APPLICATIONS FOR OUR AUGUST 2024 INTAKE ARE NOW OPEN.
- Less than 10 years’ experience in the digital advertising industry
- Desire to further their career in the media and marketing industry
- Work at an IAB Australia member organisation
- Each wave of the program runs for 6 months – this upcoming intake will run from August 2024 to February 2025
- Minimum monthly catch ups between mentor and mentee either in person or virtually
- The IAB will provide mentors and mentees with tools and recommendations on making the most out of the program
- Review the amazing range of mentors below
- Complete the application form by July 19, 2024.
- You will be notified if you have a spot in the program by August 1, 2024.
- Places in the program are limited and highly sought after, our mentors generously volunteer their time to support our mentees. For your best chance of success take your time with your application, provide comprehensive information on why you would like support from an industry mentor. This will not only help you in achieving admission into this program but will also assist with matching you with the most suitable mentor available.
- This short video has more information on the program, and this article has some great tips from an outgoing mentor and mentee for anyone considering applying.
Each mentor has over 10 years experience in the media industry and are carefully vetted to ensure their suitability for the role by the Mentorship Committee. The IAB carefully places Mentors with their Mentees based on their expertise, experience and availability. Also we have listed the State they are based in for your reference, but this doesn't mean you can't ask for a mentor in another state!
Read more about our Mentors below.
Adele Wiser
NSW
Adele is Regional Managing Director at Index Exchange
Adele has over 12+ years digital experience and 8+ years in programmatic, and has secured a reputation as one of the top authorities on programmatic media trading in Australia and the broader APAC region.Adele got her first taste of the power of technology in the digital ecosystem straight out of university, optimising the performance campaigns for advertisers at two market leading publishers in Australia. For Adele, technology has allowed her to develop a childhood love of solving puzzles into a career focused on tackling complex issues for digital publishers and buyers.Making the transition into the technology space in early 2012, Adele furthered her expertise in programmatic by working with exchange technology and began consulting for CoLab Media Consulting in 2016 before her appointment as Country Manager at Index Exchange in 2017. As one of the first employees in APAC, she was tasked with growing IX’s footprint by building a team and educating publishers and buyers on the promise of programmatic media. In 2019, Adele was appointed as Regional Managing Director and is responsible for overseeing the company’s operations, strategic direction and future growth opportunities for the APAC region.
Adam Furness
NSW
Adam is the Managing Director – Asia Pacific for Impact.com
Impact is the world’s leading partnership management platform. Adam has been working in media, advertising and tech for over 20 years. With experience across radio, TV, digital, programmatic, SaaS and a passion for tech-based ‘start ups’, Adam has a diverse skill set. He has held senior leadership roles in sales, strategy, cross-platform and business development at Southern Cross Austereo, Macquarie Radio Network and MI9 (formerly ninemsn). More recently Adam was the Managing Director - Asia Pacific at Rhythmone, a global advertising technology business before he joined Impact as the Managing Director - Asia Pacific.
Adam is a founding board member and current co-chair of UnLtd., the media, marketing and advertising industry social purpose organisation supporting youth charities, an advisor to a number of emerging tech businesses, an active surf lifesaver at FSLSC and a vocal equal opportunity advocate. Adam lives in Sydney with his wife Sophia and daughters, Chloe (14yo) and Helena (12yo).
Brad Palmer
NSW
Brad is the National Programmatic Director at JCDecaux Australia.
Brad is media professional of 15 years and leads JCDecaux’s programmatic ambitions within the emerging Digital Out-of-Home channel.
He has held various roles at leading publishers such as Pedestrian Group and News Corp to provide a thorough knowledge of the digital and data landscape.
Brad is an active participate in both the IAB and OMA programmatic Out-of-Home working groups and also a member of JCDecaux’s International Programmatic Council. This is a newly formed group to build marketing and programmatic platform strategies for the JCDecaux Group with influence in over 20+ global markets
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Bec Penn
NSW
Bec is Head of Product - Cartology, Woolworths
Bec Penn is a distinguished professional in the field of digital media and adtech with over 15 years of media experience. As the Head of Product - Off Network at retail media business Cartology, Bec and her team drive Cartology's addressable audience proposition and data-led strategy to drive the best results for global and local brands.
Dan Robins
NSW
Dan is the Senior Director, Growth , Growth Marketing APAC, Audible
Across his 15 year career Dan has worked with some of the biggest brands in the UK, Australia and across the APAC region advising on their media investment and data-led media approaches. Dan has a deep understanding of media technology and data on both the buy and sell sides and how their application can drive business growth for brands. Having a background on both the buy and sell side gives Dan a reasonably unique perspective. He is a firm believer in doing what feels right at the time and building a story rather than pre-designing a destination where all careers need to end up at.
