FreeWheel appoints Carl Kalapesi as COO

FreeWheel last week named Carl Kalapesi as chief operating officer (COO). Kalapesi will oversee the company’s global business operations, supporting its 3 primary business units (FreeWheel Markets, FreeWheel Publishers and FreeWheel Advertisers), and lead industry partnerships. Carl Kalapesi reports to Dave Clark, FreeWheel's general manager.

“FreeWheel’s continued product innovation and momentum for publishers and marketers is exciting, but it also means we need to invest in leadership that can help us manage our growth,” Clark said. “A strategist at heart, Carl has successfully helped companies across a diverse range of sectors architect and build a foundation and roadmap for sustained, future growth.”

According to FreeWheel, Kalapesi brings more than 20 years of experience working with industries spanning media, technology, advertising and economic policy across the U.S., U.K., Africa and Asia. Carl Kalapesi joined FreeWheel from Oath, where he was most recently vice president, global strategy and business operations.

Formerly, Kalapesiat was at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) where he advised clients in the Technology, Media and Telecom space in the UK and USA. Kalapesi was also vice president, industry initiatives at The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), where he helped establish the industry body’s first Programmatic Council. Early in his career, Kalapesi was an economic advisor in international economic development working in Vietnam and Tanzania. Kalapesi holds a Master of Business Administration from INSEAD.