If ad tech were a rock concert, Oleg Korenfeld would be the lead guitarist, playing the riffs that make the industry headbang to his tune.
Pesach Lattin, the charismatic conductor of this wild ride, sat down with Oleg, the CTO of CMI Media Group, on the latest episode of the Adotat Show. Buckle up (or don’t—Oleg prefers a smooth ride), because this is not your standard corporate snoozefest.
Pesach kicked things off with his usual flair, “All right, everyone, fasten your seat belts and hide your cookies,” a playful warning to the audience about the electrifying conversation ahead. Oleg’s response? A casual “Hey, how are you?” proving that even ad tech wizards keep it cool under the spotlight.
Road Show Revelations
Oleg shared that he’s been “definitely traveling more” to CMI’s various offices, prepping for a company-wide roadshow. “Technically in New York,” he says, but their biggest hub is Philly. This tour isn’t just about shaking hands and kissing babies. It’s about rallying the troops around CMI’s new platform, Empower, which Oleg likens to the “Godzilla of health marketing tech.”
Asked to reveal the “juiciest tidbit” from his travels, Oleg disappointed gossip enthusiasts everywhere with a deadpan, “Very boring life, all is well.” Classic Oleg, keeping the cards close and the data closer.
From Siberian Snows to the Ad Tech Glow
Oleg Korenfeld’s journey to the ad tech summit began in a place colder than the server rooms housing today’s complex ad platforms: Siberia. At the tender age of 12, he embarked on a monumental migration that would transplant him from the icy expanses of the Soviet Union to the bustling streets of Brooklyn, New York. “Leaving Siberia and moving to the United States at the age of 12, how’s that? That’s where I was born,” Oleg reminisces about his epic journey. This wasn’t just a change in longitude and latitude; it was a leap across worlds—trading snow drifts for skyscrapers and a repressive regime for the frenetic freedom of New York City. His early life in Siberia is a far cry from his current role, but it’s a foundational part of his narrative that shapes his resilience and perspective—a true testament to the notion that sometimes, the best prep for a career in cutting-edge technology is a childhood wrapped in old-world challenges.
Upon arriving in America in 1990, the culture shock was as palpable as the New York summer humidity. The young Oleg found himself navigating a new language, a new school system, and a dizzyingly different cultural landscape. “Culture shock was probably the biggest piece of it because I lived in Soviet Union… It took us about six months to actually get to United States because at the time you couldn’t just go directly. We left as Jewish refugees. There was a process that we had to follow,” he explains. This wasn’t just a move; it was a complete overhaul of life as he knew it. The seeds of adaptability and keen situational awareness were sown here, traits that would later flourish into a career that spans the globe and the gamut of digital advertising technology. From a childhood navigating the stark realities of the Soviet era to pioneering the future of ad tech, Oleg’s story is as much about the worlds he’s navigated as it is about the data streams he now commands.
Empower: Not Your Average Monster
Let’s cut to the chase: Empower isn’t just another cog in the healthcare marketing machine—it’s the Godzilla in the room, smashing old tech like Tokyo skyscrapers. This platform from CMI Media Group is like your high-tech Swiss Army knife in a world where most are still fumbling with dull scissors. It integrates data, delivers insights, and drives campaigns with the kind of precision that would make a neurosurgeon weep with envy. Think less Franken-tool, more sleek, all-seeing oracle of health marketing—a must in an industry where a misplaced decimal can mean more than just an oopsie.
With Empower’s full SaaS capability, Oleg Korenfeld might as well be throwing a rave for efficiency enthusiasts. Why juggle with multiple platforms when you can party on just one? This system brings everyone to the same dance floor—agencies, clients, publishers—and guess what? They’re not stepping on each other’s toes. It’s a single login to utopia, a seamless integration that not only saves nine but also shaves hours off your day previously wasted syncing the unsyncable. If efficiency had a VIP lounge, Empower would be the bouncer deciding who gets in.
Dive deeper, and it’s clear that Empower’s true beast mode activates through its data capabilities. We’re talking about a treasure trove of high-caliber health data that’s as curated as the guest list at an Elon Musk space launch. This platform doesn’t just use data; it wields it with the finesse of a marketing samurai, slicing through the clutter with targeted campaigns that are so on point they could pinpoint your appendix in the dark. In the labyrinthine corridors of health marketing, where navigating regulations and patient needs often feels like threading a needle with a boxing glove, Empower stands out as the platform that doesn’t just keep up but sets the pace.
The Magellan of Ad Tech
Navigating the choppy waters of ad tech, Oleg Korenfeld has charted a course that would make Magellan look like he was just paddling around the pond in Central Park. This ad tech veteran started his journey at DoubleClick in 1998, a time when “programmatic” was just a twinkle in the industry’s eye. “Oh my God. So yeah, it’s been a 25-year journey. Last December, I celebrated 25 years in this industry,” Oleg recounts, mapping out his quarter-century trek from tech, to media, to the agency side. His career reads less like a resume and more like an epic saga of digital marketing’s coming of age.
With each transition, Oleg didn’t just move jobs; he absorbed the essence of each sector, allowing him to “apply it every day in my work.” His holistic insight is akin to having a triple-threat in Hollywood—except this isn’t Tinseltown, it’s tech, and he’s working with algorithms instead of actors. “And it’s interesting, like looking back at it 25 years. And I think that’s what kind of makes my perspective work for me and kind of, and apply it every day in my work,” says Oleg. His journey through companies like DoubleClick, various media pioneers, and finally to the agency world has endowed him with a panoramic view of the ad landscape—priceless in an industry where many are still trying to zoom in with binoculars.
