Meet the Members of sfBIG – Chris Klein

Meet Chris Klein

1. What is your job title:
   VP, Strategic Accounts at Flashtalking
2. What do you like most about your job?
   Well, I’ve been at Flashtalking for 8 years now, so this has changed a bit since I started. Looking back over the years though, it’s been mostly the satisfaction of helping onboard clients/partners so they can bring great advertising strategies and experiences to market. Staying on this theme, it’s really tough in our business to align all parties; agencies, brand (marketing/media/IT leads), tech partners, consultants, etc. When you can help rally cross-functional orgs/teams to share and execute a common goal, it feels pretty darn good. That challenge and diversity continue to add gratification.
3. What is one thing in our industry you wish you could change?
   Out of a laundry list of items, today I’d probably change the perception of digital advertising at a macro level. We’ve had a bad run of negative industry news lately around privacy and consumer choice. I’d like to believe that most players out there have goodwill and put our clients and the consumer first.
4. What one piece of advice would you offer to someone wanting to get in the field
   It’s still early days of ad tech relatively speaking so jump on in! For those early on in their careers… don’t try to be an expert in everything, it’s unrealistic. But do commit to stay informed and invest in learning the broader industry landscape and how the ecosystem works. It will help you get ahead of the curve.
5. If you were not in this industry, what would you like to be doing?
   I feel that I could rock the stay at home dad right now. My wife and I have our hands full with 2 boys (2 y/o and 5 m/o) so I would like to be hanging out with them more… minus maybe all the clean-up and diaper changes. ☺
6. What is a “secret” favorite spot in the Bay area that you enjoy/why?
   For those of you who want to head out to the East Bay, check out a restaurant called Bull Valley Roadhouse in Port Costa. Port Costa itself is a super strange town that had its heyday in the late 1800s.
7. What does your BIG membership mean to you?
   sfBIG is a meaningful way for me to stay connected to good industry peers and give back a little to an organization that wants to help drive our Bay Area community forward.