• by Gavin O'Malley , Staff Writer @mp_gavin, December 1, 2009

Erin Schaefer
Head of Online Video Content Monetization and Brand Advertising Sales for Google's TV Platform

Joining Google in 2006, Erin Schaeffer was one of the founders of Google's TV Ads platform, working on finance, marketing, and sales for the platform's alpha and beta launches. She now heads up online video content monetization and brand advertising sales for Google's TV platform. "Erin is a great manager, strategic thinker, and sales leader. Her scope of work has continuously expanded since we began working together three years ago and she is a real rising star," said Mike Steib, her boss and director of emerging platforms at Google. Prior to joining Google, Erin worked in Strategic Planning at Gap Inc. where she developed the business case for launching Gap Maternity in stores. Erin holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and History from Stanford University and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

Why do you see yourself - or, at least, why do you think others see you - as a rising star in your particular field?
At Google, I work in the nexus where TV and online are converging: online video. I have experience in both worlds and can serve as a translator between the two; people in the media industry seem to be putting a premium on understanding both worlds these days. I also imagine that some of my peers consider me a rising star because my working in the video space is so unexpected; as opposed to someone who jumped into the media world right after leaving college, I took a longer and more winding path to the industry.

What's your greatest professional achievement, to date?
Certainly the professional achievement that makes for the best dinner party small talk is that I served as the next intern after Monica Lewinsky at the Department of Defense. Folks always balk at that, but I couldn't make it up. But the achievement that I am most proud of is working with the team to successfully launch TV Shows and Movies on YouTube along with TV-style advertising online.

What inspires you professionally?
Ambiguity and change - ever-present in the media space broadly and day-to-day at Google - can strike anyone with at least a modicum of fear. But ambiguity and change are also incredibly inspiring; they mean there are always new challenges to tackle, that boredom will never be long-lasting, and that you, as much as anyone else, may have the answers.

And what do you do for fun?
I deeply love college basketball. During college, I was one of those fans who would paint my face, standing up and screaming in the stands for every minute of the game. I've become only a slightly less rabid fan as I've gotten older. Now, when March rolls around, I have a great excuse for watching all the tournament games - online and traditional TV are my job!

What recent or imminent industry development most excites you?
I find device convergence and evolution fascinating. We now watch TV on our sets at home, our laptops, and our phones. I send emails from anywhere at any time. Yet we have no less than 20 electronic devices at our home. I wonder how many we will have five years from now.

How could the industry do a better job nurturing young talent?
Job shadowing would be an incredible way to nurture young talent. I would love to spend a day with Rupert Murdoch to watch how he makes decisions, what kind of meetings he prioritizes, and how he reinforces the culture at News Corp.