Friday (March 26th) was my last day as President of Odopod.  My assignment was always to come in and build a senior team that I could then turn loose.  So, I feel fortunate to be able to transition all daily and operational duties to an incredible team.  And I intend to be on board as a shareholder and advisor through the next few incredible years, which I’m increasingly excited about.  Anyone familiar with the digital agency space knows that this is most certainly “our time.”  

At Odopod, we brought in business leadership with an enviable level of account savvy and experience;  we’ve built a strategy team that can talk to brands at the highest levels;  and, the senior team, including its noted founders, continues to be a magnet for great, young talent.  It’s a very special place.  

So, why step aside now?  Very simply, I needed to be out of the office on personal matters for an extended period.  And I’ve spent the last year-and-a-half building an executive team that — some have heard me say many times — “could easily replace me.”  Well, now we’ll see.  I believe any leader should have so grand a vision for his team, that he can see it succeeding without him — and brilliantly.  I’ve made a lot of effort as Odopod’s president to make that possible.  Once back from my personal leave, I know that the more operational role of “president” will no longer be available — and it may no longer suit me.  Odopod’s future is bright.  So, I’ll have to be happy with “shareholder.”

Odopod’s respected position in the market has provided me with quite a pulpit, from which I’ve invested a lot of time and thought in the industry at large:  I’ve helped found our industry’s association for digital agencies (http://sodaspeaks.com);  I’m serving on the board of a new digital school in Boulder (http://bdw.colorado.edu);  I work a lot with Adobe executives on the future needs of digital marketing;  and I’ve started sharing these ideas in emerging digital markets (most recently through presentations in Moscow).  At SxSW, I helped stage exciting industry discussions about digital among some of advertising’s elite.  And my company’s encouragement in all of these areas, while a gift to me, is really a contribution to the entire industry.  I thank them for that.  

Lastly, I’m more of a software guy — or perhaps, a start-up guy.  So, while I’ll be spending more time speaking and advising, I see competitors as peers.  Above all, I’ll continue to look for opportunity and build alliances among the many respected peers around my dear friends at Odopod within this exciting industry.

All the best. 

And much appreciation Odopod’s post: 
http://blog.odopod.com/blog/nostalgia-and-gratitude 

Jay Wolff
jay@odopod.com
jay.wolff@gmail.com
mobile (206) 915-6411