Stan Woodland
CEO
CMI/Compas
Being the Indispensable Partner
Introducing a new model of media buying and planning instantly made Stan Woodland an indispensable partner to many in the industry from the time he entered the arena 25 years ago. Since then, he has only continued to shake things up as his company rolls out the next generation of media buying and planning. Some of the media buys and the plans may change, but one thing always remains consistent when it comes to Stan’s ideas: They don’t follow the typical dynamics of business.
“The Compas business model I developed more than 25 years ago requires us to be 100% accountable to performance,” Stan explains. “If we don’t generate incremental savings we don’t get paid.”
That policy remains the same even for the company’s latest developments in media buying, including its Own the Audience program (a revenue share that hinges on performance), and AdMission (a proprietary programmatic buying technology that is the first of its kind to focus solely on HCP audiences). But Stan takes the most pride from something other than his constant achievements and innovations.
“My greatest achievement has been the first moment and every moment since that a partner has put their trust in me,” he explains. “What sticks in my mind: One particular client told me a few years ago that he trusted that I always had his best interests at heart. It was memorable because he actually told me this during a negotiation—the time when people normally keep their feelings close to the vest.”
However, Stan doesn’t just value the trust of his clients—he also has the utmost care for his employees. And his employees feel that respect and care every day. Not only does he remember every person’s name, birthday and important life events, “He has this amazing capability to bring out the best in people,” says Dr. Susan Dorfman, Chief Marketing, Insights & Innovation Officer at CMI/Compas. “He just makes people multiply—when you walk out of his office you feel 10 feet taller.”
