• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, July 22, 2014

At a time when financial engineering is becoming nearly as important as the software kind to ad technology companies, Centro is bringing an ad tech vet with investment banking experience in as its new CFO. Michael Bruns, who has held operating roles as CFO and COO of cloud-based software provider Codifyd, and ClearTrial -- the latter which was ultimately acquired by Oracle -- becomes Centro’s CFO, succeeding Leo Brubaker, who was named COO last year.

The move comes as VC-backed Centro is looking to make a major push to compete with Mediaocean and a litany of well-capitalized media-buying software and technology players.

Centro currently claims to have 600 agency customers and 500 employees in North America, but has only leveraged itself with a $22.5 million round of venture funding to date.

Prior to his operating roles, Bruns was a senior technology investment banker at Robert W. Baird & C. and Jeffries & Co.