnings, and understanding into simple and powerful solutions. I constantly work to iteratively improve, refine, and enhance our applications into industry-leading products that generate revenue.

I'm a technologist at heart, but my love of design, my belief that a person's experience _is_ the product, and my understanding that strategy, marketing, sales, pre/post support, and process are critical to commercially successful products, differentiates me from the rest of the pack.

My short-term goal is the foundational transformation of our industry-leading data, identity, and media platforms. But that's just the start; my vision is set far beyond what already exists.

Connect with me:

• Work: https://dentsu.com

• Personal: https://mjs.social

## Experience

- **Chief Product Officer, Merkury at Merkle** (2022 – 2024)
  Briefly: As CPO for the Merkury platform, I own, manage, and actively contribute to all of the platform's development, including: Product Management, Product Strategy, Architecture, Engineering, DevOps, and UI/UX.
- **SVP Product at Merkle** (2018 – 2022)
  I joined Merkle to establish and build their first Agile development practice and true Product department from the ground up. My team and I have designed, developed, and delivered the industry-leading identity resolution platform: Merkury. See more at: https://merkury.merkleinc.com/  Interested in talking? Ping me to connect.
- **VP Product at Merkle** (2015 – 2018)
  I joined Merkle to establish and build their first Agile development practice and true Product department from the ground up. My team and I have designed, developed, and delivered the industry-leading identity resolution platform: Merkury. See more at: https://merkury.merkleinc.com/  Interested in talking? Ping me to connect.
- **VP Product & Technology at iCrossing (acquired by Hearst Corporation)** (2008 – 2015)
  – Reporting directly to the CTO, lead and manage the Product Management discipline including iCrossing’s Agile development process, program managers, Agile business analysts, product managers, and project managers  – Responsible for strategy and development of iCrossing’s industry-leading SEO and SEM applications  – Owner of application UI (user interface) and UX (user experience)  – Partner with business line owners to establish and drive the product vision, strategy, and roadmap for our SEM, SEO, reporting, and dashboarding products  – Member of the senior technology team, responsible for establishing technical direction, setting policies, technology trendspotting, issue assessment, emergency triage, and vendor evaluation which oversees both iCrossing and Core Audience technology stacks  – Member of the M&A team, including technical evaluation, talent evaluation, and business viability  – Completely reimagined and modernized the company’s entire enterprise application suite with web-based applications, focusing on social communication, collaboration, and project spaces  – Established and enforced internal social, communication, and information sharing policies. Established user-training, knowledge sharing, and evangelist programs  – Coded client-facing LAMP based global extranet platform. Delivered a self-serve web-based platform, empowering users (staff, clients, vendors) by removing dependency on IT services  – Coded Ruby on Rails based global user directory, powered by Active Directory  – Coded company-wide, web-based user password change utility in Microsoft ASP. Reduced (password-related) IT help ticket issues by 75%
- **Product Owner / VP Product  (concurrent with role at iCrossing) at Hearst Core Audience** (2011 – 2014)
  – Product owner for the Hearst Core Audience DMP. I owned, established, and implemented the product vision, strategy, and roadmap  – Set and continuously managed the expectations of all relevant stakeholders including end users, engineers, and the senior executives at iCrossing and Hearst Corp  – Partnered and managed relationships between biz dev, sales, marketing, design, engineering (onshore, nearshore, and offshore), finance, and Hearst business line owners to deliver the product using iterative, Agile methodologies  – Worked directly with clients as account rep, technical support, and product evangelist  – Participated in all Agile processes, including daily scrums, product demos, iteration planning meetings, and retrospectives. As required, acted as Agile business analyst, running Agile IPMs and managing the team’s Agile process  – Owner of UI (user interface) and UX (user experience)  – Overhauled, reskinned, and rearchitected the entire DMP user interface  – Participated in the 2013 Forrester DMP Wave, earning a “strong performer” ranking for the CA DMP  – Part of the due diligence and research team responsible for the acquisition and merger of Core Audience (previously “Red Aril”) into iCrossing
- **VP Technology at Agency.com** (2005 – 2008)
  – Led all technology for Agency.com’s headquarters office in NYC  – Member of Biz Dev pursuit team. Participated in client pitches, ran strategy sessions, developed technical solutions, and worked with vendors for all NYC-based client pitches  – Established and maintained vendor relationships for Email providers, SaaS and PaaS providers, offshore developers, contests and survey providers, and others  – Responsible for architecting, designing, delivering, and managing user experience-focused digital solutions, including: marketing microsites, web presences, interactive banner ads, transactional web applications, and desktop applications. Clients included British Airways, Choice Hotels, CNN, DelMonte, Dyson, E*Trade, Ebay, Food Network, Grainger, Mars, Maidenform, SPX and others.
  
