By Ocient Staff
AdTech organizations generate and analyze some of the largest and most complex datasets in the world. As privacy requirements evolve, AI adoption accelerates, and expectations for real-time insights continue to grow, the ability to process and act on massive volumes of data has become a critical competitive advantage.
In this employee spotlight, we highlight Michael Conway, Field CTO for AdTech Markets. Michael works closely with customers, partners, and industry leaders to help organizations rethink how they manage, analyze, and derive value from data at scale. Drawing on decades of experience across media, technology, and AdTech, he helps bridge the gap between business challenges and technical solutions while shaping strategies that enable customers to unlock faster, more efficient analytics.
Let’s learn more about Michael’s background and see how he fits into his role here at Ocient.
Where are you based, and how has Ocient’s remote-first culture helped you work and live the way you want?
I’m based in Boca Raton, Florida, although my role keeps me connected with customers, partners, and colleagues across the U.S. and internationally.
Ocient’s remote-first culture has been incredibly valuable because it allows me to stay close to both my family and the market. I can work deeply with our internal teams, support customer conversations across time zones, and still maintain the flexibility that matters at this stage of my career. For me, that balance is important. I’ve always believed that great work comes from trust, accountability, and outcomes, not from where someone happens to be sitting on a given day.
You have had a long career in media and AdTech. What are the lessons you learned about such a dynamic industry?
The biggest lesson is that AdTech never stands still. Every few years the industry is reshaped by a new wave of change — programmatic, mobile, CTV, identity, privacy, measurement, now AI — but the underlying challenge remains the same: how do you make better decisions, faster, with more confidence?
I’ve also learned that technology alone is not enough. The best companies are the ones that can align product, engineering, data, and commercial strategy around a real customer problem. In AdTech, it is easy to get distracted by acronyms, platforms, and trends. The winners are usually the teams that stay focused on execution, performance, transparency, and trust.
The other lesson is that scale matters, but usable scale matters more. Having massive amounts of data is not valuable unless you can access it, govern it, analyze it, and act on it quickly enough to impact the business.
When it comes to data, what do you see as the biggest challenge?
The biggest challenge is no longer just the volume of data. The industry has learned how to collect enormous amounts of event-level, bidstream, impression, identity, and measurement data.
The harder challenge is turning that data into timely, trusted decisions.
AdTech companies are dealing with massive scale, fragmented infrastructure, rising cloud costs, privacy constraints, signal loss, and increasing expectations around real-time performance. At the same time, their customers want better measurement, more transparency, and proof that media dollars are driving incremental outcomes.
That is where I think Ocient is uniquely relevant. The companies that can query and analyze hyperscale data quickly, efficiently, and economically will have a real advantage. The future of AdTech will depend less on who has the most data and more on who can make the best use of it.
What destination is currently at the top of your travel bucket list, and why?
Bali is currently at the top of my travel bucket list. It feels like the kind of destination that offers the right mix of natural beauty, culture, history, food, and the ability to truly disconnect.
I’ve always been drawn to places that provide more than just a vacation — places where you can experience a different pace of life, learn from the local culture, and come back with a broader perspective. Bali seems to offer that balance: incredible landscapes, meaningful traditions, and an environment that encourages reflection and reset. After years in a fast-moving industry like AdTech, that combination is especially appealing..
How has your career grown and evolved during your time at Ocient?
My time at Ocient has allowed me to bring together several parts of my career: technology leadership, product strategy, customer engagement, and deep AdTech experience.
Earlier in my career, I spent a lot of time building and operating engineering and product organizations. Over time, my role evolved into helping companies connect technology decisions to business outcomes. At Ocient, that evolution continues. As Field CTO for AdTech Markets, I get to work at the intersection of market strategy, customer pain points, product capability, and technical architecture.
What I enjoy most is helping customers understand what is possible when they rethink how they manage and analyze data at scale. It is a role that lets me be technical, strategic, and customer-facing all at once.
What piece of career advice would you give your younger self?
I would tell my younger self to invest earlier in relationships, communication, and mentorship, not just technical expertise.
Technical skill matters, especially early in your career. But as you grow, your ability to lead, influence, simplify complex ideas, and help other people succeed becomes even more important. I’ve been fortunate to work with and mentor many talented people throughout my career, and those relationships have become some of the most meaningful parts of the journey.
I would also tell myself not to wait until I felt completely ready. Some of the best opportunities come before you feel fully prepared. Growth usually happens when you step into the uncomfortable role, take accountability, and learn quickly.
Is there a colleague you’d like to recognize for their impact or support?
I’d like to recognize the broader Ocient team supporting the AdTech market, including our sales, solutions architects, product, marketing, and executive teams.
One of the things I’ve appreciated most is how collaborative the organization is. AdTech is a complex space, and no single person has every answer. The ability to bring together deep platform knowledge, customer context, product expertise, and market perspective is what makes the work effective.
I especially appreciate the partnership with our solutions architect, Dave Trotter, and executive leadership, Shantan Kethireddy. They help translate customer challenges into practical technical conversations, and that collaboration is critical when working with companies that operate at massive scale.
You can learn more about OcientAIQ for AdTech here.