Strata

John Shelton President/CEO

“If you take away the biggest challenge, you take away the most enjoyable part.  If something isn’t challenging, it isn’t worth doing,” said John Shelton, STRATA President/CEO.  That’s the approach Shelton brings to STRATA.  He loves to keep pushing boundaries and reaching new technological levels with STRATA.

President since 1997 and President/CEO since 2005, Shelton has grown STRATA from 40 employees to 175 and revenues have increased 1200%.  “I am happiest when I’m moving STRATA to where it needs to be instead of keeping things as the status quo.  I’m a three year ahead type of person and I love creating a vision and seeing it move forward.”  In 2005, Shelton was able to procure the sale of STRATA to Comcast, all the while leading STRATA’s purchase of custom development leader SpotBuySpot (SBS). 

“I love riding horses and riding a horse is a lot like leading a company.  When you “turn poles” your horse can tell if you turn your head and will follow the direction you turn instinctually.  If you keep that long focus, the horse will follow, just like as a President.  I think it is important to keep looking forward and remaining focused because the rest of the company will follow.”

Shelton expanded STRATA as the premier software company for the media buying and selling industry.  STRATA’s products are the top choice for Media Buying Departments, Cable Systems, Television Stations, Radio Stations and the Interactive Industry.  Under Shelton’s leadership, STRATA has grown to have more than 1,200 clients and 12,000 individual software users in the United States and Canada.

Shelton joined STRATA as a programmer at the time of the company’s start up.  He served in that position until the late 1980’s when he joined the actuary firm of Watson & Company.  Shelton later returned to STRATA in 1992 in the role of Vice President of Software Development. “Working in both consulting and programming I learned the importance of a strong team and employing the brightest minds to shape the industry.” 

Shelton puts his strategic juices to work outside of STRATA as well.  He recently attained the level of “Life Master” at bridge, the most highly sought level of bridge achievement.