By Owen Thomas
Red Herring Online
April 17, 1998

Banner-exchange network names PointCast exec COO
NetWeb, a 10-person startup mounting a challenge to LinkExchange through its SmartClicks free ad-banner network, has named Ziff-Davis and PointCast veteran executive Anna Zornosa its chief operating officer. Ms. Zornosa was formerly PointCast's senior vice president of ad sales and affiliate development.

Ms. Zornosa is well aware of her challenge. "We don't have a first-mover technological advantage; we don't have a first-mover marketing advantage," she says. "But we see a market that's wide open." The company hopes to grow by directing traffic and promotions to its member sites in exchange for placement of banner ads.

Will she have time to miss PointCast, given her new opportunity? "It seems like it comes down to formulas -- but the relationship you form with these companies is anything but formulaic," she says. "All the choices are very, very difficult." Having worked with NetWeb CEO Bill Lohse previously at Ziff-Davis made the decision a bit easier, she says.

In last week's Head count, we wrote about the PointCast sales shakeup.

Baby, you can drive my Cars.com
Greg Stuart, formerly a principal at New York-based advertising consultancy @Webrite, is joining Cars.com as vice president and director of marketing. The automobile classifieds advertising company is a joint venture of Times Mirror, the Tribune Company, the Washington Post, and other publishers. Mr. Stuart also chairs an Internet Advertising Bureau committee. (Personal to Mr. Stuart: nice vanity domain!)

Will Cars.com face a cash-rich competitor?

Wit Capital lures Wall Street player
Robert Lessin, who resigned two weeks ago as vice chairman of Salomon Smith Barney, has joined Wit Capital as chairman, and has made an additional investment in the Internet securities firm. Mr. Lessin replaces Ronald Readmond, who is taking the title of Wit's vice chairman. (Wit Capital is a business partner of Red Herring Communications.)

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