Mobile10: Rob Jonas
Interviews with key mobile influencers
- Name
- Rob Jonas
- Role
- VP & MD Europe & Middle East
- Company
- InMobi
“We have more than 50 billion ad requests per month now and the data we are capturing is immense
”
Today’s MOBILE10 interviewee is Rob Jonas, once of Google and now rocking on at InMobi, who are incidentally sponsoring our Mobile Brand & Agency Masterclass on 22 November in London. Over to you Rob.
What’s your app of the moment?
Siri – I was sceptical when it launched, but now it’s such a huge time saver that I wonder how I existed without it.
What is your primary phone?
iPhone 4S – I really cannot fault Apple for anything they do and am always an early adopter.
Which mobile startups have you got your eye on?
I particularly like companies that are solving some of the medium- to long-term targeting and reporting challenges on mobile devices. Of interest at the moment is Overlay Media who are using device level data to understand the context of where a user is and what they might be doing. There is a lot of innovation to come in this space.
What are you currently working on?
We just closed our Series C round of investment of $200m from SoftBank, so having run pretty lean for the last two years, we are now able to execute on many things we have had planned for the last 24 months. This includes accelerating our expansion plans in Europe and the Middle East, as well as globally, investing in our adjacent product areas SmartPay and Sprout, and evaluating further technology acquisitions.
What will be the biggest opportunity in 2012?
It’s all about the data. We have more than 50 billion ad requests per month now and the data we are capturing is immense. Bringing this data to bear on targeting, performance and insight is by far the biggest opportunity for us in 2012 and for the wider mobile advertising industry as a whole.
Who are your 3 rockstars in mobile?
Andy Rubin (@arubin) – What he and the team have achieved with Android at Google in such a short period of time is disruptive and truly incredible.
Dennis Crowley (@dens) – As one of the pioneers of game theory on mobile devices, I am continually impressed by 4SQ’s innovation, commitment to product, and ability to out-compete companies many times larger in size.
Alexander Ljung (@alexanderljung) – As Founder and CEO of Soundcloud, Alex has led his company to continually innovate their service specific to the mobile device. Capturing content and streaming content is seamless and a phenomenal user experience.Who were you working for 10 years ago?
I was working for Bill Gross’ (@Bill_Gross) idealab in London, bringing their operating companies to Europe. These included: CarsDirect.com, Netzero, FirstLook, Homepages.com, dotTV and paid search pioneer Overture Services.
Who was/is your best boss?
I originally joined Google in 2006 working for Joanna Shields, who then went on to Bebo and, more recently, Facebook. Joanna is a visionary deal maker and a great person to work for.
Who should we interview next?
Carl Uminksi (@uminski), a long time colleague of mine and now blazing a trail in all things mobile with Somo Agency.
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What is Mobile10?
The Mobile10 interview is a series of profile pieces on leading global influencers in the mobile sector. Each interviewee is asked to give their viewpoints on new mobile innovations and growth opportunities as well as revealing their own mobile habits over the course of 10 questions.
