Jim Turner
University of Connecticut
The Turner Group
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I began my career as an electrical engineer because I loved solving difficult problems. Over time, I discovered that the hardest—and most interesting—problems usually involve people, organizations, and turning promising ideas into successful products and businesses. My career has taken me from engineering into product management, entrepreneurship, and executive leadership. I have built startups, led teams inside global companies, launched products around the world, and experienced both the excitement of successful growth and the difficult lessons that come when things do not go as planned. Those experiences taught me that careers rarely follow a straight line—and that some of our most important growth happens when we are uncertain about what comes next. Today, I divide my time among coaching and mentoring leaders, advising businesses, teaching, and building an independent publishing company. I remain a builder at heart. My approach is practical, candid, and encouraging. I listen carefully, ask questions that help people see their situation differently, and then work with them to turn that clarity into decisions and concrete action.
Work with Jim
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Why do I coach?
I coach because the moments with the greatest potential—starting a company, stepping into management, taking ownership of a product, or leading through uncertainty—can also be the moments when people feel most alone. Early in my career, a senior leader recognized potential in me and gave me the guidance that helped change the direction of my career. Since then, I have seen how much difference the right question, an honest conversation, or an outside perspective can make at a pivotal moment. I enjoy helping people step back from the immediate pressure, understand what is really happening, and move forward with greater clarity and confidence. My goal is not to provide canned answers, but to help each person make better decisions, recognize their own capabilities, and become the leader they want to be.
Work Experience
Executive Producer
SeasonSix Media
November 2025 - Present
Digital Publishing and Production
Fractional Executive
The Turner Group
October 2025 - Present
VP, Product Management
Synamedia
January 2022 - September 2025
Hiring Manager
Successfully led the development and launch of Senza, a cutting-edge cloud-based streaming platform that redefined streaming video user engagement, from early prototypes to first customer and deployment. • Directed cross-functional teams to ensure seamless product development and implementation. • Employed advanced cloud video processing techniques to enhance user experiences and delivery speed and flexibility. • Capitalized on Synamedia's global video expertise to deliver a competitive streaming solution. Product Management, Business Development, Cross-functional Team Management
Principal Product Manager, Alexa
Amazon
July 2021 - January 2022
Hiring Manager
Led development and management of products for entertainment on Alexa, expanding audio experiences and improving quality by over 10%
Prime Video Principal Program Manager
Amazon
April 2020 - June 2021
Hiring Manager
Built and led live linear operations, services and team for Prime Video, implementing event-based show services and expanding channel offerings by nearly 3X Product Management and Cross-functional Team Leadership
Head of Product and CRO
DrumWave Inc
August 2018 - February 2020
Hiring Manager
• Led global Product and Revenue for this growing company delivering advanced data analytics and visualization through SaaS software platforms, professional services and education programs to major companies in media, telecom, banking, CPG and other industries. • Provided solutions to enable users to dynamically capture, combine, analyze, pack, price, sell and deliver data value for internal and external uses. • Specific focus in US on applying advanced data visualization to media and video businesses.
EVP Strategic Advisory and Solutions
The Palmer Group
April 2018 - June 2020
C-level Strategic Advisory firm helping companies, governments, and trade organizations identify and track emerging technologies; provide strategic insights, analysis and advisory to senior teams; and create custom solutions and software providing unique value for the organization. • Published industry-leading Trend Reports, as well as offering Executive Briefings and Floor Tours at CES, NAB, KBIS, Shop.org and others industry events. • Led the Strategic Advisory and Solutions Groups, with focus areas in Media and Advertising, Home/Smart Home and related advisory and software areas.
