Attain, the largest permission-based purchase data platform in the U.S., has hired industry veteran Ben Kartzman as its first President and Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Kartzman joins the company after nearly three years as COO at Mediaocean. He also served as President of Flashtalking, an ad server which was acquired by Mediaocean in 2021; Flashtalking had previously acquired Kartzman’s company, Spongecell, in 2018.

“I’m excited to join Attain and bring my experience in driving operational excellence and customer-focused growth to this innovative company,” Kartzman said. “Having transformed ad tech companies and emphasized customer success throughout my career, I look forward to helping Attain redefine measurement and deliver unparalleled value by delivering performance outcomes to our clients.”

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Kartzman will directly report to Attain co-founder and CEO Brian Mandelbaum. “Kartzman’s proven leadership and extensive industry experience will be instrumental in continuing our efforts to drive product innovation,” Mandelbaum said. “His focus on ensuring our offerings remain at the forefront of the industry aligns closely with our mission in delivering performance outcomes for our customers.”

Kartzman’s immediate goal at Attain includes driving growth and delivering measurable outcomes for clients, particularly in light of the industry’s shift toward first-party data and away from third-party cookies. By focusing on customer acquisition and operational excellence, he aims to position Attain as an indispensable resource for marketers navigating the evolving landscape of data privacy and digital advertising.

“My initial focus at Attain will be on ensuring that every new customer we onboard has a tremendous experience,” said Kartzman. “By entrenching ourselves as a must-have for marketers, we aim to deliver consistent value and make Attain an essential part of our clients’ strategies.”

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As COO at Mediaocean and President of Flashtalking, Kartzman brings more than two decades of industry knowledge and leadership experience to the team. At Flashtalking, he played a pivotal role in expanding the company’s dynamic creative optimization capabilities, transforming it into the leading global independent ad server. Prior to this, as CEO and co-founder of Spongecell, Kartzman led the company’s evolution from a respected rich media provider to a market-leading dynamic creative platform.

Kartzman’s earlier career includes consulting roles at Accenture, Bridgeline, and venture backed Guidester. He holds a dual BS in Human-Computer Interaction and Information and Decision Systems from Carnegie Mellon University.