Paramount Skydance is bringing on a former Big Tech executive to take its technology to the next level.
Hugh Williams, a former Google VP credited with helping invent the “infinite scroll” feature, is joining David Ellison’s Paramount to bolster the company’s advertising tech and product.
Williams, who’s been called “the godfather of doomscrolling,” was hired by Bill Gates at Microsoft to help build what became Bing. He then was a VP at eBay and Tinder before joining Google, and has since advised tech companies like DoorDash.
Paramount product chief Dane Glasgow told employees on Thursday that Williams is “a highly respected technology leader” who has “deep experience building and scaling” digital platforms.
“His track record of modernizing technology ecosystems and unlocking new business value makes him an exceptional fit for Paramount as we continue to evolve our technical capabilities and prowess,” Glasgow said in a memo announcing the hire, which was obtained by Business Insider.
Williams joins Paramount as an EVP and “Executive in Residence” focused on the company’s ad tech. He’ll report to Glasgow, the product chief said. Williams will oversee Paramount ad sales and platform execs Travis Scoles, Todd Bender, and Paul Mahood.
Read the full memo from Paramount’s product chief here:
Team, As we continue to transform our business and execute against our ambitious strategy, I’m excited to share that Hugh Williams will be joining Paramount as our new Executive Vice President, Executive in Residence (EIR), reporting to me. Hugh is a highly respected technology leader with deep experience building and scaling platforms at the intersection of data, commerce, and digital products. Over the course of his career, he has held senior leadership roles at some of the world’s most innovative companies — including Google, eBay, and Microsoft — driving large-scale transformation across engineering, data, and product organizations. He has also advised DoorDash, Ocado, and ASOS through critical transformations and growth periods. His track record of modernizing technology ecosystems and unlocking new business value makes him an exceptional fit for Paramount as we continue to evolve our technical capabilities and prowess. Hugh’s unrivaled expertise and proven ability to innovate will make him an important partner to me and our leadership team as we work together to transform our business. As an EIR, Hugh will advise on a number of crucial matters, beginning with the design and execution of a unified Advertising Product and Technology function. Doing so will help us deliver best-in-class solutions for our partners and audiences and drive our advertising technology roadmap further. A critical part of Hugh’s work will be evolving our organizational design and leading change management efforts as we create a more integrated, high-performing Ad Tech function. To this end, Travis Scoles, Todd Bender and Paul Mahood will join the unified Ad Tech organization under Hugh’s leadership, driving cross-functional work across our business. Partnering closely with Jay and the Ad Sales team, Cindy and the DTC team, and other key internal stakeholders, this team will ensure we are operating with clarity, speed, and accountability while continuing to advance our monetization capabilities. Please join me in welcoming Hugh to Paramount. I’m confident his leadership will help us take a significant step forward in building a modern, scalable, and high-impact advertising technology ecosystem. Cheers! Dane
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