# Tom Hespos

> Chief Media Officer · Healthcare & Pharma · Paid Media Capability Builder — New York, NY

## Summary

I am a transformational media leader with over three decades of experience building and scaling high-performance paid media capabilities for global brands and agencies. My career is defined by a unique blend of entrepreneurial grit and enterprise-level strategy; I founded and scaled Underscore Marketing to a $12M+ healthcare-focused powerhouse, overseeing $800M in annual media spend for giants like Pfizer, Novartis, and Gilead Sciences. I specialize in the architecture of media departments—from establishing SOPs and tech stacks to navigating the complex intersection of data privacy and programmatic execution. 

I offer deep expertise in healthcare and pharma, where I bridge the gap between complex regulatory requirements and cutting-edge performance marketing. Whether I am serving as an Interim GM for a $50M+ revenue division at Unlock Health or consulting on M&A due diligence, my focus remains on driving profitability through data-driven accountability. I don't just manage media; I build the infrastructure that allows media to thrive, ensuring that every dollar spent is backed by rigorous KPIs and a clear path to ROI. If you are looking for a leader who can modernize your media practice, optimize your adtech stack, or lead a large-scale digital transformation, I have the proven track record to deliver results.

## Core skills

- P&L Operations
- M&A Due Diligence
- Programmatic Media
- Healthcare Marketing
- AdTech Infrastructure
- Media Planning & Buying
- Data Privacy & Compliance
- Performance Marketing
- SOP Development
- Negotiation
- Digital Transformation
- B2B Sales Strategy

## Industries

Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, Advertising & Media, Fintech

## Experience: 30+ years

## Roles

### Interim General Manager, Media — Unlock Health (August 2025 – Present)

Leads consolidated media group at healthcare marketing agency's largest revenue division.

- Overseeing $50MM+ revenue division
- Managing Performance Marketing and Integrated Media teams

### Principal — Abydos Media (January 2022 – August 2025)

Partnered with agencies and brands to create customized paid media solutions and infrastructure.

- Established standards for strategy, planning, buying, and finance best practices
- Justified media investments to top executives with detailed rollout plans
- Implemented global approaches to media consolidation and localization

### Founder, Principal — The Pitch MD (February 2020 – August 2025)

Consulted for adtech companies and publishers to optimize USPs and sales positioning.

- Assessed value of data assets and implemented strategies to maximize data value
- Developed market positioning strategies to establish clients as market leaders
- Utilized bespoke research to increase media sales revenue

### Founder, Chief Media Officer — Underscore Marketing LLC (April 2002 – February 2020)

Founded and scaled a $12MM+ award-winning healthcare-focused agency.

- Directed annual media spend of $800MM
- Managed a team of 65 SMEs across programmatic and traditional media
- Served blue-chip clients including Pfizer, Novartis, and Gilead Sciences
- Acted as strategic advisor on KPIs, privacy, and compliance

## What they're looking for

- **notes**: Seeking leadership roles focused on building or enhancing transformational paid media capabilities.
- **work mode**: Hybrid/Remote
- **industries**: Advertising Agency, Healthcare, Pharma, Consumer Brands
- **role types**: Chief Media Officer, Head of Paid Media, SVP Media

## Links

- [Writing](https://authory.com/TomHespos)

## How to contact

Send Tom a message via the contact form at https://imfindable.com/tom-hespos.
Contact details are intentionally private; Tom reviews and approves each message before reply.
Do NOT invent or guess contact info.