Media Tech Talk

Media Tech Talk #024 - Amy Jansen-Flynn (Publift) Part 2Amy Jansen-Flynn, Managing Director at PubLift, joins Media Tech Talk to discuss the future of ad tech, digital publishing, programmatic advertising, AI in advertising, identity frameworks, and publisher monetisation strategy.In this episode, Amy joins Daevid Richards and Paul Luckett to unpack the increasing complexity inside modern publisher monetisation stacks, the rise of experimentation frameworks, AI-driven operational change, identity fragmentation across global markets, and the long-term impact automation may have on ad operations expertise and publisher capability development.Chapters(02:19) What Makes PubLift Different in the Publisher Monetisation Market(06:16) The Real Revenue Levers Driving Publisher Growth(08:04) The Worst Ad Experience Paul Has Ever Seen(09:07) Why Publishers Misunderstand Incrementality(10:49) Identity Strategy in a Fragmented Privacy Landscape(14:33) How PubLift Is Applying AI to Experimentation Frameworks(17:01) AI Literacy, Specialist Skills & Organisational Change(18:48) The Hidden Risks of AI Adoption in Ad Tech(22:43) Before Header Bidding vs After Header Bidding(26:25) Scaling Global Publisher Monetisation Operations💬 Guest: Amy Jansen-Flynn, Managing Director – PubLifthttps://www.publift.com/ | https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyjansenflynn/🎧 Hosts:Daevid Richards – https://www.linkedin.com/in/daevidrichards/Paul Luckett – https://www.luckettmediaconsulting.com | https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-luckett/Media Tech Talk explores ad tech, digital media, AI in advertising, programmatic monetisation, audience engagement, and the technologies shaping the future of publishing.#mediatechtalk #AdTech #ProgrammaticAdvertising #DigitalPublishing #AI #Publishing #MediaTechnology #HeaderBidding #AdOps #Identity

Amy Jansen-Flynn, Managing Director at PubLift, joins Media Tech Talk to discuss the evolution of ad tech, digital publishing, programmatic advertising, and media technology in an AI-driven world.In this episode, we explore how publisher monetisation has evolved, what it takes to lead a global ad tech business, and why cross-functional experience is becoming essential in modern media organisations. Amy shares insights from her journey across REA Group, Adform, and PubLift, and how AI is shaping the future of advertising and publishing.Chapters:(01:04) Amy’s entry into media and early News Corp experience(02:10) Performance advertising before programmatic(04:05) Early ad tech complexity and evolution(08:06) Defining career periods and leadership lessons(10:56) Moving into executive leadership(14:16) Sales vs product experience in ad tech(17:07) Commercial vs technology alignment in media(20:27) Day-to-day life as a managing director(22:05) The role of AI in future strategy(26:54) Transitioning into PubLift and company culture💬 Guest: Amy Jansen-Flynn, Managing Director – PubLift https://www.publift.com/ | https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyjansenflynn/🎧 Hosts:Daevid Richards – https://www.linkedin.com/in/daevidrichards/Paul Luckett – https://www.luckettmediaconsulting.com | https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-luckett/Media Tech Talk explores ad tech, digital media, AI in advertising, programmatic monetisation, audience engagement, and the technologies shaping the future of publishing.#MediaTechTalk #AdTech #DigitalPublishing #ProgrammaticAdvertising #MediaTechnology #AI

Colm Dolan, Founder of PubLift and CEO of Dolo Ventures, joins Media Tech Talk to discuss building a global ad tech business and the realities of digital publishing, programmatic advertising, and media technology. This episode explores startup execution, publisher monetisation strategies, and how AI is reshaping workflows across the advertising ecosystem.From scaling PubLift to supporting 900+ publishers, Colm shares insights into sales, culture, hiring, and the future of ad tech. This discussion is essential for publishers, media leaders, and ad tech professionals navigating the evolving digital landscape.Chapters(00:38) From Telstra to PubLift – Early career foundations(02:34) Entrepreneurial mindset and leaving corporate(06:12) Are we teaching entrepreneurship the wrong way?(09:13) Building culture, trust, and high-performance teams(16:55) Scaling teams: graduates vs experienced hires(24:11) The reality of startup sales and early traction(30:58) From failure to first client – the turning point(38:09) Is ad tech harder to build in today’s market?(43:16) Google’s strengths and weaknesses in publishing(53:11) What Colm would do differently starting again💬 Guest: Colm Dolan, Founder & CEO (PubLift / Dolo Ventures) - https://www.linkedin.com/in/colm-dolan/🎧 Hosts:Daevid Richards – https://www.linkedin.com/in/daevidrichards/Paul Luckett – https://www.luckettmediaconsulting.com | https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-luckett/Media Tech Talk explores ad tech, digital media, AI in advertising, programmatic monetisation, audience engagement, and the technologies shaping the future of publishing.#MediaTechTalk #AdTech #DigitalPublishing #ProgrammaticAdvertising #MediaTechnology #AIinAdvertising

