Michael Walrath

Michael Walrath is best known in the advertising industry as the co-founder and CEO of Right Media, the online advertising exchange that was one of the first platforms to enable real-time buying and selling of digital ad inventory across a network of publishers and advertisers. Right Media's technology was foundational to the development of programmatic advertising, and Yahoo acquired the company in 2007 for approximately $680 million — one of the landmark AdTech deals of that era. After the Right Media acquisition, Walrath held senior roles at Yahoo before transitioning to the broader technology investment and entrepreneurship space. He later became deeply involved with Yext, the AI-powered digital presence and knowledge management platform that helps businesses manage their information across search engines, directories, and digital channels. He became CEO and Chair of the Board at Yext, taking on operational leadership of the company. Walrath is regarded as a pioneering operator in the AdTech space whose early work on ad exchanges helped reshape how digital advertising is transacted. His leadership of Yext connects him to the intersection of search, AI, and brand visibility — areas of growing strategic importance for marketers and enterprises.

Last updated Oct 22, 2026 by ATDb automated enrichment