Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief
There were rumblings and rumours last week in Miami (like there would be with any significant industry people get together) but it was confirmed late Monday that Dylan Mabin is stepping down from his role as President of Geopath, the not-for-profit organization that provides the industry-standard audience metrics for out-of-home advertising.
Dylan was promoted to Executive Vice President of Operations and Acting President at Geopath back in September 2021, three months after the infamous ‘Coup by Anna’ (MediaPost’s words not mine) and the assassination of Daenerys Targaryen.
Whether this ‘move’ is related to the meaurement wars is anyone’s guess (Dylan is listed as speaking at next week’s #OOH2024 Conference AND in an email sent by Geopath chairperson Michael Lieberman to their members, he writes “Dylan has graciously agreed to ensure there is a seamless transition and will continue in his current role while the Board of Directors undertakes the search for a new President. Furthermore, Dylan has pledged his support in onboarding the incoming leader once the selection process concludes” so it seems likely that Dylan won’t be going anywhere shortly.
By email Dylan said “I am very grateful and honored to have spent my time over the past decade plus working on behalf of the OOH industry and with the incredibly devoted and supportive staff and members of Geopath. I am proud of how far we have come as an organization and as an industry, but there is still so much opportunity for OOH to be more valued in the media mix. What Geopath has accomplished and will continue to accomplish will play a vital role in helping to realize that potential as the capabilities of this organization continue to advance.”
Personally I think there is more to this than meets the eye and no doubt it will be a hot topic in the bars and networking events next week in Carlbad, CA.
An Important Update from Our Chair,
Michael Lieberman
After dedicating more than 16 years to Geopath, with the last three as President, Dylan Mabin has decided to embark on the next chapter of his career.Remaining true to his deep-rooted passion and unwavering commitment to the organization, Dylan has graciously agreed to ensure there is a seamless transition and will continue in his current role while the Board of Directors undertakes the search for a new President. Furthermore, Dylan has pledged his support in onboarding the incoming leader once the selection process concludes.
Dylan’s profound impact on Geopath and the Out of Home industry’s measurement advancements cannot be overstated. He initially joined the organization in 2008, when it was still known as The Traffic Audit Bureau for Media Measurement. Throughout the years, Dylan’s responsibilities expanded across operations, research, and product development. During his tenure, Geopath’s membership expanded into transit and place-based media, now encompassing over 1.6 million out-of-home media assets, a substantial increase from 350,000 assets 16 years ago.
Dylan spearheaded numerous initiatives aimed at enhancing inventory auditing precision and refining methods to quantify out-of-home audiences. His leadership led to innovative approaches, including the utilization of wearable eye-tracking technology to measure both classic and digital inventory, as well as integrating vehicular speed to accurately reflect audience dwell time. Additionally, he oversaw the transition to advanced audience demographics and segmentation, while championing the development of improved reach and frequency metrics laying the groundwork for seamless integration of out-of-home media into cross-media strategic planning tools.
In 2021, Dylan provided stabilizing leadership as Acting President during a pivotal organizational transition, offering invaluable guidance and product knowledge during a critical juncture for the industry.
Throughout his tenure as President, Dylan addressed crucial product issues, fortified the product data and development engineering team, and outlined a clear strategic vision to support the out-of-home media industry’s growth. The Board and the entire organization express their heartfelt gratitude to Dylan for his instrumental role in preparing Geopath for its next phase of development.
Join us in extending sincere appreciation to Dylan for his exemplary years of service and leadership at Geopath, leaving an indelible mark on both the organization and the Out of Home industry as a whole.
Sincerely,
Michael Lieberman
Geopath Chairperson
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