Google ad sales exec departs to join Media6Degrees

Google advertising sales executive Penry Price will leave the company to become president of behavioral advertising firm Media6Degrees as of June 15, both companies said June 6.

Price will oversee Media6Degrees' sales and marketing teams, said Andrew Pancer, COO of Media6Degrees. Advertising Age first reported the hire on June 5.

Price will be charged with “building a world-class team and helping them to improve the level of strategic sales that we're bringing for our clients,” said Pancer. “In addition to that, [he will be] helping set the positioning and messaging for the company, how we go to market and also in terms of influencing product development and new revenue stream development.”

Media6Degrees' social targeting technology analyzes consumers' site visitation patterns to help companies develop and optimize online ad campaigns. Its clients include Lysol parent company Reckitt Benckiser, Carnival Cruise Lines and digital agency iCrossing.

Pancer said that “roughly 20” sales and marketing directors, account executives and sales planners will report directly to Price, who will report to Media6Degrees CEO Tom Phillips. With Price's hire, Phillips will shed his title as company president.

Price previously worked with Phillips for three years at Google. Phillips led search and analytics at the Mountain View, Calif.-based company before joining Media6Degrees in October 2009.

“We wish Penry all the best and thank him for his many contributions to Google,” said a Google spokesperson, via email.