Social-Media Mavens
Adam Denenberg, B.S.’98
Tuned In
By Carol Olechowski
As chief technology officer of the iHeartRadio network, music fan and computer-science wiz Adam Denenberg has a job well suited to his passions.
The position “was definitely appealing,” says Denenberg, who joined iHeartRadio in November 2014 after serving as vice president of Engineering with The Huffington Post. “Working for a company with the range that iHeartRadio has was a tremendous opportunity for me.”
At iHeartRadio, iHeartMedia’s all-in-one digital-radio and streaming-music service, Denenberg is responsible for overall technology strategy. Recruiting is another aspect of his work: When meeting with prospective employees, “I talk about iHeartRadio’s culture of innovation, and why it’s so interesting and fun to work here,” Denenberg notes.
iHeartRadio’s 858 U.S.-based AM, FM and HD outlets broadcast news, talk, music, sports and a variety of other formats through iHeartRadio.com, its apps and individual stations’ websites. Each month, millions of listeners use their tablets, smartphones and gaming consoles to access its information and entertainment offerings.
“The reach of radio remains extremely strong, with 92 percent of Americans listening each week,” observes Denenberg, whose work experience also includes positions with Thomson Reuters, ROO Media, About.com and Comedy Central. Since people tune in at their homes and offices, in cars, and on public transportation, he mines “data around listening and playing behaviors” to personalize their user experiences by determining what types of music they enjoy, and when. “By understanding the way people use our products – based on geographic locations, previous listening behaviors and time of day – we can make more informed decisions about whether they’re interested in Ben Harper, Drake or Pink Floyd.”
Denenberg, who majored in computer science and minored in physics, entered the technology field right after graduating from UAlbany. He praises professors S.S. Ravi and Seth Chaiken for teaching courses that provided students a “solid foundation” and afforded them the “flexibility” they would need whether their careers took them into robotics, artificial intelligence or in another direction.
Next: Rob Stone, B.S.’90
