Singapore – Global web recommendation platform Outbrain has appointed Benjamin Steel, former head of business development for APAC at advertising agency Bench, to be its new general manager for SEA.
In his new role, Steel, who will be based in Singapore, will be responsible for developing Outbrain‘s regional business strategy and digital growth, leading a successful business team and delivering revenue growth from both publisher and advertiser sales.
Steel has a wealth of experience in APAC, having spent eight years based in Singapore. Aside from his previous role at Bench, Steel has held senior sales management roles at eGentic and AB Tasty. Moreover, he has held various roles in Australia, including new business manager at Yahoo, where he was tasked with launching Yahoo Native.
Commenting on his appointment, Steel said that Outbrain is a rapidly growing company and now is an excellent time to join the team, as he aspires to make a positive difference here.
“Great content matters even more today than ever before. Outbrain publishers can expect continued support to better monetise journalism and independent journalism as we expand deeper into South East Asia regions,” he added.
Meanwhile, Andrew Burke, Outbrain’s managing director for APAC and growth markets (India, China, and Brazil), shared that Steel brings a strong track record of digital technology experience and is the ideal candidate to help lead the business in South East Asia, a region that is becoming increasingly important to their business.
“As Outbrain’s new general manager, we know Benjamin is committed to growing our existing presence in the market. He already has plans to expand the publisher base and deepen relationships with marketers and agencies using our innovative monetisation tools. In doing so, we’re working towards building a thriving native advertising ecosystem in the region,” said Burke.
He added, “His expertise in digital advertising and ability to collaborate in a team-oriented environment will advance our growth in the region, and we are very much looking forward to working with him.”
