Meet Kelly McIvor, a Principal Product Manager working out of our Seattle office! Outside of managing product developments and his team, Kelly loves to be outside on the water and spend time with his kids; they have recently taken up kickboxing in the backyard! Get to know him better in this week’s AdColonized employee spotlight!
What exactly does a Principal Product Manager do at AdColony? What’s an average day like for you?
Like a lot of us, my average work day involves meetings/Slack/email. But outside of that, I work with the broader product team to plan and prioritize new Ad Server, SDK, and Portal features and functionality that will be available to customers and internal teams when managing supply and demand.
Tell us a little about your experiences prior to joining AdColony and how they have prepared you for your role here.
I have a long history in the mobile space (video streaming, games, apps) and most recently came from RhythmOne (now Tremor) where I ran all supply-side products for their desktop and mobile web publishers. It may be no surprise to hear that the mobile space is about five years behind the desktop space. Other experiences include several startups in the mobile space (start-ups are hard, people!) and five years as an instructor at the University of Washington graduate school of Communications where I taught a class on Mobile Strategy.
What makes AdColony the right fit for you?
AdColony fits right in with my mobile background but layers in the mobile in-app aspect. Additionally, AdColony is not a HUGE company. I like the camaraderie of smaller teams.
AdColony values employee development. How do you keep growing and learning in what you do?
There are always opportunities to learn. My personal approach includes investigating areas of personal interest. For example, I not-too-recently earned a certificate in Artificial Intelligence from MIT. On a more day-to-day basis, I look at the areas of my work that need improvement and try to get input on how to be better doing those things.
How do you act as a resource for the rest of your team?
I organize our weekly product meeting where we collaborate on any cross-team issues, discuss industry developments, and generally hone our product-speak.
Is there someone you turn to personally or professionally?
Until his death, I often turned to my Dad. He always seemed to have insights into things I thought he’d know nothing about. At the moment, I’m mostly making it happen on my own.
Many global AdColony employees are still working from home. Do you have any work-from-home tips for success you can share?
Earplugs. Unless I’m on a call, I use earplugs so I can’t hear the three other people in the house, which is small, who are also on Zoom, doing virtual piano lessons or just being crazy.
What are your hobbies or activities that you look forward to doing on the weekends or after work?
In this part of the world, we are blessed with many outdoor opportunities. We have the sea, the mountains, and even desert within a couple hours drive. My preference is to be on the water. Preferably in a boat – a power boat, I’m not about sailing yet – that I can navigate from port to port, but kayaking is great, too. As a relatively new Dad, I also enjoy hanging out with my boys who often join me in some backyard kickboxing.
Which app is keeping you engaged lately? Why?
Honestly, TikTok has me pulled in at the moment. Something about the short videos, the swiping, and the more I use it, the more relevant the content gets. I’m still pretty new, so I’m still learning, but I’m curious to see if I end up in a content bubble because of their machine learning algorithms.
Tell us one or two fun facts about you.
I’m an ordained minister and have performed 12+ weddings. In one wedding, I was not only the officiant but also the sax player who played “Always And Forever” during the couple’s first dance.
What is your favorite moment you’ve had with the AdColony team so far?
Picking one moment as the greatest feels odd to me. All moments share different qualities, and there have been many memorable moments.
What are you listening to lately (music, podcasts, etc.)?
I listen to a TON of podcasts and audiobooks. Most recently, I’ve doubled down on the Marketplace series produced by American Public Media. My dream is to be interviewed by Kai Ryssdal. Love that guy.
What are you looking forward to most in the next 5 years?
Getting vaccinated and achieving herd immunity.
About AdColonized
Each AdColonized feature shines a light on a different member of the AdColony team. From favorite apps and hobbies to fun facts, we cover it all! Who do you want to see on the next AdColonized? Tweet it to @AdColony. For the latest AdColony mobile news and updates, follow @AdColony on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or connect on LinkedIn.
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