Joel is available for hire
Hire JoelJoel C Melby
Verified Expert in Product Management
Product Manager
Location
Mashpee, MA, United States
Toptal Member Since
March 29, 2019
Joel has over 25 years of technical and extensive customer-facing experience across a broad range of markets. He is a proven product management and technology leader with a history of building successful teams, platforms, products, and solutions across multiple industries, including telecommunications, advertising technology, and defense.
Project Highlights
Integration of AI-Driven Content Scheduler
Architected and led the integration of an AI-driven optimizing campaign manager with an outdoor media operator's infrastructure, back office, and business processes.
ONSmart Media Platform
Led the design, development, and integration of the world's largest digital out-of-home advertising network.
Linear TV Programmatic Buying Standard
Defined, coordinated, and promulgated an industry standard for programmatically buying linear television ad inventory.
Expertise
Work Experience
Principal
2016 - PRESENT
Melby LLC
- Defined product requirements and led development for an ad-enabled smart retail platform integrating an edge-enhanced OOH ad tech platform, indoor positioning, edge computing hubs, and smart shopping cart - successfully shown at a major trade show.
- Architected, developed, tested, and delivered a rules-based pricing engine for an OOH media operator using JDK 14, Quarkus, and OpenL Tablets. This enables clients to meet schedule constraints while providing future business flexibility.
- Led multi-partner effort to integrate leading OOH ad tech platform with Tier 1 retail media operator's existing Salesforce and audience data platform implementations, enabling new sales offerings and incremental revenue.
- Defined, developed, and piloted an ad-supported closed network integrating subscription-based industry-specific content, videoconferencing, and learning management.
- Developed a multi-year product vision for a Europe-based OOH advertising technology startup, facilitating the client's entry into the US market.
- Provided strategic analysis, market positioning recommendations, and product direction feedback to a Tier 2 online video supply side platform (SSP).
Strategic Advisor
2017 - 2019
SeaChange International
- Provided strategic guidance and analysis to a publicly traded company's CEO and senior executives.
- Selected and led a team of additional product strategy consultants retained to map out competitive challenges and new market opportunities.
- Guided company effort to rebrand flagship product line, allowing the company to pivot to new customer segments.
Chief Technology Officer
2016 - 2019
Outfront Media
- Developed a digital signage advertising platform, spanning new display systems for roadside and transit applications, an IoT-scale remote management platform, and a cloud-based content management and optimizing scheduler system.
- Built the engineering team from scratch up to a team of 25.
- Defined requirements for and designed an integrated network and display solution for subway and commuter rail applications.
- Built and led a vendor consortium to deliver a rail solution on time and within budget.
- Defined and established Agile product development lifecycle processes.
Chief Technology Officer
2013 - 2016
Clypd
- Provided strategic and technology leadership in a programmatic TV advertising technology startup.
- Built the company's premier engineering and solutions teams.
- Defined the company's strategic direction from a technology perspective.
- Authored TVOnTap Specification for Programmatic Linear TV; incorporated it into industry-standard GABBCon ABCD specification.
Vice President, Solutions
2011 - 2013
Edgeware AB
- Enabled the adoption and deployment of Edgeware's Video Delivery Network technologies through a mix of business development, product management, and solution engineering.
- Established the US office for a Swedish startup, building out their North American presence from scratch.
- Defined North American market entry strategy, focused on integrating Edgeware's edge cache technology with cable infrastructure and platforms.
- Developed the key technology partner relationships required for successful market entry.
- Mapped out positioning relative to competitors in the North American market.
Director of Product Management
2009 - 2011
ARRIS
- Oversaw ARRIS' $55M end-to-end multi-screen IP video solution set, which provided managed service providers with a complete TV/STB+Web+mobile platform for content delivery, management, and monetization.
- Defined a multi-screen product solution intended to facilitate a cable operator's transition from legacy set-tops to IP streaming.
- Rebuilt a linear ad insertion product line, gaining 20 points of market share and becoming the dominant competitor in the market.
- Restructured the video server product line, successfully transitioning it from a proprietary hardware platform to one based upon off-the-shelf commodity hardware.
Product Manager
2006 - 2008
Motorola
- Managed the company's $30 million interactive video and related back-office products, and partnerships, which provided advanced video services to Tier 1 multiple system operators such as Comcast, Time Warner, Charter, and UPC.
- Documented and defended group's product and intellectual property management processes, resulting in TL9000 certification.
- Successfully introduced products to Chinese market, resulting in deployment with Nanjing's regional cable operator.
Project History
Integration of AI-Driven Content Scheduler
Architected and led the integration of an AI-driven optimizing campaign manager with an outdoor media operator's infrastructure, back office, and business processes.
The end client was a Tier 1 mall operator that needed to enhance their media sales offerings with impression-based options while optimizing the revenue generated from their existing infrastructure investments. I architected a solution that integrated my client's data-driven optimizing campaign manager with their digital signage infrastructure, Salesforce, and audience measurement data provider. I then led the cross-functional team that developed and delivered this solution. As part of this work, I developed and tested a pricing engine (using Java 14, Quarkus, and an open source business rules engine) that fully supported the end client's complicated pricing models and constraints. The solution was delivered on time and within budget, allowing the end client to successfully meet their revenue and operational objectives.
ONSmart Media Platform
Led the design, development, and integration of the world's largest digital out-of-home advertising network.
Spans new display systems for fixed outdoor and rolling stock (subway and light rail) applications, an IoT-scale remote management platform, and a cloud-based content management and optimizing scheduler system.
Linear TV Programmatic Buying Standard
Defined, coordinated, and promulgated an industry standard for programmatically buying linear television ad inventory.
Developed the TVOnTap specification for programmatic buying (both reserved and auctioned) of linear TV ad inventory while at clypd and then led an industry consortium (GABBCon) to adopt the specification as an industry standard.
Education
1995 - 1997
Master's Degree in Business Administration
Bentley University - Waltham, MA, USA
1980 - 1984
Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering
Cornell University - Ithaca, NY, USA
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