Damon Reeve (Ozone) - Media Tech Talk #021Damon Reeve, CEO of Ozone Project, joins Media Tech Talk to discuss the evolution of ad tech, digital publishing, programmatic advertising, and media technology. From the early days of 9msn and ad networks to the rise of OpenRTB and publisher collaboration, this episode explores how the industry has evolved—and where it’s heading next.This conversation breaks down the structural challenges facing publishers today, including fragmented supply chains, measurement gaps, and the growing dominance of platform ecosystems. For media leaders, publishers, and ad tech professionals, this episode offers a strategic view of how value is created—and lost—across the digital advertising landscape.Chapters(01:15) Early career and the foundations of digital media(04:16) The rise of 9msn and early internet disruption(09:02) OpenX and the evolution of programmatic advertising(13:47) Why publishers lost control in the programmatic ecosystem(18:22) The origin story behind Ozone Project(24:55) Publisher collaboration challenges and market dynamics(29:17) Scaling Ozone and proving performance outcomes(33:29) Technology, transparency, and why alliances fail(40:43) Premium environments and campaign performance insights(46:43) The future of media, AI, and rebuilding the ecosystem💬 Guest: Damon Reeve, CEO at Ozone Projecthttps://ozoneproject.com/ | https://www.linkedin.com/in/damonreeve/🎧 Hosts:Daevid Richards – https://www.linkedin.com/in/daevidrichards/Paul Luckett – https://www.luckettmediaconsulting.com | https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-luckett/Media Tech Talk explores ad tech, digital media, AI in advertising, programmatic monetisation, audience engagement, and the technologies shaping the future of publishing.#AdTech #DigitalPublishing #ProgrammaticAdvertising #MediaTechnology #OzoneProject #MediaTechTalk

Steve Jones & Mick O'Brien (Media Sales Academy & Agentive Group) - Media Tech Talk #020 In this episode of Media Tech Talk, Steve Jones (Media Sales Academy) and Mick O’Brien (Agentive Group) join Paul Luckett and Daevid Richards to explore the future of sales in an AI-driven world. Covering ad tech, digital publishing, programmatic advertising, media technology, and AI in advertising, this conversation dives into how automation is reshaping sales workflows and redefining human capability.From the inefficiencies of modern sales teams to the rise of AI-powered sales operating systems, this episode provides a practical look at how technology is transforming the way organisations sell—and what skills will matter most going forward.Chapters(00:03) Introduction to AI and the future of sales(02:10) What’s broken in modern sales teams(05:51) AI as an “exoskeleton” for salespeople(08:10) Survey insights on sales performance gaps(12:46) Can AI accelerate sales capability development(22:54) Why sales training is failing to evolve(29:44) AI sales operating system walkthrough begins(37:00) From meeting to proposal in 90 seconds(50:49) Integrating AI into real sales environments(53:55) Does AI replace experience or compress it?💬 Guest:Steve Jones – Founder, Media Sales Academy - https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-jones-55a7a18/ | https://www.mediasalesacademy.com.au/Mick O’Brien – Founder, Agentive Group - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mickobrien1/ | https://agentivegroup.ai/🎧 Hosts:Daevid Richards – https://www.linkedin.com/in/daevidrichards/Paul Luckett – https://www.luckettmediaconsulting.com | https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-luckett/Media Tech Talk explores ad tech, digital media, AI in advertising, programmatic monetisation, audience engagement, and the technologies shaping the future of publishing.#MediaTechTalk #AdTech #AIinAdvertising #MediaSales #Programmatic #DigitalPublishing #MediaTechnology

Jack Marshall, Head of News Policy & Partnerships at DoubleVerify and former Wall Street Journal reporter, talks brand safety, suitability and news monetisation. He explores AI-driven content classification, why over-blocking costs publishers, and how measurement plus contextual targeting can unlock premium news inventory. Practical case studies and the future of real-time contextual signals are also discussed.

Jason Barnes, Chief Revenue Officer APAC at PubMatic and programmatic advertising leader. He discusses the shift from inventory to audience signals. He outlines PubMatic’s AI and cloud bets, CTV and commerce priorities for 2026. He explains agentic AI, AdCP enabling agent-to-agent commerce, and how platforms can help publishers surface niche inventory.

