Observed Signal · Nov 12, 2026 · Executive Appointment · Source: Madhive · Impact: 3/5
Madhive Hires Jack Smith as Chief Product & Technology Officer, Taps New General Managers to Accelerate AI-Powered Local Intelligence & Activation Platform
Madhive, the advertising platform purpose-built for local media, announced on November 12, 2026, the appointment of Jack Smith as Chief Product & Technology Officer. Smith, a former DoubleVerify and GroupM executive, will unify product and engineering leadership and oversee the expansion of Maverick AI Local Intelligence, making its proprietary AI-powered insights available to brands, agencies, and technology partners for the first time outside Madhive's own tools. In addition, Madhive promoted Murphy Rayburn to GM, Local Intelligence, and Anthony Campanella to GM, Content & Supply Products, and hired Sandra Baez as GM, Client Solutions, to drive commercial growth across key business units. These leadership changes aim to accelerate Madhive's growth and extend its platform to national advertisers and technology partners.
This leadership restructuring signals Madhive's strategic push to commercialize its AI-powered local intelligence platform externally, potentially disrupting the local advertising technology market and expanding its competitive footprint against national players.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Madhive appointed Jack Smith as Chief Product & Technology Officer, effective November 12, 2026.
- Smith will oversee the expansion of Maverick AI Local Intelligence, making its insights available to external partners via APIs and MCP.
- Murphy Rayburn promoted to GM, Local Intelligence; Anthony Campanella promoted to GM, Content & Supply Products; Sandra Baez hired as GM, Client Solutions.
- Maverick draws on insights from millions of hyperlocal campaigns to inform real-time bidding decisions.
Connected Companies & Entities
“Madhive is the company making the executive appointments and is the subject of the announcement.”
“DoubleVerify is mentioned as a previous employer of Jack Smith, providing context for his experience.”
“GroupM is mentioned as a previous employer of Jack Smith, providing context for his experience.”
“TEGNA is mentioned as a previous employer of Sandra Baez, providing context for her experience.”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Madhive Launches Maverick AI Agent Suite for Local DSP
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Madhive Partners with AdImpact for Local Spend Intelligence
Madhive, an advertising platform for local performance, has announced a partnership with AdImpact to integrate competitive advertising spend data into its local media ecosystem. The partnership will give broadcasters, agencies, and local advertisers detailed insights into advertiser investments across linear TV and connected TV (CTV). AdImpact provides coverage across 41,000 zip codes and 210 markets, with data on market share by advertiser, network, station, streaming app, and market. The data will be integrated into Madhive's local intelligence layer, Maverick AI, which uses over a decade of campaign and market insights. This initiative aims to help clients identify untapped revenue opportunities and plan more strategically, particularly relevant ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. BIA Advisory Services projects U.S. local advertising spending to reach $186.1 billion in 2026, making competitive intelligence increasingly vital for local media sellers and buyers as budgets shift toward streaming.
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