• by Tyler Loechner  @mp_tyler, May 15, 2014

Online ad exchange PulsePoint on Thursday announced the appointment of Darline Jean as chief operating officer, a new position at the company.

Jean was formerly CEO and president of About.com. She will be responsible for extending PulsePoint’s real-time bidding (RTB) business across the globe.

Jean told RTM Daily that North America, the UK and EMEA will be the top three regions of focus. She also intends to put emphasis on better automation rather than more automation, but doesn't plan on skimping on either.

"Better automation and more automation go hand-in-hand," she sad. "You need better automation to get more automation and vice versa.”

In an earlier statement, she said, “The advertising marketplace is rapidly transforming as more brand dollars shift to RTB, which is an area that is expected to grow exponentially."

Jean joined The About Group in 2003 as VP of finance before working her way up to chief financial officer in 2005. While she was CFO, About.com sold to the New York Times. In 2010, she was appointed COO, and in 2011 she was elevated to president and CEO.

“Darline not only knows the business of digital content and advertising, but also is comfortable and adept at making the bold moves necessary to significantly drive revenue and profitability,” stated Sloan Gaon, CEO of PulsePoint.