At Highwire, we’re always keeping an eye on the people and organizations that are driving change across their industries. And as a women-led agency, we know the importance of lifting up other women and shining a light on those who are leading, innovating and creating in their fields. This Women’s History Month we wanted to highlight several women who are visionaries and rising stars leading the ongoing transformation of the ad tech industry with our first-ever Ones to Watch: Women in Adtech list.
The advertising industry in its early days was well known for its “boys club” atmosphere – as portrayed in AMC’s Mad Men. We’ve come a long way since the 1950s, but women in leadership level positions are still scarce when you scan the industry’s C-suites. The Women in Advertising and Communications Leadership association found that only 37.5% of C-suite positions in the ad industry are held by women. The fictitious Peggy Olson may have brazenly blazed her trail to the top back then, but more pathways are needed for women today to reach the highest ranks and achieve parity at the executive level.
Fortunately the industry seems intent on bridging this gap and elevating women at all stages of their careers as they build and lead. Look no further than the traditional media publications covering the space – AdAge, AdExchanger, Adweek – and you’ll find many awards programs that honor and recognize women for their contributions to the industry. And it is these contributions that we also want to shine a light on with...
Ones to Watch: Women in Adtech
Afia Sheikh
iSpot, Regional Director, Brand Partnerships
Afia has 15 plus years of experience in various leadership roles in the advertising space, primarily in customer success and partner management. She has developed new channels, advanced partnerships, and successfully collaborated with cross-functional teams to deliver strategic outcomes.
Aubriana Lopez
Samsung Ads, Head of Data Strategy, Global Product Marketing
Aubriana is an experienced multi-disciplined marketer who heads the development of data partnerships, principles, and attribution. She has honed her expertise and driven business results by focusing on audience development, cross-functional measurement, and in-depth reporting.
Carla Kelly
NBCUniversal, SVP, Client Partnerships
Carla serves as SVP, Client Partnerships, Hispanic & Multicultural at NBCUniversal in the company’s Advertising Sales & Partnerships division. In this role, Carla leads the Hispanic and Multicultural client advocacy team, playing an integral part in the development of NBCUniversal’s multicultural sales strategy.
Christine Hong
Roku, Global Head of Media Revenue Operations
Christine spent her career managing revenue and ad operations at major media streamers like Hulu and Disney, handling revenue management and ad operations. Now, she serves as global head of media revenue operations at Roku, leveraging extensive media revenue management and ad operations experience to drive sales results.
Danielle Brown
Disney Advertising, SVP, Data Enablement and Category Strategy
Danielle currently leads the sales and marketing across Disney’s portfolio of brands using data-driven strategies to deliver maximum impact for advertising campaigns.
Erin Foxworthy
Snowflake, Industry Principal for Media, Entertainment and Advertising
Erin serves as the industry principal for media, entertainment and advertising at Snowflake, focusing on advertisers and agencies. Her varied resume includes leading strategic partnerships, driving unprecedented innovation, and providing data-driven insights for clients across the advertising ecosystem.
Grace Kao
Spotify, Global Head of Advertising Business Marketing
Grace brings a diverse base of media expertise with more than 20 years of marketing and advertising experience. She has led award-winning campaigns and worked alongside creative agencies to enable brands and businesses to find and connect with their fans in innovative ways.
Kara Rousseau
Walmart Connect, VP, Marketing & Lightbox Creative
Kara Rousseau is currently VP, Head of Marketing and Creative at Walmart Connect, where she leads a team that oversees Brand & Partner Marketing, Client Solutions, Category Insights, Creative, Marketing Operations, and Training & Development. Previously she held leadership roles at The Walt Disney Company and WarnerMedia.
Kristen Williams
Magnite, SVP, Strategic Partnerships
Kristen drives innovation across the ad tech industry and in her role at Magnite. Her teams are dedicated to building relationships with technology vendors and supporting data initiatives to create transparent and secure advertising experiences for the end customer.
Lauren Tempest
Hulu, General Manager
Lauren Wetzel
InfoSum, Chief Operating Officer
Lauren is the Chief Operating Officer of InfoSum, where she manages strategy, operations, marketing, client services, business development, and the company’s people function. Her previous responsibilities include strategy consulting and corporate development, along with time spent in various operational roles.
Lizette Williams
Meta, Global Head of Vertical Solutions Marketing
Lizette oversees global solutions marketing operations by managing Meta’s marketing strategy across global industry verticals. Her team determines how to leverage ad solution products to grow clients’ businesses.
Lydia Daly
Paramount Advertising, SVP, Audience Impact & Intelligence
Lydia’s experience at Paramount includes leading a team dedicated to generating audience, marketplace and cultural insights. Alongside the sales team, she also develops strategy direction with a foundation in category and marketplace trends.
Nicole Sabatini
Netflix, Senior Director, Ads Marketing
Nicole currently serves as Senior Director of Ads Marketing where she leads global marketing initiatives for Netflix's new advertising offering to clients and brand partners. Formerly, she has held senior marketing posts at Bravo, Style Network and Nickelodeon where she led strategic initiatives to deliver business impact.
Samantha Jacobson
The Trade Desk, EVP and Chief Strategy Officer
Samantha manages strategic investments and cross-functional initiatives to reinforce The Trade Desk’s position as an industry leader. Her varied experience includes managing global business development and strategy teams and crafting critical industry partnerships, honing her strategic and consulting expertise along the way.
Soyeong Park
Sam's Club Member Access Platform, Head of Measurement Insights & Data Strategy
Soyeong leads the Measurement, Insights & Data Strategy (MINDS) team at Sam’s Club Member Access Platform (MAP), where she measures audience insights and leverages data and analytics for media planning strategy. Her experience spans across marketing, retail and digital media, and she’s worked across industries at companies including Williams-Sonoma, Workday and Walmart Connect.
