COLAB IS A SPECIALIST MARKET RESEARCH AND CONSULTING fiRM
WE PROVIDE UNIQUE INSIGHTS FOR GLOBAL MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY BUSINESSES
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We bring together a collaborative network of senior industry specialists, giving clients flexible access to skills, experience and contacts beyond their existing teams.
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We help you navigate industry hype with an independent and unbiased view on the strategy, skills or tools you need to thrive.
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Successful businesses must place bets on the future. We offer primary and secondary research, and deep sector experience, to bring you facts not theory.
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Our Revenue Operations Barometer survey is the largest ongoing research of media owner advertising operations around the World. We use it to help publishers and vendors identify key trends emerging across our industry.
“CoLab had an immediate positive impact. They brought a hands-on approach and quickly built rapport with our team. They have a deep understanding of all facets of the media business and are very well connected.”
“CoLab offer a wealth of industry experience. Theirs is a ‘Goldilocks’ approach to consulting engagements in that they guarantee just the right amount of expertise given, and overall scope.”
“CoLab delivered a comprehensive options document on how to launch a new channel to market. Their knowledge of the programmatic advertising market is extensive and they have a great mix of technology and business experience.”
OUR TEAM
remembering PHIL ELIGIO: 1984-2022
Phil was an outstanding strategic and analytical business leader with a flair for emerging technology. He spent most of his career working for major publishers, including senior roles at The Guardian, Adevinta and Time Out Group.
In recent years, switching to consulting, Phil became a trusted advisor to a number of major European publishing organisations, including Axel Springer and the European Publishing Council.
It’s hard to put into words the gap that Phil has left both as a colleague and a friend. He was an intelligent and caring soul and we will miss him forever.
Duncan Arthur: FOUNDING Partner (MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY)
Duncan has over 20 years of digital advertising experience gained in both media owner and agency roles in the UK and Australia. He founded CoLab in Sydney in 2015 before moving operations to London in 2017.
He has worked extensively with advertising technology, particularly for the publishing side of the industry. Most recently he was Managing Director at Illuma, an AI-driven contextual targeting start-up. Prior to this he was interim CEO for KPEX, a programmatic co-operative involving the largest publishers in New Zealand. And before this he was Commercial Director at The Guardian in Australia, where he led all local revenue operations.
In his most recent agency-side role, Duncan was Director of Digital Services at Initiative, where he launched and developed the Australian digital operations and led strategy for major local and international brands including Emirates, Hyundai, Kia, Macquarie Bank and Fairfax.
TOM BOWMAN: PARTNER (MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY)
Tom is a well-known senior advisor, consultant and industry speaker who has helped transform digital advertising practice for multiple, global brands including BBC Worldwide, MSN and ZDNet.
Most recently he was CEO of IOTEC, a machine-learning platform operating in the programmatic advertising space. Before this he was SVP of Advertising at BBC Worldwide, where he managed the advertising launch of bbc.com and was responsible for revenue for both television and digital products.
Prior to this Tom spent 10 years with MSN: first, launching UK ad sales, then leading global sales development across EMEA, LATAM and APAC.
Tom served for several years as an elected Board member of IAB Europe and was recognized as IAB Europe’s Personality of the Year in 2013. For four years he was a mentor on the BBC Worldwide Labs programme, assisting emerging UK digital and technology companies.
ANNE GOODMAN: ASSOCIATE (MARKETING, MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY)
Anne is a skillful leader and influencer with over 20 years' experience in the commercial management and governance of digital platforms. She has extensive expertise creating strategic propositions for ad technology and media companies as well as developing business and digital strategies to deliver revenue targets. Her skills include driving business growth through strategic planning, technology application and integration, product innovation, third party alliances and organisation evolution.
Anne has held senior marketing, operations and technology positions within major commercial organisations, including: BBC Worldwide, Microsoft and MSN, PwC, British Airways, British Telecom, and WPP. She has led teams ranging from 10 – 1000 people in EMEA, North and South America, Asia and Australia and has managed budgets exceeding $120m.
andrew rolf: ASSOCIATE (DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION)
Andrew is an expert on digital transformation. He has worked with multiple news and magazine publishers around the World and has been the keynote speaker at the World News Congress and the Digital Innovators' Summit. He has held senior positions in major media organisations, including Head of Commercial Delivery at Guardian News and Media, where he played a pivotal role in launching The Guardian's award-winning website and apps in 2014.
Prior to this Andrew spent 15 years in various consultancies working in Europe and the US. He was Head of Customer Experience at organisational design consultancy KPMG Boxwood where he worked with clients operating in the media, technology and retail sectors.
FRANCIS PACHECO: ASSOCIATE (RESEARCH, DATA & ANALYTICS)
Francisco has managed qualitative and quantitative data and insights for some of the world’s most recognizable brands, including Microsoft, British Airways, and T-Mobile.
He graduated from Cambridge University at the dawn of the digital era and has spent his career using insights to drive digital strategy and enable data driven culture.
His experience in media businesses includes heading insights for Haymarket Automotive where he introduced ‘systems thinking’ capabilities allowing the business to better understand and predict car-buyer behaviours.
ian gibbs: ASSOCIATE (MARKET RESEARCH)
Ian is a highly experienced data consultant who has spent over fifteen years honing his skills in digital advertising planning, effectiveness research and analytics. He has held senior positions at leading research firms including Millward Brown and IDC, and for much of the past decade has operated on the publisher side as Head of Commercial Insight at The Guardian in London.
Ian leads research projects with CoLab and also consults independently through his own business, Data Stories. He has a great track record helping businesses across the media landscape to better understand their data and insight needs in relation to digital planning and measurement.
Matt Rosenberg: ASSOCIATE (MARKETING)
Matt is a 20-year digital marketing veteran with extensive experience leading creative, media, mobile and programmatic companies and projects. He has held senior leadership positions both on the vendor-side, most recently as CMO at Choicestream, and also agency-side, including as Executive Vice-President at Big Spaceship.
For the early part of his career, Matt worked as a television comedy writer in Los Angeles and this is reflected in his unique ability to help businesses tell simple, compelling, relatable and differentiated stories in order to succeed.
Matt is a regular contributor to trade media in the US market and is experienced leading and presenting research at major industry conferences.
Matt BROWN: ADVISOR (AD OPERATIONS)
Matt is an advertising operations expert with over 20 years experience in both broadcast and digital environments. He is exceptionally well-versed in all current industry technologies and their uses and is able to deliver clients straight forward solutions to improve efficiency and maximise revenue.
His specific areas of expertise include: team leadership, project management, ad technology, strategic planning and revenue delivery. Add to this a consistently proven ability to work to tight deadlines within fast-paced business environments.
ian CURD: aDVISOR (DATA & TECHNOLOGY)
Ian is a uniquely skilled media, technology and data expert who brings a truly international perspective to the CoLab team. Born in Berlin, raised in Australia and now living in France, Ian is particularly adept in understanding local and regional market differences.
During the last 10 years, Ian has been involved in the development of the core platform waves including: Ad serving/Programmatic, CRM, Data Privacy and Data Management. As such, he has deep experience leading businesses and initiatives involved with publisher, data, and marketing technologies across European and Asia Pacific markets.
In his current role, Ian leads technology and data-focused strategy for Diageo’s portfolio of brands and markets.