  – Partnered with creative, copywriting, and SEO teams to develop dynamic, searchable, and scalable client site solutions  – Responsible for managing, maintaining, worldwide IT enterprise applications team. Developed and maintained all web-based applications including: meta-directories, help desk, intranet, extranet, internal blogs, DIGG-style forums, and financial systems.
  
  – Conceived, designed, and coded/developed company’s intranet and extranet. Built and managed entire project team including designers, project managers, and developers (both internal and offshore)  – Developed internally-facing, web-based predictive modeling software, used by management for time, money, and resource planning
- **Technical Director, North America at IMG Media** (2004 – 2005)
  – Led and managed entire interactive team responsible for all North American websites including copywriters, designers, developers, and DBAs  – Established and implemented online technical strategy for all North American clients including USTA, Tiger Woods, and all other IMG Media client web presences  – Managed direction, development, and implementation of in-house proprietary CMS  – Owned and managed relationships with third-party vendors  – Member of the IT and Operations oversight/integration team  – Project and account management for US Tennis Association, Tiger Woods, and US Soccer Federation  – Coded initial prototypes, then partnered with Sprint to develop Tiger Woods's first mobile (J2ME) application  – Technical director, producer, and project manager for the first online broadcast of the 129th annual Westminster Kennel Club dog show
- **Senior Project Manager at Sportvision, Inc.** (2004 – 2004)
  Management of clients and web-based systems including PitCommand for NASCAR.com and TOURCast for PGATour.com. Management, maintenance, planning, and deployment of technology systems for all North American offices.
- **Co-Founder at nProcess** (1994 – 2004)
  Client partner and manager of new media division, including: staff, clients, and technical infrastructure. Delivered marketing solutions for Atlantic Records, Fox Films, Fox News, IFC-TV, Lifetime TV, NHL Productions, Oxford Health Plans, V2 Records and WABC-TV. Executive Producer and developer for all projects, such as: web sites, intranet and extranet web applications, web-enabled audio CDs, CD-ROMs, web-enabled database applications, and digital video compression services. Conceived and developed VidClick.com (no longer active); a rich-media email delivery, video, and tracking system. Also managed all IT staff for both nProcess and Beteguese Productions.
- **Global Chief Product Officer at dentsu** (2024 – present)
  
  Briefly: As Global CPO, I own, manage, and contribute to all platform development, including: Product Strategy, Management, Architecture, Engineering, DevOps, and Support. My short-term goal is the foundational transformation of our industry-leading data, identity, and media products and teams paired with AI, agentic, and genAI tech, strategies, and applied solutioning.
  
  But that's just the start; my vision is set far beyond what already exists to where we're going.

## Education

- **Lehman College**
- **Institute of Audio Research**

## Skills

- Java
- JavaScript
- Ruby
- Ruby on Rails
- Agile Methodologies
- Product Management
- Cross-functional Team Leadership
- Leadership
- Technical Leadership
- Identity
- TypeScript
- User Experience
- Digital Strategy
- Digital Marketing
- SEO
- Website Development
- Web Analytics
- Online Advertising
- Social Media
- Online Marketing
- Information Architecture
- Web Development
- Advertising
- User Interface Design
- Strategy
- Product Management
- Scrum
- Agile Methodologies
- Product Development
- Digital Media
- New Media
- Mobile Applications
- SEM
- Mobile Devices
- Management
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
- Strategic Thinking
- Ad Tech
- Digital Innovation
- Change Management
- Decision-Making
- Cross-functional Team Leadership
- Cross-functional Communication
- Creative Problem Solving
- Big Thinker
- User Experience (UX)
- Generative AI
- Artificial Intelligence
- Agentic Development
- Analytics

## Publications

- Hello World! — mjsdotdev.pckt.blog (https://mjsdotdev.pckt.blog/hello-world-s2whz85)
- Behind the Domain Name: MJS.ART — https://ART.ART (https://art.art/blog/behind-the-domain-mjs.art)
- A Technology Inventory for Real-Time Marketers — Chief Content Officer (http://www.contentmarketinginstitute.com/2012/05/real-time-marketing-tools/)

## Languages

- English (native)

## Other profiles

- website: https://mjs.social
- website: https://mjs.dev
- website: https://mjs.art