Today, we would like to introduce you to Arvid Tchivzhel, our Senior Vice President, Product. For over 15 years, Arvid has been an integral part of Mather Economics, where he played a pivotal role in driving digital transformation and optimizing revenue for publishers. As one of the company’s first full-time employees, his dedication has been steadfast. In this employee spotlight, learn more about what a typical day looks like for him, his early start with Mather, and how he manages a healthy work-life balance. Happy reading!
1.Can you share a bit about your role and what a typical day looks like for you?
Every day, I look for ways that Mather can provide the greatest value to our clients and align our product roadmaps, service areas, and resource allocation. A big part of my day is anticipating industry/client needs and navigating the flood of information on what can impact our clients’ business models: what is a distraction or the next great idea. When our team fires on all cylinders, it is incredible how quickly things grow.
In August 2023, Mather acquired Sophi (a Toronto-based AI company). This was our first strategic acquisition. A big part of my role was to integrate their best-in-class AI software with Mather’s products and strategic advisory services. Read more about Sophi here:
To borrow a Canadian phrase, if I do my job well, we will “skate to where the puck will be”.
2. What inspired you to pursue a career in the media industry?
I have always held a deep interest in media and technology, though I did not envision a career in the industry. After completing my degrees in economics and Spanish, I searched for companies where I could apply my unique skill set and landed at Mather Economics. I was attracted to the company because of how principles of economics and econometrics were applied to solve real-world business problems.
It is incredibly stimulating being part of a rapidly disrupted industry and building solutions that help organizations create sustainable business models and leave a measurable impact. Helping journalism remain strong and profitable is one of the most rewarding parts of the job and continues to be a motivating factor.
3. How has your role evolved since you first joined the company?
I was one of the first full-time employees when I joined Mather in 2008. There were three of us in our original office building in Atlanta. Needless to say, things have evolved quite a bit. We are much bigger now with almost 100 people supporting our global client base and dedicated full-time staff in Toronto and Antwerp. We truly have a global footprint!
Initially hired as an analyst to build reports for our growing Market-Based Pricing service (now serving nearly 800 brands), I was fortunate to grow with the firm and eventually oversaw all operations and clients using our MBP service. As the industry pivoted towards digital consumer revenue, my role shifted into product development. I spearheaded the creation of technology and solutions supporting digital transformation and optimizing digital revenue for publishers. Our first-party data platform, Listener, now boasts over 200 brands and is fully integrated with Sophi’s AI engines. We provide benchmarks across audiences and content and have garnered awards for our products over the last decade. In 2020, we earned a patent for technical innovation.
As the technology scaled, my role evolved into growing a dedicated digital consulting practice, serving hundreds of clients globally and leading projects with the Google News Initiative. With the absorption of the consulting practice into our new unified consulting organization, I pivoted back to product development. During this time, we continued to innovate, leading to our acquisition of Sophi.
In my latest role, I’ve transitioned away from product development to lead our newest Managed Services division. Mather’s offerings now encompass a full suite of people and technology to serve future publisher media business models. Publishers can concentrate on producing high-quality local journalism while Mather handles nearly all other aspects of business strategy and operations. This is particularly vital for local news organizations facing challenges in hiring and developing local talent. Our findings and best practices can scale across local news organizations, sustaining journalism for the long term.
What is one of the best memories you have from working at Mather?
Over the span of 15 years, I’ve had many memorable experiences. One of the most unique was when the Mather team traveled to Washington DC to attend a conference on the restoration of the Florida Everglades. Mather had published research on the economic impact of restoring the Florida Everglades and received an invitation to attend. At the event, I had the opportunity to see Tom Brokaw present, meet Miss Florida and Miss Maryland, interact with Ken Salazar, and enjoy a live performance by Blues Traveler.
How do you prioritize work-life balance, and what activities do you enjoy outside of the workplace?
One of the perks of the job is travel. I’ve been fortunate to visit incredible destinations in Europe, APAC, ANZ, and explore various parts of North America and LATAM. After completing onsite visits with clients, I often seize the opportunity to extend my stay for a few days of personal time to explore the area. Notably, an advertising pricing project with the New Zealand Yellow Pages led me to New Zealand on four separate occasions. It’s a place I cherish exploring and eagerly look forward to visiting again.
Our clients are always eager to share recommendations for things to do and places to eat. Once, during a visit to Buenos Aires, our client kindly provided us with tickets for a performance at the Teatro Colón. It was an unforgettable experience in an incredible venue.
Can you describe a moment when you had to adapt quickly to unexpected changes in your work environment?
The 2020 pandemic had a profound global impact. Like many others, we had to swiftly adapt to remote work and adjust how we served clients during this challenging time. We made significant pivots in our product roadmap to prioritize insights and findings for our clients as they navigated a period of profound instability. This experience reinforced the importance of remaining nimble and unafraid to discard well-laid plans when market conditions shift.
If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self when starting in this industry, what would it be?
Relationships are paramount, not only in the media industry but in every facet of life and business. It’s always heartening when a client recalls a small detail from a previous interaction. Even the smallest gestures can have profound and lasting effects!
Arvid works as a Vice-President, Product at Mather Economics in Atlanta, Georgia. To get in touch with him, please email: arvid@mathereconomics.com
