About Us
Accelerating growth for the world’s leading brands by helping consumers discover and decide
Join Our Team!
Our Story
A company grounded in marketing innovation, Fluent began in 2001 when Matt Conlin and Ryan Schulke met at St. John’s University. The rest, as they say, is history. With a vision to change the digital marketing industry through more innovative technology and better economics, we are continually committed to providing outstanding value to our customers, consumers, team members, and community. Fluent (NASDAQ: FLNT) is headquartered in New York City with team members scattered across North America.
Our Values
We move fast and learn faster.
Complacency is not in our vocabulary – and stretching our minds is in our DNA. We’re not afraid to question the norm and roll up our sleeves to find solutions, quicker than anyone else. We’re a work in progress, but we embrace a growth mindset and strive to make our tomorrow selves proud.
We take collaboration seriously.
Collaboration is at the core of our success. We champion transparency and know that clear and honest communication is the driving force behind every great partnership. It isn’t just about getting the job done but working alongside our teammates and partners to get it done right.
We focus on outcomes.
Good things come to those who work smarter, not harder. As a performance-driven organization, we set ambitious goals and share accountability for achieving them. As our industry evolves, we continue to deliver exceptional outcomes, doing right by our clients, consumers, and ourselves every day.
We are growth-minded.
We are nimble and adaptable. We are redefining the performance marketing landscape through perpetual ideation, optimization, and creative problem-solving. Innovation is the fuel that makes our engine run and creates new growth opportunities for our business and people. We love a challenge and will continue to climb to the top of the industry, as we have been doing so since 2010.
Meet Our Team
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Dan Barsky
Co-General Counsel
Dan Barsky
Co-General Counsel
Affectionately known as “The Bulldog,” Dan oversees risk management and compliance at Fluent. Championing a consumer-first approach, he partners closely with the product and creative teams to ensure privacy-safe experiences across each of Fluent’s digital media properties. Though he hails from Main Line Philadelphia, Dan traveled up and down the East Coast for his education — earning his BBA from George Washington University, his law degree from University of Miami, and his LLM in tax law from New York University. Before joining Fluent, Dan worked for Snackable Media and Hanover Direct. In his spare time, Dan can be spotted biking to work from the Upper West Side, hitting the slopes at his favorite ski resort, or sipping tequila with his wife and two children on Fire Island. -
Jessica Batty
SVP, Marketing
Jessica Batty
SVP, Marketing
A passion for discovering new brands, consuming content, and planning events, paired with her love of travel and a fast-paced lifestyle, made a career in marketing the perfect fit for Jessica. With over 15 years of marketing experience, she leads the Fluent marketing team to build upon awareness, lead gen, and overall growth for the organization. Before joining the team, Jessica led B2B marketing at LA-based Prodege and held various marketing positions at Taboola, Salesforce, and Thomson Reuters in NYC. Now residing in Nashville with her husband, Jessica loves getting to concerts and live events whenever possible, hiking and exploring with her pups, and getting to know her new city’s expanding culinary and bar scene. -
Matt Conlin
Chief Customer Officer, Founder
Matt Conlin
Chief Customer Officer, Founder
Always on the go, Matt leads sales, marketing, and partner development strategies for Fluent – so it’s no surprise that Matt’s favorite job was as a mover during college. Originally from Michigan, Matt made his way to New York City to attend St. John’s University, where he met co-founder Ryan Schulke. Bonding over hip-hop, they started their first business venture selling mixtapes on campus. With a vision to change the digital advertising world, Matt and Ryan started Fluent after roles at Innovation Ads and Clash Media. As an industry trailblazer, Matt has been recognized as an EY Entrepreneur of the Year and named to DMN’s 2018 40 Under 40 list. When Matt is not increasing his attendance count at Broadway shows (over 30!), he enjoys finding new adventures for his wife and kids. -
Sean Cullen
Executive Vice President, Product
Sean Cullen
Executive Vice President, Product
