AOL Taps eBay, Google Vet to Lead Ad Products

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AOL has recruited yet another former Google exec to its senior ranks.

Shashi Seth will serve as SVP of global ad products, a role with oversight of the company's sprawling family of advertising and monetization technologies. Among his duties will be development of a self-serve ad buying system for AOL inventory, first reported by ClickZ in July. He'll also have global oversight of Advertising.com and the company's other display ad products.

Seth replaces Eric Bosco, who had worked at AOL since 1996. Bosco was a creator of AIM and led the company's communication products before moving to Advertising.com. He's the latest in a string of execs to exit AOL, as CEO Tim Armstrong and his deputy Jeff Levick hurry to remake the company's leadership in their image ahead of the its public spin-off by year's end. Just two weeks ago, the company bid farewell to COO Kim Partoll and John Kanapell, SVP, AOL Search and Directional Media. And it hired former Yahoo exec Brad Garlinghouse as president of Internet and mobile communications.

Seth's pedigree includes work on major online platforms for several big retailers and Web companies, including Gap, eBay, Google, and YouTube. At YouTube he led the development team behind the video platform's in-video ad formats. After leaving there in May 2008, Seth served as chief revenue officer for rich media technology firm Cooliris.

He'll be based in Mountain View, CA, and report to Levick, whose title is president of global advertising and strategy. Levick called Seth "one of the few true monetization platform experts in the world."

"All the biggest ad platforms that are out there, he's been a key contributor to," Levick said. "Him coming here is a huge opportunity for us."

According to Levick, Seth's appointment also signals a renewed focus on recruiting on the West Coast -- in particular Silicon Valley. He said having a bigger presence in the Bay Area is "a way to attract top product talent." Levick noted AOL has two Mountain View offices, which it's looking to consolidate into one.

Seth is at least the fourth senior Googler to be recruited by AOL. In addition to Armstrong and Levick, the company also dipped into the Google talent pool to find its new SVP global sales development, Erin Clift.