Former aQuantive exec returns to startup life |
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Adam Kapel
The aQuantive brain drain continues. Two years after Microsoft gobbled up the Seattle online advertising powerhouse for $6 billion, top executives from the company continue to find employment elsewhere.
The latest is Adam Kapel, a former senior director at Microsoft Advertising who previously served as vice president of sales and marketing at aQuantive's Atlas unit. Kapel is taking on the marketing and sales duties at Mixpo, a Seattle startup that specializes in online video advertising. Correction: As readers noted below, Kapel was part of the Microsoft layoffs which occurred earlier this year and therefore did not leave the company on his own accord. He joined Mixpo as a consultant earlier this summer, and went full time about 10 days ago.
Interestingly, this isn't the first former Microsoft/aQuantive executive to land at a Madrona-backed startup company in Seattle. Last month, we reported that former Atlas president Karl Siebrecht had joined AdReady as president.
And that's not the only connection between Madrona and aQuantive. Last August, former aQuantive CEO Brian McAndrews joined the Seattle venture capital firm as a managing director.
At the time, McAndrews said he wasn't opposed to the idea of tapping former cronies from aQuantive for roles at startups. (Siebrecht actually said he was introduced to AdReady through a former Google executive).
There's a combination of factors occurring here. We've heard from sources that the cultural fit between Microsoft and aQuantive wasn't the best, and some of the leading execs from aQuantive are looking to pursue more entrepreneurial endeavors.
In fact, other former aQuantive employees have left Microsoft in recent weeks. They include former Microsoft general managers Aaron Easterly, Brian Handly and Brent Turner, with Turner joining Seattle local advertising company Marchex.
Mixpo -- led by Anupam Gupta -- scored a $4 million venture round from Madrona, Yaletown Venture Partners, Growthworks Capital and others earlier this year.
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