RTL’s Smartclip creates three VP roles and unveils chief product officer

RTL Group’s adtech unit Smartclip has promoted Gloria Eichner to chief product officer and created three new vice-president (VP) roles in a significant expansion of its leadership team.

Eichler, who was VP, ad platform, has worked at Smartclip for 12 years and will join co-CEOs Thomas Servatius and Oliver Vesper, and chief technology officer René Wagner, at the C-suite level.

As chief product officer, Eichler will be responsible for Smartclip’s strategic product direction as the unit bids to build cutting-edge adtech solutions for European broadcasters and publishers.

Additionally, three new VP roles have been created: Mirjam Naves becomes VP, projects and processes; Shira Leffel has assumed the role of VP, marketing and product education; and Christian Osterhues has been appointed VP, people and culture.

Naves, Osterhues and Leffel

The new leadership appointments are all in-house promotions.

RTL said the roles signal a new stage in Smartclip’s transition into a company purely focused on developing adtech, following the split from its media division last year, and is now part of RTL AdAlliance.

Women now make up 40% of Smartclip’s leadership team, exceeding the industry average of 28% (according to the DDI Global Leadership Forecast 2023).

Servatius said:  “Last year was a landmark year for us as we completed our transformation into a pure-play adtech company. This shift necessitated a strategic revamp of our organisational structure as well as our brand identity — both signalling a new era of focus and innovation. We’re excited to build on this momentum in 2024 as we continue to develop cutting-edge advertising technology that puts the interests of European broadcasters first.”