Co-Founder at Chalice Custom Algorithms
Heimlich is known for advocating that advertisers should build and own custom bidding algorithms rather than rely on DSP black boxes, and for his deep technical expertise in programmatic optimization and media buying transparency.
Last updated Feb 27, 2026 by AI Enrichment
Adam Heimlich is one of AdTech's most technically sophisticated practitioners, best known for bridging the gap between algorithmic science and real-world media buying at scale. As co-founder of Chalice Custom Algorithms, he has championed the idea that advertisers and agencies should own and control their own bidding logic rather than ceding that power to black-box DSP algorithms — a position that has made him a distinctive and sometimes contrarian voice in programmatic advertising circles. Before founding Chalice, Heimlich served as Chief Media Officer at Horizon Media, one of the largest independent media agencies in the U.S., where he led programmatic strategy and innovation across a major client portfolio. His tenure there gave him deep operational insight into the gap between what programmatic platforms promise and what they actually deliver, fueling his advocacy for transparency and custom algorithmic control. Earlier in his career he was involved in founding and building other AdTech ventures, accumulating over two decades of hands-on experience in automated media buying. Heimlich is a prolific thought leader who writes and speaks extensively on bid optimization, attribution modeling, supply path optimization, and the application of machine learning to advertising. He has been a vocal critic of opacity in the programmatic supply chain and has contributed meaningfully to industry conversations around advertiser empowerment, algorithmic accountability, and the commoditization of DSP technology.
Horizon Media (circa 2017-2020)
Various AdTech ventures (early 2000s-2017)