A Philadelphia native and graduate of the University of Delaware, Sean’s office is adorned with Eagles paraphernalia to the chagrin of his New York coworkers. A natural change maker, he spearheads product, data, and technology development at Fluent. The combined efforts of his teams enable customer engagement and provide actionable insights for Fluent’s advertisers and publishers. Previously at Sanky Digital and Clash Media, he met Ryan Schulke and Matt Conlin during the inception of Fluent. A voracious audiobook listener and someone who’s always ahead of the curve, he designed the first Fluent logo and created a Facebook profile the year it was founded – though he has since updated his profile picture. -
Steve Green
EVP & GM Rewards
Steve Green
EVP & GM Rewards
Always laser focused on results, Steve is committed to deliver the most tangible results for our clients. Leading our Performance Revenue business, Steve and his team work closely with our top tier brands to uncover global growth opportunities and strategically deliver on multi channel initiatives. Unlocking his knack for client services with a gig selling advertising space on textbook covers, Steve brings sixteen years of digital marketing experience to his role at Fluent. Steve graduated with a BA in Business from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and landed his first job in the industry at Innovation Ads. A native New Yorker, Steve and his family have been finding themselves spending more time in the Hamptons, searching for more open spaces and a connection to nature and the beach. -
Dan Hall
Chief Technology Officer
Dan Hall
Chief Technology Officer
Moving from Michigan to Florida, Dan is no stranger to change. As Chief Technology Officer, Dan leads the charge to build infrastructure to support scale and rapid growth. He is dedicated to crafting and leading high-performance technical teams that drive innovation and create efficiencies across the company. Joining the team with over 20 years of experience in marketing technology and analytics, he previously was Infogroup’s CTO and Time Warner Cable’s (now Spectrum) Senior Director of Analytics. With a BA in Economics from Northern Michigan University, Dan and his wife Olena have 3 kids between them and love to travel as time allows. -
Brian Hogan
EVP & GM Data Solutions
Brian Hogan
EVP & GM Data Solutions
As an entrepreneur at heart, Brian was drawn to Fluent’s spirit of innovation from day one. As President of Data Solutions , Brian helps the world’s leading brands leverage first-party consumer insights to build and execute winning omni channel marketing strategies. Since launching Fluent Audiences in 2018, Brian and his team have worked to establish Fluent as an industry leader in deterministic data. Before joining the team, he served as co-founder and COO of LifeScript, one of the largest digital health marketing platforms in the industry. Brian is a member of the DMA’s Council for Data Integrity and a graduate of The University of San Diego. As a Southern California native, Brian enjoys spending time at the beach with his family or coaching youth sports (and enthusiastically cheering on his two sons from the sidelines). -
Jeff Kauffman
Co-General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer
Jeff Kauffman
Co-General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer
Jeff oversees risk management and compliance at Fluent. Championing a consumer-first approach, he partners closely with the product and creative teams to ensure privacy-safe experiences across each of Fluent’s digital media properties. Originally from a small town in Pennsylvania, Jeff spent over a dozen years in a major DC law firm’s consumer protection and antitrust group and the last ten years as in-house counsel. Jeff spends his time in Brooklyn with his wife and two children, coaching and playing just about every sport imaginable. -
Matt Koncz
President, Performance Media Group
Matt Koncz
President, Performance Media Group
As natural-born explorer, it’s no surprise that Matt is responsible for overseeing the development and growth of Fluent’s media brands. He and his team lead Product Development, User Acquisition and Partnership Strategy. A native northeaster hailing from Guilford CT, Matt studied History and Political Science at Gettysburg College before making his way to New York City. It was at Clash Media where he met co-founders Matt Conlin and Ryan Schulke – and the rest is history. Combining a passion for the outdoors with thrill-seeking you can find Matt scouting out the “Big Five” in Kenya and Tanzania, hiking MT Katahdin in Maine, shooting sporting clays in Vermont or enjoying a polar plunge in dead of Winter. -
