About 
Basis Technologies

Shawn Riegsecker is the CEO and Founder of Basis Technologies. He founded the company in 2001 intent on developing the most comprehensive, automated and intelligent software platform for the digital media industry.

His leadership, commitment to innovation and modernized approach to culture and employee happiness have led Basis Technologies to receive many accolades, including appearing on Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500, the Inc. 500, and No. 1 on Crain’s Chicago Business’ Best Places to Work for three years in a row.

Shawn is a member of the Young President’s Organization (YPO) and a founding director and co-chairman of Unite America, a new movement working on solving the partisan divide in politics through the election of Independent, moderate candidates.

He serves on the board of directors of The Director’s Cup, a ski pro-am focused on bringing together influential leaders to aid and support the U.S. Ski and Snowboard team. Shawn also serves on the Board of Governor’s of the Metropolitan Planning Council, dedicated to shaping a more equitable, sustainable and prosperous greater Chicago region.

Shawn is an active angel investor through Firestarter Fund, a venture capital fund driven by a network of successful technology entrepreneurs in Chicago.

Tyler Kelly, with an 18-year tenure with Basis Technologies (formerly Centro), plays a multifaceted role within the organization. He spearheads the sales, services, and customer experience organizations collectively shepherding nearly two billion dollars in annual digital advertising investment for prominent brands and agencies.

As one of the initial four employees at Basis Technologies, Tyler's journey within the company mirrors its evolution into a prominent provider of comprehensive and intelligent digital media automation technology. His expertise in automation, digital media, and programmatic advertising has garnered attention in respected industry publications such as Advertising Age, Adweek, and MediaPost. Furthermore, Tyler has been a sought-after speaker at events hosted by Advertising Week, Adweek, Brand Innovators, Mirren, and Worldwide Partners.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Tyler is also an avid water skier and a passionate traveler.

Katie McAdams serves as Chief Marketing Officer for Basis Technologies, a global provider of programmatic and workflow automation software & services for marketers. Katie has over 20 years of experience in media and AdTech, building and leading high-functioning sales, customer success, marketing, and revenue enablement teams. With a passion for launching new products and implementing go-to-market strategies, Katie has successfully led Basis through many transitions and rebrands over the years. She also serves as an executive sponsor of Basis’ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee, is a founding member of CMO Huddles, and has served on the executive board of the Allen Robinson Within Reach Foundation.

Katie resides in Chicago with her husband, two young children, and their golden retriever Hank. She is a graduate of Indiana University with a focus in English and Liberal Arts.

As the Chief Investment & Media Officer at Basis Technologies, April leads a team of 300 media professionals focused on helping clients solve business challenges in the complex world of digital media.

April has over 20 years of experience partnering with multiple Fortune 500 brands to develop omnichannel media plans and investment strategies that deliver results. Prior to joining Basis Technologies, April spent several years at IPG and Omnicom agencies working in leadership roles. April’s background includes planning and activation across the entire media landscape inclusive of print, out-of-home, radio, and television, with nearly two decades of digital media experience. She has partnered with brands within the CPG, energy, finance and insurance, healthcare and pharmaceutical, recruitment, retail, travel, and tourism verticals.

April has been the recipient of the IPG Organic Growth Initiative Award, and her past work received an Effie.

Clayton leads Basis Technologies’ finance operations. Prior to joining Basis Technologies, Clayton served as chief financial officer of Paintzen, a technology business where he was overseeing multiple departments, and where he helped navigate rapid growth through its sale to PPG Industries (NYSE: PPG). Prior to Paintzen, Clayton was part of the finance and strategy team at healthcare technology business ZocDoc, where he played a pivotal role in its multibillion-dollar valuation capital raise.

Clayton has served as an advisor, outside CFO, and board member for several high-growth technology businesses. A key partner for business leaders in their achievements, Clayton has navigated successful outcomes including ZipDrug’s sale to Anthem, Inc. (NYSE: ANTM), MyClean’s sale to Surge Private Equity, and several capital raises and organizational strategy implementations.

He began his career at KippsDeSanto, an investment banking firm with an aerospace/defense and technology focus, after attending Georgetown University McDonough School of Business.

As chief technology officer, Michael oversees engineering, quality assurance and production operations at Basis Technologies. He leads a group of talented engineers and architects charged with development and operation of the Basis platform, as well as data solutions aimed at providing exceptional reporting and insight across the data that Basis generates.

Michael’s 28 years of industry experience encompasses a diverse range of innovation-minded organizations: before joining Basis Technologies in 2014, he worked as the Director of Research and Development for OpenText, where he developed the mobile strategy for the company’s Social Workplace offering and drove implementation of its software for clients. Prior to OpenText, Michael worked as the Director of Research and Development at Hummingbird, where he was leading various communication and document management solutions.

Emily Barron oversees all aspects of human resources for Basis Technologies. She is responsible for developing and executing human resource strategy in support of Basis Technologies’ business plan and strategic direction. She also drives the programs that contribute to Basis Technologies’ award-winning workplace, as recognized by Fortune, Advertising Age, and Crain’s Chicago Business.

