Ad Results Media Appoints Co-CEOs, Steven Shanks and Michael Kropko

Co-founder and current CEO, Marshall Williams, will retire from the CEO role but will continue to support the business as chairman and advisor

Today Ad Results Media (ARM), the leader in creator-based advertising across podcast, video and emerging audio, announces the elevation of Steven Shanks, ARM’s current chief revenue officer, and Michael Kropko, currently chief operations officer, to co-chief executive officers. Marshall Williams, the company’s co-founder, and former chief executive officer, will continue to support the company as chairman for ARM.

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“We’ve built the gold standard in the audio advertising marketplace, leading as the #1 strategic audio ad agency partner driving the industry forward. Today, ARM is THE platform for audio advertising and this leadership team will continue to take ARM to the next level”

“We’ve built the gold standard in the audio advertising marketplace, leading as the #1 strategic audio ad agency partner driving the industry forward. Today, ARM is THE platform for audio advertising and this leadership team will continue to take ARM to the next level,” said Marshall Williams. “I could not be prouder of what we’ve achieved to date – from transforming startup teams into billion-dollar enterprises, and fueling DTC brands into household names, all thanks to the power of audio. While it’s bittersweet to be departing the CEO role, I will continue to support as Chairman and a key advisor to the business and could not leave the role in the hands of more capable people.”

Williams served as ARM’s CEO since 1998 along with co-founder Russell Lindley who will continue to serve as President. Michael Kropko, Steven Shanks and Kurt Kaufer joined forces with Ad Results when merging their businesses in 2016. Kaufer will now serve as chief growth officer. This leadership team will continue to pioneer new platforms for audio advertising through programming, delivery and new platforms for exploring and finding content. As over 109 million Americans tune in to podcasts every month across over two million individual shows, ARM believes there’s never been a better time to invest in audio.

“I’m honored to have had the opportunity to learn from Marshall for the last decade. I’ve enjoyed purchasing some of the first podcast ads, negotiating some of the largest buys in the history of podcasting, developing 360-degree integrated ad concepts, building sponsorships from the ground up, and ultimately fueling the industry up to $2 billion in ad revenue. I’m thrilled to work with our team to further innovate and deliver performance for our clients,” said Shanks.

“Research shows that listeners pay more attention to podcast ads than ads in any other medium and that advertising on a podcast is the best way for a brand to reach them. As multi-channel audio trailblazers, I look forward to expanding ARM’s market leading position as we help launch more brands into the space. We have an amazing team that delivers best in class services to our clients, from strategy and creative to advanced data analytics. I’m excited to further enhance our operational excellence and help our clients future-proof their brand and growth marketing strategies,” said Kropko.

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