Here’s a list of 75 influential figures in the ad tech industry as of 2024. These individuals are known for their leadership, innovation, and thought leadership in advertising technology:
Industry Leaders and Founders
- Brian O’Kelley – Co-founder and CEO of Scope3; former co-founder and CEO of AppNexus.
- Jeff Green – CEO and co-founder of The Trade Desk.
- David Rubin – Chief Revenue Officer at Twitter and a prominent figure in ad tech.
- John Stankey – CEO of AT&T and a key player in digital advertising and telecom convergence.
- Bob Lord – President of IBM’s Blockchain and AI business, previously CEO of AOL.
- Tim Kroger – CEO of Digital Remedy, leading advancements in digital advertising solutions.
- Ana Milicevic – Co-founder of Sparrow Advisers, an expert in ad tech and digital media strategy.
- Luca Grulla – Founder and CEO of Gravity4, a global ad tech and data science company.
- Richard Titus – CEO of the ad tech consultancy, SandStorm Media.
- Ashu Garg – General Partner at Foundation Capital, focusing on ad tech and AI investments.
Technology and Innovation Experts
- Gina Bianchini – CEO of Mighty Networks, influential in community-based ad tech solutions.
- Eric Lunt – Co-founder of Signal, a leading identity resolution company.
- Randy Wootton – CEO of Cachet, specializing in programmatic and data-driven ad solutions.
- Nicole Brown – Chief Marketing Officer at Quantcast.
- Diana Nystrom – Chief Product Officer at The Trade Desk, driving innovation in programmatic advertising.
- Mike Baker – CEO of Amplify, an expert in mobile and programmatic advertising technologies.
- Paul Harrison – CTO at Chooch AI, focusing on AI and machine learning in ad tech.
- Daniel Knapp – Chief Economist at IAB Europe, specializing in digital advertising trends and insights.
- Gianluca De Cobelli – Chief Strategy Officer at Digital Ad Exchange, focusing on ad tech strategy and innovation.
- Jennifer Capstraw – Vice President of Marketing at AdRoll Group, a key figure in digital marketing.
Data and Analytics Specialists
- Kirk Borne – Principal Data Scientist at Borne Data and a leading figure in data science and analytics.
- Hilary Mason – Founder of Fast Forward Labs and Chief Scientist at Cloudera, influential in AI and data analytics.
- Marc Kiven – Co-founder of Tapad, known for advancements in cross-device data and analytics.
- Heather Zynczak – CMO at Pluralsight and expert in data-driven marketing and ad tech solutions.
- Thomas Korte – Founder of AngelList and a key investor in ad tech and data analytics startups.
- Yves-Alexandre de Montjoye – Associate Professor at Imperial College London, specializing in data privacy and analytics.
- David Raab – Founder of the Customer Data Platform Institute, focusing on data management and ad tech.
- Joe Zawadzki – CEO of MediaMath, specializing in data-driven advertising solutions.
- Susan Bidstrup – Head of Data Science at AppLovin, focusing on data-driven ad tech solutions.
- Amr Awadallah – Co-founder of Cloudera and an expert in big data and analytics.
Creative and Content Innovators
- Jesse Pujji – Founder and CEO of GrowthEngine, focusing on creative strategies in digital marketing.
- Sara Badin – Creative Director at 360i, known for innovative ad campaigns and content strategies.
- Andrew McCarthy – Co-founder of Beehive, an expert in creative ad technologies and content marketing.
- Laura Roeder – Founder of MeetEdgar and a leading figure in social media marketing and ad tech.
- Derek Andersen – Founder of Bevy, focusing on community-driven ad tech solutions.
- Katie Martell – Marketing and branding expert, known for her work on creative ad campaigns.
- Stephanie Hyland – Chief Creative Officer at Ogilvy, focusing on innovative ad content strategies.
- Aaron Bell – Co-founder of AdRoll, known for creative approaches in digital advertising.
- Vanessa Hurst – Co-founder of CodeMontage, focusing on creative technologies in advertising.
- Evan Schwartz – CMO of AdTech Solutions, known for innovative content and ad strategies.
Market Analysts and Researchers
- Brian Wieser – Global President of Business Intelligence at GroupM, a leading market analyst in ad tech.
- Pivotal Research – Analysts from Pivotal Research Group, influential in ad tech market trends and research.
- Jessica Liu – Senior Analyst at Forrester Research, focusing on digital marketing and ad tech.
- Scott Cunningham – Chief Economist at the IAB, known for research on digital advertising trends.
- Melissa Parrish – VP and Principal Analyst at Forrester, specializing in ad tech and marketing analytics.
- Tobias Wolf – Head of Research at eMarketer, focusing on ad tech and digital marketing insights.
- Tim Evershed – Chief Research Officer at MediaRadar, known for research on ad tech and media trends.
- Sara McCormick – Senior Research Analyst at Gartner, specializing in digital marketing and ad tech.
- Kate O’Leary – Head of Research at Nielsen, focusing on ad tech and media measurement.
- James Greenfield – Lead Analyst at BIA Advisory Services, known for insights on ad tech and media advertising.
Influential Practitioners and Speakers
- Ben Young – Founder of Branded, focusing on native advertising and ad tech.
- Sarah Austin – CEO of MyTopFace, a key influencer in social media marketing and ad tech.
- Rishad Tobaccowala – Author and thought leader in digital marketing and ad tech.
- Mike Shields – Media and marketing journalist, known for insights on digital advertising and ad tech.
- Adam Singolda – CEO of Taboola, a prominent figure in content discovery and native advertising.
- Lily Lichtenstein – Chief Digital Officer at Univision, influential in digital ad strategies.
- Elliot Schrage – Former VP of Communications and Public Policy at Facebook, a key figure in digital advertising.
- Colleen Harris – CMO at Aarki, specializing in mobile advertising and creative strategies.
- Evan Sharp – Co-founder of Pinterest and influential in social media advertising.
- Nick Chasinov – Founder of Valassis, a leader in digital and print ad tech solutions.
Startup Founders and Innovators
- Evan Blake – Founder and CEO of AdThrive, a leading ad tech platform for publishers.
- Nicolai Behr – Co-founder of Optimove, focusing on customer retention and ad tech solutions.
- Nikhil Sethi – Founder and CEO of Funnel, known for its innovative data and analytics solutions.
- Amit Varma – Co-founder of AdLoyalty, specializing in customer loyalty and ad tech.
- Ritika Puri – Co-founder of StoryFuel, known for creative ad content and storytelling.
- Tariq Hassan – Founder of Swirl, an expert in location-based ad technologies.
- Arvind Sundararajan – Founder and CEO of Adalytics, focusing on ad performance analytics.
- Sara Wong – Co-founder of AdFusion, known for advancements in cross-platform ad solutions.
- David Schottenstein – Founder of ASTOUND, focusing on ad tech and digital media.
- Meghan Keaney Anderson – VP of Marketing at HubSpot, influential in ad tech and marketing strategies.
Influential Investors and Advisors
- Chris Sacca – Founder of Lowercase Capital, known for investments in ad tech startups.
- Catherine Luelo – Chief Technology Officer at TD Bank and a key advisor in digital innovation and ad tech.
- Mark Suster – General Partner at Upfront Ventures, investing in ad tech and digital media.
- David Blumberg – Founder of Blumberg Capital, focusing on investments in ad tech and digital startups.
- Arianna Huffington – Founder of Thrive Global and a prominent advisor in digital marketing and ad tech innovation.
These influencers are shaping the future of ad tech with their innovative approaches, industry expertise, and leadership in digital advertising technologies.