The real kicker? Oleg sees his broad experience as the key to his current role. Connecting the dots between technology providers, media outlets, and advertising agencies has equipped him with a unique vantage point to foresee and leverage shifts in the ad tech ecosystem. “In 25 years, I spent about equal amount of time at this point on the technology side of things,” he explains, ensuring that his strategies are not just well-informed but prescient. His role as the CTO at CMI Media Group isn’t just about keeping the lights on; it’s about illuminating the future of ad tech, ensuring that while others may be content to follow maps, he’s busy making them.
Switching topics quickly, When the clock strikes midnight, Oleg’s snacking on pistachios—not celery, thank you very much—and perhaps headbanging to Judas Priest’s latest, proving you can mix health tech with heavy metal and keep things rocking.
Navigating Through Ad Tech’s Legal Landscape
When it comes to navigating the Sargasso Sea of ad tech regulation, Oleg Korenfeld steers the ship with the ease of a seasoned captain. The tightening of privacy laws could send less prepared firms into a tailspin, or as Pesach Lattin phrased it, “tighter than my jeans after Thanksgiving,” but for Oleg and CMI, it’s just another day at the office. “It is an interesting question because of who we are. As a healthcare media agency, we’ve had to deal with regulation always,” Oleg elucidates with the calm of someone who’s faced more than his fair share of regulatory storms. For CMI, navigating HIPAA is not a distress call but a standard operating procedure. This isn’t about scrambling in the face of new regulations; it’s about utilizing a well-oiled compliance machine that’s been humming along for years.
HIPAA, for example, isn’t just a box to check off for CMI, it’s a part of their DNA. Oleg mentions, “It’s not a kind of freak out thing for us… What are we doing? We know how to work within regulations. We’ve worked within them for the entire life of the company.”
This seasoned approach allows them to pivot and partner effectively, ensuring that every campaign not only meets but dances gracefully within legal frameworks. “We’re in a good place, we’re working with a lot of great partners to help us keep everything kosher,” he adds, highlighting the importance of strong partnerships in maintaining compliance. In an industry where many are playing catch-up with the rules,
CMI’s forward-thinking compliance strategy places them at the forefront, ready to face whatever regulatory challenges come their way without missing a beat.
Looking Ahead: No Retirement in Sight
For Oleg Korenfeld, the notion of retirement is about as appealing as a dial-up connection in a gigabit world. “Five years definitely still disrupting the entire world. I am a workaholic. I cannot see myself retiring ever, which is scary,” he declares with a blend of foresight and fervor that’s rare even in the high-octane realm of ad tech. Oleg’s career drive doesn’t just run on high; it’s seemingly got an inexhaustible power source. Much like his forebear in the relentless pursuit of business innovation, his father, who at 70 is juggling three different businesses with no plans to slow down. Oleg looks to this family legacy as both a roadmap and a challenge: to continue pushing boundaries, exploring new technologies, and perhaps most importantly, loving the game far too much to ever step away from the table.
The idea of basking on a sunny beach while the world of ad tech spins on without him seems unfathomable to Oleg. Instead, he pictures a future still deeply entwined with the ever-evolving digital marketing landscape. His vision is clear: keep disrupting, keep innovating, and keep being indispensable. “And it’s amazing. Still in it, still love it. And 25 years later, I still find so much new and exciting things to do. I’m not,” he muses, trailing off as if the thought of not being involved is too boring to even finish the sentence. For Oleg, retirement isn’t just a distant prospect—it’s an irrelevant one. In the relentless pace of ad tech, he’s not just keeping up; he’s setting the pace, ensuring that as long as there are new challenges to tackle, he’ll be right there on the front lines, clipboard and code in hand.
The Final Word
Oleg Korenfeld’s final thoughts in the interview ventured into the philosophical underpinnings of the ad industry—a space where egos often collide and the next big thing is always around the corner. He relishes open, candid discussions that strip away titles and pretense, where the real meat of the industry can be chewed over with intellectual honesty. “The beautiful thing about our industry and obviously the people that I’ve worked with, I don’t think there’s anything that is off the table. We can be as honest and direct with one another,” he notes, emphasizing the value of transparency and directness in fostering a dynamic work environment. It’s these unrecorded, ego-free zones that fuel his continued passion for ad tech—a sentiment many veterans share but few articulate with such candor.
Continuing, Oleg reflects on the role of AI in this fiercely competitive sector. Far from viewing it as a potential dystopian nightmare, he sees AI as a tool that, if wielded wisely, can enhance efficiency and precision across the board. “Take a very pragmatic and practical approach, understanding the types of AI that is available to us and just because we can do something, should we be doing it,” he advises, promoting a balanced, thoughtful integration of AI capabilities. It’s about using technology to enhance human decision-making, not replace it—ensuring that AI serves the industry’s needs without crossing into the eerie valley of overautomation.
Wrapping up, the discussion veers towards the personal touchpoints that keep him grounded despite the high-flying nature of his career. Oleg’s adventurous spirit is evident, not just in his professional life but in his personal anecdotes, like his move from Siberia to the US, which he describes as the “most adventurous thing I’ve done in life.” This blend of personal history and professional foresight makes Oleg a uniquely insightful figure in the digital marketing world—one who respects the past’s complexities while eagerly navigating the future’s possibilities. His story is a vivid reminder that behind every tech innovation and strategic maneuver, there’s a personal journey, driving each click, code, and campaign forward.
This episode wasn’t just a peek behind the curtain at CMI’s operations—it was a masterclass in navigating the ad tech labyrinth with wit, wisdom, and a little bit of rock ‘n’ roll. Stay tuned for more unfiltered insights from the front lines of digital marketing on the Adotat Show, where the future of ad tech is debated, dissected, and delivered with a dash of irreverence.
