First Screen Appoints Mark Fruehan CEO of the Americas

Executive Appointment Launches Next Phase of Growth for First Screen

DALLAS & DUBAI, United Arab Emirates–(BUSINESS WIRE)–First Screen, a global Value-Added Services provider of mobile content and commerce solutions, today announced that Mark D. Fruehan has been named Chief Executive Officer of the Americas, effective immediately. Fruehan, a leading mobile industry innovator, will lead sales strategy and growth of First Screen’s product suite across the United States, Canada and Latin America.

Mark joins First Screen at a pivotal time for the company and industry, as media companies around the globe expand their monetization and distribution efforts across different platforms; further, as the number of digital content consumers and mobile subscribers surge, frictionless commerce solutions become more important than ever. The rollout of 5G technology will massively improve mobile commerce adoption by providing a frictionless end-to-end content and shopping experience for customers and eliminating some of the most common connectivity issues during mobile payments, namely cart abandonment. First Screen’s product suite of mobile content and commerce solutions is well positioned to capitalize on this opportunity.

“We are thrilled that Mark has joined First Screen,” said Joost Goeree, Chief Commercial Officer at First Screen. “Mark’s proven track record of innovating and scaling new technologies and business models at the intersection of media and technology will help First Screen accelerate growth. Leveraging deep domain expertise in mobile marketing, mobile commerce, digital media, social networks, fintech and adtech in the mobile ecosystem, the positive impact Mark will have on our business and for our customers and shareholders is indisputable.”

Mark joins First Screen with an accomplished background in both strategic and commercial leadership in the media, advertising and technology industries, having most recently served as Chief Revenue Officer at Tradeswell, an AI-based eCommerce operating system. Previously, Mark was President and Chief Revenue Officer at Verve where he was instrumental in transforming the Company from a location-based ad network to a premium mobile location-focused ad exchange, and steered the acquisition of Verve Wireless, Inc. to Media and Games Invest, MGI, PLC (M8G:Xetra). Mark also co-founded and led revenue growth for Amplify.ai, a global enterprise chatbot platform funded by Costanoa Ventures and recently acquired by Triller.net. His roots in mobile and wireless run deep, with executive leadership roles at Opera Mediaworks, AdMarvel, VeriSign, and CellStar.

“I’m excited to join First Screen and the talented management team as we drive growth across a dynamic telecommunications, payments and media industry landscape,” Mark said. “As the industry evolves through restructuring, consolidation and technology leaps to 5G, as well as innovations in payments and content creation, I believe strongly in the positioning of First Screen and its world-class acquisition platforms to provide robust solutions for brands and carriers all over the world.”

Hailing from Scranton, Pennsylvania, Mark received a BS degree in Economics from Penn State where he was a member of the 1982 NCAA Championship Football Team.

About First Screen

Active in over 40 countries and 85 mobile operators, First Screen supports digital first and OTT brands with customer acquisition services and world-class support for distribution of a brand’s unique and premium content, product or services offering through mobile operator and emerging channels. Headquartered in Dubai, First Screen has offices in the Netherlands, South Africa, Singapore, and Dallas, which will serve as the headquarters for the Americas business.

To learn more about First Screen, please visit: www.firstscreen.com.