• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, March 20, 2008

Snagging another high-level executive, online ad agency Spot Runner has hire former ValueClick Chief Administrative Officer Samuel Paisley as its new chief financial officer.

The startup, which offers a Web-based system for planning, buying and creating TV and online ads, also announced Wednesday the promotion of Chief Revenue Officer John Gentry to president.

The moves come only a week after Spot Runner brought on Joanne Bradford, previously chief media officer at MSN, as executive vice president of national marketing services.

The additions signal Spot Runner's efforts to solidify its senior management as the company expands beyond its initial focus on local TV advertising to providing digital ad services across media and at the national level.

Earlier this month, Spot Runner announced the acquisition of Weblistic--an online media company specializing in local search and display advertising. Chairman and CEO Nick Grouf recently claimed the firm's sales grew "500%" last year.

"We're playing in space that represents massive market opportunity and we've brought out solutions to bear at time when broader media landscape is really open to embracing change," said Gentry, who as president will be responsible for day-to-day management at Spot Runner and report directly to Grouf.

He will also head the company's marketing services group.

With the latest hires, Gentry said Spot Runner had rounded out its top management team and would now focus on building out the business. The company has ramped up to 300 employees over the last two years.

With some $60 million in financial backing to date from investors including CBS, Interpublic and WPP Group, traditional media and advertising heavyweights are betting big that Spot Runner will emerge as a key player in digital advertising.

In Paisley, the company gets an online ad industry veteran who has served as CFO and COO at ValueClick in the last eight years before his latest post there as chief administrative officer. Previously, he was CFO at Automata International and a partner at KPMG Peat Marwick.

ValueClick last month paid $2.9 million to settle a Federal Trade Commission probe into its lead generation practices that had cast a cloud over the company's business. ValueClick did not admit to any wrongdoing as part of the settlement.

Besides Paisley's financial expertise, Gentry noted, "Sam has tremendous experience in building companies from the early to the established stage and really understands where media is going."

As CFO at Spot Runner, Paisley will oversee corporate development, finance, human resources and facilities and report directly to Grouf.