Getting to Know Val Bischak and Why She’s Dedicating the Next Chapter of Her Career to Convergence

After spending years on the agency and digital side of advertising with companies like DoubleClick and Fox, and then almost two decades as Viacom’s top TV and digital expert, Val Bischak saw more mergers, acquisitions, and organizational restructures than she cares to recall. After taking a break from the corporate shuffle and carefully vetting some of the leading ad tech companies in the space, Val chose Amobee as the next chapter in her career journey, where her extensive experience in business development, convergent sales, and the nuances of the TV and digital industries will be put to good use. Here’s to Val, our new General Manager, Head of Growth, and a few fun—and serious—facts about her:

What about Amobee inspired you to join us? 

I started following Amobee around the time I was considering leaving Viacom. A close friend and industry colleague suggested that I talk to Jack. I was skiing in Vermont when he called, drinking a post-ski glass of wine. I immediately thought, this is a guy I’d love to work for. I had also been following Amobee’s progress in the Gartner Magic Quadrant report from last January to being listed this year as a Leader, and that really impressed me.

In your first few months at Amobee, what’s on your “hit the ground running” list?  

Articulating and evangelizing how we align with client needs to make their jobs easier, more efficient, and ultimately drive better business outcomes is really important. As far as being a new employee, it’s a great time to join this wonderful team. I don’t need to learn the office layout and where the bathroom is. I’ve gotten really good at troubleshooting Zoom. And when we do return to the office, I hope our New York location will be strategically aligned with Penn Station for an easy commute home.

You describe yourself as passionate and empathetic. How do these personal traits influence your management style?

A lot of people talk about empathy as being one of the most important traits in a leader. I also think that care, candor, and transparency are really important so team members don’t even question that they have someone who supports and trusts them. Trust comes from balancing empathy, and it doesn’t mean being nice all the time. It means really understanding, listening, and providing candid feedback that comes from a place of making us collectively better. I also believe that adding humor to chaos makes cooler heads prevail.

How do you see Amobee helping to redefine the intersection of technology and advertising?

With CTV budgets increasing this year by 32%, and 53% of today’s marketers seeking solutions for cross-screen measurement, Amobee has exactly what the industry needs to unify audiences, optimize results, and grow our clients’ businesses.

How do you see this year’s Upfronts supporting the shifting needs of advertisers and broadcasters?

The Upfronts buying season is more relevant than ever before, especially when you’re talking about the supply constraint of premium media, which is why the Upfronts exist in the first place. One thing linear and CTV have in common is they’re both premium supply constrained environments, and today’s advertisers need a way to look at these cross-screen investments to ultimately optimize for incremental reach and manage frequency across all channels, inclusive of linear, CTV, digital video, and social. 

What past experiences have defined you as a leader?

I’ve worked with many different unique leaders over the years, and I’ve learned a great deal about leading with poise through chaos, valuing different perspectives, and the importance of consistent and clear communication as a leader—even in the absence of all of the answers. Ultimately, all of these things are crucial to leading a successful team. 

Favorite shelter-in-place meal that you’ve enjoyed over this last Covid year?

Anything and everything. The list is shorter if we talk about what I’m not eating.

What are you binge-watching these days?

On my own, it’s been “The Queen’s Gambit and “Firefly Lane.” With my husband, we’ve been watching season 7 of “The Walking Dead,” and with my kids, our recent favorite has been “The Fosters.”

Top business book that you want everyone to read?

Bob Iger’s new book “The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned From 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company.” It’s really worthwhile and insightful, with great leadership lessons and insights into the media landscape.

 

About Amobee

Founded in 2005, Amobee is an advertising platform that understands how people consume content. Our goal is to optimize outcomes for advertisers and media companies, while providing a better consumer experience. Through our platform, we help customers further their audience development, optimize their cross channel performance across all TV, connected TV, and digital media, and drive new customer growth through detailed analytics and reporting. Amobee is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tremor International, a collection of brands built to unite creativity, data and technology across the open internet.

If you’re curious to learn more, watch the on-demand demo or take a deep dive into our Research & Insights section where you can find recent webinars on-demand, media plan insights & activation templates, and more data-driven content. If you’re ready to take the next step into a sustainable, consumer-first advertising future, contact us today.