Emily ascended to her role after spending 11 years at Basis Technologies building her career in digital media by overseeing multi-million dollar cross-channel digital media spending from nationally-recognized brands. She later adopted leadership roles in Basis Technologies’ business operations side and then human resources. She was Basis Technologies’ second employee when she joined in 2004 as a media planner and buyer. Before Basis Technologies, she worked at Mass Mutual, CDW and AT&T.

Emily grew up in Cincinnati and graduated from Purdue University with a B.S. degree. Emily and her husband reside in the Western Suburbs of Chicago with their three young boys.

As GM of the Technology Division, Matt Sauls leads a group of teams that function as the technical operations and support center for Basis Technologies. He previously served as VP Product Strategy and VP Operations.

Matt is a leading expert in ad-tech and real-time bidding software, and has been involved in building digital marketing technology for over 20 years. Prior to joining Basis Technologies, he was a founder at SiteScout, which was acquired by Basis Technologies in 2013. At SiteScout, Matt built the company’s operational and customer-facing departments, formed many of the company’s key industry partnerships, and helped shape the product vision for one of the industry’s first DSP technologies.

Joanna is a results-oriented portfolio, program, project management, and change leader with a history of leading highly successful teams in enterprise-level and global environments.

Prior to joining Basis Technologies, she was Director of Digital Portfolio Management at Weight Watchers International for over seven years. Her background also includes five years managing Federal and State Accountability Programs for the State of Georgia and five years in project management consulting.

Michael Olson is EVP of Client Development, leading Basis’ teams for Agency Development and Partner Solutions. His teams focus on delivering successful outcomes through programmatic advertising, media automation and best-in-class media services.

In his over 15 years leading teams at Basis Technologies, Michael Olson stands out as a dynamic leader shaping the landscape of sales excellence. With a strategic focus encompassing sales, sales enablement, and go-to-market strategy, Michael brings innovation to product launches, seamlessly integrating them with overarching sales strategies, a vital contribution to the company's growth and market presence.  His commitment to driving sales strategy is not confined to corporate realms; as an avid angel investor and advisor, Michael actively engages in the startup ecosystem. His impact goes beyond financial support, extending to sitting on company boards and leveraging his extensive network to source exceptional candidates, enriching both corporate and startup landscapes.

Beyond the professional sphere, Michael is an avid hunter, golfer, and fly fisherman, he embodies a passion for the outdoors and adventure. Beyond his professional commitments, Michael is a dedicated family man, balancing his dynamic career with quality time spent with his loved ones, showcasing a holistic approach to life.

Grace Briscoe is EVP of Client Development, leading Basis Technologies teams for brand development and candidates + causes. Her teams focus on delivering successful outcomes through programmatic advertising, media automation and best-in-class media services.

With over 15 years of leadership experience at Basis Technologies, Grace has built and led successful teams and shaped the company's go-to-market strategies. She has guided marketing strategies for a broad range of B2B, B2C, political and public affairs clients – including Fortune 500 companies and multiple U.S. presidential and congressional campaigns. Grace founded the company’s Washington, DC office in 2010, entrenching the company’s presence among political and advocacy marketing teams. Grace is a sought-after speaker whose expertise in digital media, advertising technology and political advertising has been cited in The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, The New York Times, Axios, USA Today, NPR, Ad Age, Adweek, Campaigns & Elections and MediaPost.

Grace currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband, and has a passion for travel and creative pursuits, including a never-ending list of DIY projects.

Tim Smith leads Corporate Development and Partnerships for Basis Technologies. In his role, Tim is responsible for mergers and acquisitions, industry insights, channel and vendor evaluations, partnership agreements and oversight into implementation and review of existing partners.

Tim has been with Basis Technologies since 2009, and has held various roles with the company.  Before his current role, Tim was responsible for leading Basis Technologies’ entrance into emerging media channels. Prior to his time at Basis Technologies, Tim helped launch MySpace’s Integrated Marketing team. He guided a host of global brands’ entrance into the nascent social media category, and developed integrated marketing initiatives that utilized a combination of existing and custom programming and third-party technologies to support engagement strategies on the native platforms. Tim began his career in Marketing/Advertising with time at both OMD and Mindshare, where he launched and managed communication strategies for a portfolio of global brands.

Tim holds a B.A. in English from Lake Forest College, and a M.B.A. from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Derek serves as General Counsel and leads Basis Technologies’ legal operations.  As the first in-house lawyer at Basis Technologies, he has been responsible for building the legal team and function from the ground-up.

Derek has more than 20 years of experience as a business lawyer, working both in private practice and as in-house corporate counsel.  Immediately before joining Basis Technologies in 2019, Derek worked at Oracle, supporting their cloud and data/marketing cloud businesses.  Before that, Derek was a shareholder at Vedder Price, a law firm headquartered in Chicago.

Derek received both a B.S. and J.D. from the University of Oklahoma and is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP)/US.

He lives in Chicago with his wife and four children.