KERV.ai has appointed Joshua Koran as Chief Product and Technology Officer to lead its global product and technology team.
Koran joins the advertising technology company with more than 30 years of experience across media and adtech businesses, including InMarket, Criteo, Zeta Global, Sizmek, Turn, AT&T AdWorks and ValueClick. Based in Silicon Valley, he has worked on digital marketing, audience intent intelligence and content optimisation technologies throughout his career.
The appointment comes as companies across television, streaming and digital media seek advertising formats that can be measured more clearly and linked more directly to transactions. KERV.ai focuses on analysing video content at scene and moment level to identify points where brands can place interactive or commerce-led advertising.
Its work centres on Connected TV, streaming and digital video, where advertisers and media owners are looking for ways to make advertising less passive. Koran will oversee the development and execution of the company's next generation of AI-based products for that market.
Koran has been granted 26 patents related to digital marketing and content optimisation, according to KERV.ai. He also served on the board of NAI for several years and helped co-architect the AdChoices and TCF programmes, which were designed to improve how consumers signal their online personalisation preferences.
He currently chairs the governance working group for AdCP, a decentralised framework intended to direct more advertising spending towards media owners rather than large closed platforms. That policy and standards background complements a career largely spent in product and commercial technology roles.
Product push
At KERV.ai, Koran is expected to lead work on contextual enrichment tools, creative products, and media planning, analysis and optimisation agents. Those systems are intended to improve signal transparency and support strategy recommendations and natural-language reporting in premium video environments.
The business has positioned itself around the idea that television screens are becoming more interactive and that viewers increasingly expect functions similar to those on websites and mobile apps. That shift has encouraged adtech companies to build tools that connect content, audience signals and shopping activity.
KERV.ai recently launched its Moment Match Engine and announced a partnership with Canela Media. Those moves indicate an expansion of its commercial relationships as it builds out its product set around contextual video analysis and ad monetisation.
Gary Mittman, Chief Executive Officer of KERV.ai, linked the hire to those market changes.
"The rapid shift towards more intelligent, measurable ad experiences has redefined how audiences engage and connect to content," said Gary Mittman, Chief Executive Officer of KERV.ai. "Joshua will help us unlock true commerce and advertising interactivity within and around the viewing experience at scale. As TVs increasingly adopt the same dynamic functionality that consumers expect from the web, Joshua's expertise across media, adtech, and data will help accelerate our ability to continue delivering the next generation of immersive, shoppable, and outcome-driven advertising experiences across any screen."
Industry background
Koran has held senior roles during a period when digital advertising moved from standard display formats towards audience targeting, retail media and more automated buying systems. His experience spans identity, measurement, consumer intent and ad delivery, all of which have become central as streaming television attracts more brand and performance advertising budgets.
For KERV.ai, the hire suggests a stronger emphasis on product development as competition intensifies in video advertising technology. Media owners are under pressure to find new revenue streams from streaming audiences, while brands want formats that show clearer evidence of engagement and sales impact.
Koran said the company's position in interactive video and commerce was a major reason for joining.
"I am thrilled to be joining KERV.ai at this crucial ecosystem inflection point," said Joshua Koran, Chief Product and Technology Officer of KERV.ai. "KERV.ai is the undeniable leader in transforming passive video into interactive commerce by identifying high-value moments that align to consumer intent. I was drawn to the company by its culture and people. The atmosphere is a rare balance of kindness and drive, essential qualities for building both strong teams and innovative technology. I look forward to accelerating the growth of KERV.ai's clients as we automate the future of connected commerce."