CRO and SVP Market Development
Net2TV
June 2012 - October 2015
Hiring Manager
Start-up creating high quality targeted addressable ad-supported Over-the-Top (OTT) long form television programs for multiple brands of Time, Inc., Meredith, Bonnier, Revision 3, and others, and providing distribution on mobile, connected TVs, tablets, and MVPDs using a proprietary "Television-as-a-Service" cloud-based platform. • Designed and delivered server-side ad sales strategies, operations and revenue agreements for monetization of content through Connected TV networks and programmatic TV for over 50M connected TV devices • Spearheaded distribution deals with multiple top-tier pay-tv distributors representing over 10M HHs • Developed SVOD and AVOD over-the-top television service offerings with 3 major content providers
SVP, Product Management and Strategy, Business Development, Distribution
Canoe Ventures
September 2009 - May 2012
Hiring Manager
Startup joint venture of the six largest cable operators funded over $120M, developing advanced media and advertising products and services including interactive television, advanced VOD-DAI, set-top box data products, and addressable advertising. • Created Product Management systems, created product strategies and roadmap for four major product lines • Launched Interactive TV advertising products across national footprint consisting of 30M homes from four MSO’s operating on 7 national cable networks • Defined and initiated Canoe VOD Dynamic Ad Insertion business line, currently delivering over $2B in ad-spend per year • Transformed Business Development, Sales and Distribution team to address complex multi-faceted sales channel. Created cross-market multi-brand research with 14 top consumer brands and 6 networks which demonstrated 15% increase in advertising efficacy using advanced advertising
VP of Product Management
Synacor
June 2007 - September 2009
Hiring Manager
Leading white-label provider of online and mobile products and platforms for network of over 40 cable and telco consumer sites plus industry-leading cloud authentication TV Everywhere offering (now Synacor Cloud ID). Recruited to support then-pending IPO. • Transformed product platform tripling revenue from $24M to $73M with innovative technology vision and roadmap across clients’ websites, video services, mobile portals, email services, premium music and video subscriptions, and television/DVR/VOD services • Created pioneering OTT/TV-Everywhere product (now Synacor Cloud ID); gained support from Programmers and Operators for services that established the direction in the market
VP Digital Media
A&E Networks
January 2005 - June 2007
Hiring Manager
Leading cable programming network including A&E, History Channel, and Biography Channel with digital offerings for all brand sites and integrated library of thousands of video clips generating advertising and digital revenue streams. • Transformed online offerings from informational sites to revenue generators, exceeding all performance goals within first year • Expanded online product offerings to include original video programming, social networking, custom user-contributed products, advanced search, community, and news-related features • Created new product extensions for mobile, iTV and gaming markets for each of the company’s networks: www.aetv.com, www.history.com, www.biography.com
SVP, Product; GM Games and Astrology (prior to acquisition: COO Astronet)
Women.com Networks/Astronet
1996 - 2001
Hiring Manager
Top-30 ranked web network providing women's content and services, original video series and social community. Women.com: SVP Product, GM • Integrated overall product strategy, development and management • As GM, managed two largest business units accounting for 45% of traffic and $50M annual revenues Astronet: Startup COO • Led company from to profitability and category-leadership • Grew business to #2 content site on AOL along with industry-leading website, and generated revenue through advertising, content syndication, custom publishing and a pioneering e-commerce offering. • Sold company to Hearst and was merged into Women.com Networks.
Multiple
Previous Company
1996 - 1996
Hiring Manager
Avitage, Inc. Founder, CEO / Digital Media Studios: General Manager Startup digital content production company • Developed interactive content programming for multiple platforms • Sold to DEC to create Digital Media Studios, an internal interactive content provider Kurzweil Music Systems: VP Product and Engineering Leading manufacturer of electronic musical keyboard instruments • Led development and launch of K2000 product line Visage, Inc.: Co-founder and SVP Product Leading supplier of innovative interactive video information systems • Led creation and development of full product line • Spearheaded first sales and deployment to hundreds of customer locations CBS Inc: Associate Director, Audio Systems Corporate R&D center of all divisions of CBS • Developed in-band programming control signaling for CBS Radio Network • Developed advanced musical instruments for CBS Musical Instruments, 2 patents
Education
University of Connecticut
MBA, Marketing
Georgia Institute of Technology
MSEE, Electrical Engineering, Audio and Acoustics
North Carolina State University
BS, Electrical Engineering