Zefr Expands Leadership Team; Names Former Head of Ad Sales For Fox Networks Group Toby Byrne as President

Technology company continues explosive growth, bringing on seasoned television advertising exec to lead robust sales and marketing efforts across the U.S. and fuel company's expansion into Europe

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Zefr

Sep 19, 2017, 09:01 ET

LOS ANGELES, Sept 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Zefr, a technology company that provides contextual targeting solutions for brands advertising on YouTube, today announced that it has appointed Toby Byrne as President. In his new role, Toby will lead the overall direction of Zefr's entire marketing and sales organizations as the company evolves how advertisers can leverage their brand safe and scalable solution.

As the company's president, Toby will also be charged with bolstering relationships with holding companies and major brands as well as lead the company's global expansion into Europe. He will also drive Zefr's strategic direction in conjunction with the co-CEOs.

"At Zefr we believe that context matters and the only way brands can ensure safety and relevance on YouTube is to deliver their message against premium content that makes sense," said Rich Raddon and Zach James, Co-CEOs of Zefr. "With his previous experience as president of ad sales for Fox, Toby has intimate knowledge of how to package content so it resonates with the right audience. We couldn't think of a better and more strategic executive than Toby to lead us into this next stage of our growth."

Prior to joining Zefr, Toby spent nearly 21 years at Fox, where he was dedicated to building its ad sales efforts and increasing revenue by helping marketers associate with premium content relevant to their brand. After joining Fox in 1996, Byrne rose through the ranks to be named president of ad sales for Fox Broadcasting Company in 2010. In 2014, he was named president of advertising sales for Fox Networks Group, where he oversaw national ad sales functions and revenue-generating strategies for FNG's multi-billion dollar domestic entertainment and sports television businesses, including Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox Sports, FX Networks, National Geographic Channels and their digital extensions. Byrne began his career as a media buyer at BBDO in 1993.

"Working with Zefr as an advisor for the last 6 months, I am convinced that the company is in a fantastic position for growth with superior technology that is brand safe and scalable," said Toby Byrne, President of Zefr. "Having spent the majority of my career selling premium entertainment and sports content, it's a natural pivot to seek out an advertising solution that can curate the right video content for brands to capitalize on the massive scale of YouTube. Our solution has the unique capability to deliver contextually targeted ad packages with precision at the video level, as opposed to the channel level, an important differentiator in creating a safe, relevant and suitable environment for brands."

In addition to Toby's appointment, Brian Atwood, EVP & Head of Sales for Zefr, will be promoted to Chief Sales Officer and will report into Byrne.

For more information about Zefr and the company's approach to contextual targeting, please visit http://zefr.com.

About Zefr
Zefr is a technology company that provides contextual targeting solutions at scale for brands advertising on YouTube. Unlike other YouTube advertising solutions that focus on audience, Zefr's advanced technology dissects content at the video level to ensure every brand message is delivered in the right context and against the right premium content every time. This in turn ensures that all brand messages are not only safe but are brand suitable. As a result of its unique offering, the company has built up a robust client roster that includes major brands across retail, automotive, beauty, entertainment, music, and more. The company is headquartered in Venice Beach, California, with offices in New York, and Chicago. For more information, go to:http://zefr.com.

SOURCE Zefr