Catena Media Appoints Jasleen Kals as VP of Product to Drive Product-Centric Growth Strategy

Catena Media has appointed Jasleen Kals to the position of Vice President of Product. Kals possesses extensive experience in product strategy, having worked in the industry for over ten years.

This strategic hire reflects Catena Media’s broader organizational shift towards a product-centric approach. As a vital member of the central leadership team, Kals will play a crucial role in revitalizing the company and steering revenue back on course. This comes after a challenging start to the year for Catena Media, which experienced a significant 49% revenue decrease compared to the initial quarter of 2023. The North American sports wagering sector was particularly impacted, witnessing a substantial 70% revenue reduction. Interim Chief Executive Officer Pierre Cadena characterized the financial performance as “underwhelming” and cited “heightened market rivalry, reduced operator marketing expenditures, and challenging comparative figures” as contributing elements.

Kals’ recruitment follows a series of recent executive appointments, including the addition of Manuel Stan as Chief Executive Officer and Michael Gerrow as Group Chief Financial Officer. These alterations follow the unsatisfactory Q1 2024 financial outcomes and a similarly difficult final quarter of the previous year.

Kals’ professional journey commenced at QuinStreet in 2012 as a Website Product Manager. Subsequently, she held high-ranking product positions at Searchmetrics and MarketMuse prior to joining CafeMedia as Director of Product Management in 2021.

Prior to assuming her position at Catena, Kals cultivated her expertise as the Chief of Digital Product Innovation and Planning at TMZ, the celebrated entertainment news outlet.

Notably, she has also been the guiding influence, acting as the Co-Founder and Director of Product and Technology at SYNQ since 2022.

Pierre Cadena, serving as Temporary CEO, conveyed his excitement, remarking, “We are delighted to welcome Jasleen to the team. Her remarkable history of creating outstanding products is a testament to her abilities. Her vision, direction, and implementation will be crucial as we integrate a product-focused strategy across our company.”

He further stressed, “This methodology prioritizes the creation of top-tier products and exceptional user interactions as we aim for enduring, sustained expansion. Jasleen will lead the evolution and growth of Catena Media’s impressive collection of resources and brands, guaranteeing we realize their complete capabilities.”