New LinkedIn Ad Chief Is From Google

Story first appeared on USATODAY.

LinkedIn has just boosted its status on Madison Avenue.

The professional-networking giant on Thursday said it has hired Penry Price as advertising chief. Price is president at Dstillery, formerly known as Media6Degrees, a digital ad-targeting platform. He previously served as an ad executive at Google and will join LinkedIn in the coming months.

LinkedIn's hiring of the high-profile ad exec signals the company is building up its advertising business. What that means is the
networking site is likely eyeing expansion beyond it current ad role with field sales staff and self-service ads used by small businesses.

LinkedIn has morphed beyond its roots as a job and recruiting destination to a growing site for discovering business news and information. The company in recent months has been testing sponsored updates from brands targeting its audience.

"Their beginnings have been fantastic, and there is so much more to accomplish," Price wrote in an email to USA Today.

Last month, LinkedIn hired David Thacker as vice president of products at its marketing solutions unit. He will work closely with Price, who will be vice president of worldwide sales for the group.

Thacker also worked at Google, as well as Groupon, in product and advertising positions.