Peter Kafka

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Yahoo Display Ad Boss Bill Wise Lands at MediaBank

Yahoo veteran Bill Wise, who left his job running the Web giant’s display ad platform unit this spring, has a new gig: He’ll be CEO of MediaBank, a Chicago-based ad technology company.

Wise is still technically a Yahoo employee, but says he’ll be at his new job “in weeks.” He replaces Brad Keywell, who co-founded Groupon, the crazily hot online shopping/coupon start-up.

Wise joined Yahoo (YHOO) in 2007, when it bought Right Media, the ad exchange he was running. So it makes perfect sense for him to land at another ad tech play. The difference between MediaBank and other ad tech start-ups is that until now, MediaBank has specialized in analog media, not digital: It sells technology that helps buyers of TV, print and other media plan and track their purchases.

That industry is dominated by Donovan Data Systems, and Wise’s first priority is to try eating into his competitor’s market share.

But MediaBank also works with digital media, though it’s a much smaller part of its business. The thinking behind Wise’s hire is that he can merge all of that together and help create a sort of mega-media marketplace: Think of Google’s (GOOG) AdX exchange, but with TV spots, magazine pages, etc., in addition to buying and selling Web display ads.

Wise, who lives in New York City, will stay there and open up a MediaBank outpost.

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I’m a giant vat of creative juices.

— David Pogue on why he’s joining Yahoo