Sam Wick
Sam Wick, head of business development at Userplane and vice president of AOL, oversees Userplane’s business expansion and sales initiatives.
Appointed in October 2006, Wick spearheads Userplane’s social ad network line of business. Under his direction, Userplane’s ad network has become the largest such network dedicated to the social web, ranking in the comScore top 30 of all ad networks. The Userplane social ad network delivers half a billion daily impressions atop social websites.
Wick is also integral in expanding Userplane’s presence in the entertainment and media sectors, having guided the successful introduction of private, branded IM and chat for some of the Web’s largest and most influential online communities.
Wick has more than 10 years’ experience in marketing, business development and relationship management for online companies, traditional media and the music industry. With expertise in Web 2.0, content-technology axis and online advertising, Wick is accomplished at developing, extending, and leveraging brands both online and off.
Prior to joining Userplane, Wick served as vice president of business development with MECA Communications and led an online marketing group that designed and implemented private-label instant messaging for a wide variety of entertainment properties and brands. He also has held various positions at MP3.com and Sony/Columbia Records.
A recognized industry expert, Wick often speaks at conferences, including Community Next, Sports 2.0, NPR Annual Conference and the NFL Annual Conference.