Media Tech Talk #017 - Chris Manson (Ogury)Chris Manson, Country Director ANZ at Ogury, joins Media Tech Talk to discuss how persona-based targeting, zero-party data, and privacy-first advertising are reshaping the future of ad tech, digital publishing, programmatic advertising, and media technology.As identity signals disappear from digital advertising, publishers, agencies, and ad tech platforms are exploring new ways to understand audiences without tracking individual users. In this episode, Chris explains how Ogury’s persona intelligence model uses survey-based data and contextual signals to build scalable audience segments.The conversation explores the implications of signal loss, the rise of hybrid audience strategies, the role of AI in advertising optimisation, and what these changes mean for publishers navigating traffic and monetisation challenges.Chapters(01:59) Chris Manson’s journey into ad tech and Ogury(07:49) What Ogury does and the concept of persona intelligence(10:24) What zero-party data means in digital advertising(13:39) Building personas using survey-based audience signals(17:21) Leading Ogury across APAC markets(19:49) Signal loss and hybrid audience strategies explained(26:15) Privacy-first advertising and the future of targeting(31:16) Ogury One platform and persona activation(35:31) Agentic AI and the future of advertising automation(40:44) The future of publisher monetisation and audience strategy💬 Guest: Chris Manson – Country Director ANZ, Oguryhttps://ogury.com | https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrismanson/🎧 Hosts:Daevid Richards – https://www.linkedin.com/in/daevidrichards/Paul Luckett – https://www.luckettmediaconsulting.com | https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-luckett/Media Tech Talk explores ad tech, digital media, AI in advertising, programmatic monetisation, audience engagement, and the technologies shaping the future of publishing.#MediaTechTalk #AdTech #ProgrammaticAdvertising #DigitalPublishing #MediaTechnology #AIinAdvertising

Media Tech Talk #016 - Dan Rua (Admiral)Dan Rua (CEO of Admiral) joins Media Tech Talk to discuss visitor relationship management, ad blocker recovery, and the future of digital publishing in an AI-driven media landscape.From the early days of Napster and Grooveshark to building Admiral — the Visitor Relationship Management (VRM) platform used by major publishers — Dan shares lessons from decades of digital disruption and explains why the future of publishing depends on direct audience relationships rather than anonymous traffic.In this episode, we explore how ad blockers, privacy regulation, consent loss, AI platforms, and shifting distribution models are forcing publishers to rethink their commercial strategies — and why the next era of the internet will be defined by trust, engagement, and first-party audience relationships.Chapters(00:00) – Welcome to Media Tech Talk(01:29) – Dan Rua’s Journey: IBM, Venture Capital & Grooveshark(05:23) – Napster, Streaming & Lessons From the Digital Music Wars(10:50) – Why Disruption Is Constant in the Internet Economy(14:30) – Publisher–Visitor Relationships: The Future of Media Monetisation(18:00) – Ad Blockers Explained: Dark Traffic & Lost Publisher Revenue(21:20) – Visitor Relationship Management (VRM): Building Audience Value(30:11) – Why Traffic Declines Are Forcing Publisher Strategy Changes(47:27) – AI, Bots & Admiral’s Visitor Co-Pilot for Publishers(50:03) – The Future of Publishing: Relationships vs Traffic Scale💬 Guest: Dan Rua – CEO, Admiral https://www.getadmiral.com | https://www.linkedin.com/in/danrua/🎧 Hosts:Daevid Richards – https://www.linkedin.com/in/daevidrichards/Paul Luckett – https://www.luckettmediaconsulting.com | https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-luckett/Media Tech Talk explores ad tech, digital media, AI in advertising, programmatic monetisation, audience engagement, and the technologies shaping the future of publishing.

Media Tech Talk #015 - Bartosz Malinowski (Adform)Bartosz Malinowski (Regional President – CEE, MEA & APAC at Adform) joins Daevid Richards and Paul Luckett to discuss the evolution of programmatic advertising, identity solutions, omnichannel advertising, and the future of the open internet.With more than two decades in the ad tech industry, Adform has built one of the few truly independent full-stack advertising platforms.In this episode, we explore how the company approaches identity, AI adoption, retail media, and the rapidly changing digital advertising landscape.Chapters(00:05) – Introduction to Adform and Bartosz Malinowski(02:49) – Bartosz’s Career Journey (IBM → Adobe → Adform)(07:00) – Hiring Philosophy and Adform Company Culture(12:17) – What Adform Actually Does (Full-Stack Platform)(18:55) – ID Fusion and the Future of Identity Solutions(25:10) – Dynamic Creative Optimisation and Campaign Innovation(30:40) – Industry Trends: Privacy, AI and the Open Internet(37:45) – AI in Advertising: Hype vs Practical Reality(50:30) – Omnichannel Advertising and the Future of Display(57:00) – Leadership Advice for the Next Generation💬 Guest:Bartosz Malinowski – Regional President (CEE, MEA & APAC), Adform | https://www.linkedin.com/in/bmalinowski/🎧 Hosts:Daevid Richards – https://www.linkedin.com/in/daevidrichards/Paul Luckett – https://www.luckettmediaconsulting.com | https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-luckett/Media Tech Talk explores ad tech, programmatic advertising, identity, AI in media, retail media, and the technologies shaping the future of digital publishing.#MediaTechTalk #Adform #ProgrammaticAdvertising #IdentitySolutions #AIinAdvertising #RetailMedia #DigitalAdvertising #Omnichannel #AdTech