Microsoft and Hearst Corp. veteran to expand the company’s web and mobile strategic relationships
ATLANTA – YP, North America’s largest local search, media and advertising company, announced that Mark Ugar has joined the company as vice president of business development, based in San Francisco. Ugar, who has held leadership positions at well-known companies such as Microsoft and the Hearst Corporation, is focused on expanding strategic relationships that fuel the growth of the YP Local Ad Network, which includes over 300 online and mobile publishers. He is also responsible for establishing partnerships with other industry-leading companies that enhance the YP experience for its 50+ million monthly YP.com and YP mobile app users.
“The reach of YP’s digital partnerships creates an unprecedented value for the entire local search industry and I’m encouraged by the opportunity to lead the next phase of its growth.”
With more than 15 years in the digital industry, Ugar joins YP from Hearst Corporation where he was responsible for digital revenue and strategy in the San Francisco-based newspaper group, as VP of Digital Sales and Ad Operations.
“It’s rare to find a career opportunity where a brand has already created a $1 billion digital business and has exceptional mobile growth,” said Ugar. “The reach of YP’s digital partnerships creates an unprecedented value for the entire local search industry and I’m encouraged by the opportunity to lead the next phase of its growth.”
Ugar’s prior experiences span both start-ups and well-known media and technology companies. At start-up CompareNet, he was instrumental in the development of one of the first online shopping comparison businesses that was acquired by Microsoft. Following CompareNet, Ugar managed day-to-day operations of Microsoft’s MSN Shopping site and its global launch. During his time with Microsoft, Ugar earned a patent for “Normalized Rotation of Offers from Multiple Sources on a Webpage” in collaboration with Microsoft developers and engineers.
Ugar also led Microsoft’s Retail and Online Vertical sales team and helped drive the company’s third party publishing partner program. In this role, he crafted and executed profitable revenue strategies for partners such as Facebook, Viacom, CNBC, Fox Sports and other marquee companies.
Ugar joins the YP team as the business continues to shift toward mobile. In 2012, YP had over $350 million in advertising revenue attributable to mobile – with overall digital ad revenue reaching nearly $1 billion. The YP℠ Local Ad Network generates over $200 billion in annual local commerce with its reach across 300+ online and mobile publishers, while the YP℠ Local Mobile Display Network of 150+ mobile app publishers reaches over 150 million unique users with about 1 billion impressions monthly.
To learn more about YP and joining the team, please visit: http://corporate.yp.com.
About YP
YP is North America’s largest local search, media and advertising company. Its mission is to help small businesses and communities grow. Millions of searches occur daily using YP products to find, compare and select local merchants. The company’s flagship consumer brands include YP.com℠, a top 40 U.S. Web domain, the highly rated YP℠ app and the YP Real Yellow Pages℠ directory, the largest Yellow Pages directory in the world by revenue.
The company’s wide range of print and digital advertising products are designed to address the evolving local search needs of consumers and help advertisers grow their business. The YP℠ Local Ad Network provides advertisers with an opportunity to reach more than 180 million monthly users across more than 300 affiliated online and mobile publishers. Through customized campaigns designed by expert advisors, YP provides local businesses with one of the most cost effective sources for consumer leads.
YP products and services are backed by thousands of media consultants in local markets across the US with relationships spanning over 600,000 businesses. An affiliate of Cerberus Capital Management, L.P., one of the world’s leading private investment firms, recently acquired a controlling interest in YP from AT&T.
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