Marcus Maffucci
SVP, Audience Monetization
Marcus Maffucci
SVP, Audience Monetization
With a fascination for the psyche, Marcus is responsible for new consumer product development and monetization strategies at Fluent. A former financial analyst, Marcus applies his analytical skill set to understand online consumer behavior and develop rewarding media experiences that engage the Fluent audience. Marcus graduated from the University of Richmond where he studied Economics before diving headfirst into the world of digital marketing. Raised in Bar Harbor, Maine, Marcus enjoys spending time in the great outdoors and prefers to only read non-fiction books. -
Melanie Murphy
Chief Analytics Officer
Melanie Murphy
Chief Analytics Officer
With a passion for data, insights and innovation, Melanie leads the analytics organization at Fluent. With 20 years of experience leading high-performing teams, she led ideation in machine learning at Bed Bath & Beyond and Experian Marketing Services. Melanie holds advanced degrees in Statistics and Applied Mathematics from Montclair State University. As a leader of Fluent’s Diversity, Equality and Inclusion group, she’s giving back by enabling the next gen of change makers. A New Jersey-based wife and proud mother of two, Melanie geeks out about exercise, skincare, and all the things that help her to look and feel forever young. -
Don Patrick
Chief Executive Officer
Don Patrick
Chief Executive Officer
An industry veteran with an appetite for spirited growth potential, Don spearheads Fluent’s commercial initiatives, including international expansion and furthering data activation across addressable channels. Previous to Fluent, Don served in senior leadership roles at Seneca One and Infogroup Targeting Solutions. As Merkle’s COO, he was part of the original management team that increased company revenue by 5,000% to $300 million. Leading the frontlines comes second nature to Don, in his down time, he’s out running with the bulls in Pamplona, or running around with his six children – all of whom played Division 1 college sports. He enjoys adventure in all forms, especially if it is with his wife and family. -
Ryan Perfit
Interim CFO
Ryan Perfit
Interim CFO
Ryan is a financial professional with executive-level experience from start-ups to public companies. He has over 20 years of experience as a consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers and FTI Consulting and leading finance teams in a wide range of industries. Ryan spent seven years as a financial executive at Fluent, Inc., overseeing the finance function and serving as Interim CFO in charge of all public company financial responsibilities including investor relations and compliance. After acting as a CFO for three start-ups in the Seed and Series A stages of funding, Ryan has returned to Fluent as Interim CFO with a specialty in annual & multi-year strategic forecasting and managing teams to align financial goals with corporate strategy. -
Ryan Schulke
Chief Strategy Officer & Founder
Ryan Schulke
Chief Strategy Officer & Founder
Ryan Schulke hails from Huntington, NY – a bayside town in Long Island. Always an entrepreneur, he launched his first business endeavor with co-founder Matt Conlin while students at St. John’s: as hip-hop maestros selling mixtapes on campus. With a passion for all things non-status quo, he conceptualized Fluent with Matt while working at Innovation Ads and Clash Media. As a digital marketing trailblazer, Ryan has been recognized as an EY Entrepreneur of the Year and named to DMN’s 2018 40 Under 40 list. Outside of Fluent, Ryan and his wife are committed to bettering the lives of children in challenging situations; a topic that is close to their hearts as they raise their two children and is the basis of the Schulke Family Foundation. -
Patrick Sweeney
Vice President, People
Patrick Sweeney
Vice President, People
Driving alignment and collaboration is second nature to Patrick, so it’s no surprise he’s leading the People team at Fluent. With over 10 years of HR experience, he oversees various functions, feverishly striving to create a cohesive culture where people feel they belong and can do their best work. Partnering with all levels of staff and leadership, Patrick works to improve communication, as well as remove barriers that inhibit success. A proud uncle of two munchkins, he is a true New Hampshirite: raised in Portsmouth, Patrick graduated from the University of New Hampshire and recently bought a home there to be closer to family and New England ocean air.
