Kirt McMaster
Kirt McMaster - Head of Strategy, Digital Onion Inc.
Kirt McMaster is a dynamic and highly skilled digital media executive with significant experience in online multi-platform consumer services, mobile entertainment, social media, UGC (user-gen content) and broad platform convergence. He has particular expertise in the development of new businesses from concept stage through to set up, launch and business as usual. Key characteristics include those of high motivation, commitment and professionalism combined with a passion for cultural transformation brought on by an increasingly connected world. McMaster possesses an intimate knowledge of the networked economy and its impact across the tapestry of global enterprise. This experience has evolved through many years of managing engagements encompassing digital media, internet strategy/development and e-commerce to mobile data/commerce and convergence.
BACKGROUND
Recently McMaster led global market development for zedge.com, the largest mobile user-gen content network in the world (currently about 7M users, growing @ 15K/day). Zedge is owned by IDT Internet Mobile Group (www.idtimg.com) a division of IDT (www.idt.net) a Fortune 1000 telecommunications company based in New Jersey. In this role McMaster was responsible for all business, market development and strategy with external parties across media, entertainment, consumer brand, telecom and Web X.0 both domestically and abroad.
Prior to IDT/Zedge he led mobile entertainment strategy and market development for Sony Corporation of America (SCA) reporting in to the CTO of SCA. In this role he led strategy and market development for Sony Connect's (Sony's iTunes comparable) mobile division resulting in the creation of one of the first OTA (over the air) Music Services for a leading US CDMA Carrier and other innovative Mobile Entertainment Services (gaming, streaming music, video, etc.) for both domestic and non-domestic cross company initiatives. At the SCA level he was responsible for creating a converged mobile device/service that would leverage all of Sony's divisions from Electronics to Pictures as well as extending numerous consumer web-based services seamlessly to the device/service.
McMaster has helped guide and grow a number of the world's leading Internet professional service organizations with a specific focus on the Asia/Pacific rim. As Managing Director USA for Spike Networks (ASX:SPK), Asia/Pacific's largest Internet Professional services firm, McMaster was responsible for building US operations and managing a number of Fortune 1000 engagements. As the global interactive agency of record for Toyota Motor Corporation McMaster led all of their cross continent development interfacing with senior management in Tokyo and the US. As Senior Vice President Strategy and Development (Asia/Pacific) for Rare Medium (NASDAQ: RRRR), McMaster was responsible for creating Rare's first presence and team in this region, building operations in Sydney and Singapore as well as overseeing Rare's Venture Operations in Asia Pacific. During this time he also brought in Rare's largest revenue generating global client (Weider publications) who in turn recruited him as SVP Internet Strategy responsible for all business planning, strategy and operations for the world's largest Health and Wellness publisher (Acquired by American Media for 350million USD) .
