Life at Nexxen with Tyler Norwood

Life at Nexxen is a blog series spotlighting our employees – from their career journeys and go-to advice to the rituals and activities that make up their days here at Nexxen.

In this edition of Life at Nexxen, we spoke with Tyler Norwood, Senior Business Development Manager based in the U.S. west coast. Tyler shared the pivotal moment that shaped his career journey, how autonomy and ownership define his role here at Nexxen, and some great spots to grab a drink in LA.

You’ve been with Nexxen for 3 years, originally joining our Unruly team. Before Unruly, were you in the ad tech space?

I was working at a mid-level DSP, learning the ropes of programmatic and getting hands-on with strategy, campaign performance, and client partnerships.

One day, I received a LinkedIn message from a Tremor recruiter who said, “I think you’d be a great fit for our Business Development team.” I wasn’t actively looking to make a move at the time, but something about the opportunity felt right and that conversation ended up changing everything.

Fast forward to today, I’m leading demand facilitation efforts at Nexxen, assisting with driving adoption of our self-service PMP platform CTRL, and representing the company at industry events like Programmatic I/O. It’s been a wild and rewarding ride—and I’m just getting started.

You mentioned that you have the same manager now as you did when you originally joined the company?

Yes, I’ve been on Ally Appelbaum’s team since day one. She recently stepped into the role of VP of Global CTV Partnerships at Nexxen. When the recruiter first reached out to me about the opportunity, they mentioned that one of the biggest selling points was getting to work with Ally—they weren’t wrong.

When I joined, we were a lean team of three. Since then, we’ve not only scaled the team but also helped grow our self-service PMP platform, CTRL, into a key offering for our partners. It’s been rewarding to contribute to that growth.

What do you like most about your role at Nexxen right now?

Honestly, it’s the mix of ownership and teamwork. In my role, I’m trusted to drive strategy for our partners, but I also get to collaborate with an incredibly sharp and supportive team. That makes a huge difference.

No two days are the same. There’s a lot of creativity involved, and I love being in a position where I can connect dots across teams – product, sales, ops, you name it – and help bring ideas to life.

It’s fast-paced, but my colleagues at Nexxen make it enjoyable.

For business development, what does that role entail here at Nexxen?

At Nexxen, business development is all about scaling strategic partnerships and driving long-term growth. In my role as a Senior Business Development Manager focused on Demand Facilitation, I run point on CTRL platform adoption with our supply partners, assisting them in packaging their own PMP deals, while also surfacing premium inventory opportunities across our internal demand teams.

This includes unlocking high-value supply such as live sports, first-ad-slot targeting, and seasonal tentpoles.

In a competitive SSP landscape, relationships are everything. Publishers choose partners based not only on technology but on trust and strategic collaboration. The enterprise supply team’s responsibility is to strengthen those relationships and help our partners succeed.

Going further back in your career journey, what was your college major?

I earned a BA in Communications and later attended graduate school to get my MBA, focusing on strategic management. During the pandemic, I even gave law school a shot for a semester, but it didn’t take long to realize that path wasn’t for me.

That decision ended up being a blessing. I pivoted into ad tech and got my start at a mid-sized DSP, where I had to learn everything from the ground up: how programmatic works, how deals are structured, and how buyers and sellers connect in the ecosystem.

It was (and still is) a learning curve, but it set the stage for where I am now.

So in your day-to-day at Nexxen, do you have a morning routine?

Music first—usually a Spotify “hype” playlist to get in the zone. Then it’s coffee, NPR for broader news, and a quick scroll through Digiday or AdExchanger to stay current on trends shaping the ad tech space. It helps me walk into the day informed.

Do you have any hobbies that you enjoy doing on the weekends?

I love trying out new happy hours around LA with my triplet brothers, carving out time to read, or making the drive to San Diego for beach days and scenic hikes.

Is there any place in LA that you’d recommend for their Happy Hour?

Laurel Tavern in Studio City—great food and a solid Old Fashioned. For something more laid-back, I head to Tiny’s Hi Dive on the west side. It’s a dive bar with character, where I’ll head with coworkers after work.