Ayaan Mohamud
NSW
Ayaan is the Regional Vice President, Marketing, Impact
Ayaan is the RVP of Marketing for impact.com across Asia-Pacific and leads all of the company’s marketing activities in the region including PR, comms, demand gen and events. As impact.com's first marketing hire in the region, she has spent the last 5 years building a high-performance team of 9 marketers across Australia, Singapore, Greater China and Malaysia.
Ayaan has more than 14 years’ experience working in the marketing, media and technology industry in both APAC and EMEA. She joined impact.com from Sizmek (now Amazon), where she held a number of regional leadership roles for more than four years. Prior to this Ayaan held senior marketing positions at Dataxu (now Roku) and Comscore in London.
Dan Richardson
NSW
Dan is the Head of Data, APAC at Yahoo
Dan has 14+ years experience in teaching others and building diverse teams of thinkers who make complex things simple. As Head of Data, APAC at Yahoo, Dan’s role is to shape the commercial data strategy and deliver effective audience engagement solutions to Yahoo’s agency, brand and publisher partners. Prior to Yahoo, Dan served as digital director at Mediacom and helped launch Accuen with Omnicom Group Australia. Dan is a frequent presenter at IAB and Industry events across APAC and was previously co-chair of IAB Australia’s Data Council. He previously served as a board director for the International Advertising Association (IAA) and president of the IAA's Young Professionals.
Harpreet Kibbe
NSW
Harps is the National Solutions Director of JustEggs
Harps is the National Solutions Director of JustEggs.
Harps has over 15 years experience in International Digital Media Landscape, working in London, UAE and Australia. After graduating Harps worked in publishing, OTT and worked her way up into the digital/AD Tech space.
Harps is responsible for overseeing the Sales team at JustEggs, strengthening existing partnerships, growing new business and focusing on team growth.
Cam Dinnie
NSW
Cam is APAC Operations Director at Kargo
Cam is APAC Operations Director at Kargo, has 15+ years of experience across a broad spectrum of media businesses, including media owners, agencies and ad tech. I am passionate about building teams and individuals, with a real focus on helping my team grow and develop.
My early roles in media were at MCN (Foxtel Media) specialising in audience research and analytics.
Since MCN I have had broader exposure to the media industry, starting at CHE Proximity establishing their programmatic team. More recently I have led the APAC Customer Success team for PubMatic for 3 years.
I am passionate about leading and helping those teams to learn and progress within the industry.
At points in my digital career I have served on both the IAB Measurement and Video Councils
Daisy Smith
NSW
Daisy is the Automation Director, Acast
Daisy Smith specialises in programmatic, data and technology. With a background in publisher sales, retail media, advertising technology and data commercialisation,. Daisy brings a unique blend of strategic vision and hands-on experience to her leadership position.
In her current role as Senior Programmatic Director at Acast, Daisy is at the forefront of driving forward programmatic buying for high value podcast inventory across the Australian and New Zealand market, as well developing and executing innovative audio strategies for clients. Her leadership has been instrumental in establishing Acast as the pioneers of programmatic buying for podcasts.
Daisy is not only a total podcast nerd and a passionate team leader of a small but mighty team at Acast, she is also passionate about fostering collaboration and networking within the industry, and sits as a lead on the ANZ chapter of The Women In Programmatic Network - created to provide opportunities and support for women in the programmatic and digital advertising industry.
Jonas Jaanimagi
VIC
Jonas is the Technology Lead for IAB Australia
Jonas has been working as a Technology Lead for IAB Australia since January 2017, having previously been a board member for almost 5 years. Prior to this he was Head of Media Strategy and Operations as well as Head of Media at REA Group. Over the past 20 years Jonas has direct experience in AdOperations, Publishing, Ad Sales, Partnerships, Product and management.
Caroline Oates
NSW
Caroline is the Head of YouTube, Deals & Programmatic Sales at Google
With 20+ years experience across media and tech, Caroline currently leads the go-to-market, strategy and sales specialist teams for YouTube and DV360 in AUNZ. Prior to this she led Google Australia’s FMCG ads business with her role focused on helping clients continue to build strong brands and engage their customers as consumer behaviour evolved. Caroline started her career in the UK in a start-up before moving to News UK where she led the Insight & Strategic Planning function.
James Perry
NSW
James is the Head of Digital Media Data nd Client Services WooliesX
James is a strategic digital leader with over 28 years experience. He is passionate about digital, date and technology, with a keen focus on innovation and the future.
After spending over 20 years of his Media Career in Publishing, Digital Media and Data with a move to the client side at Qantas in 2018. Most recently as Head of Digital Media, Data & Client Services WolliesX.
James has been able to combine his love of problem-solving with solution-designing, while immersing in the future of advertising technology. James is an active industry contributor and collaborator, and loves provide guidance, mentorship and support to colleagues and emerging talent.
Diane Ho
NSW
Diane is National Digital Sales Director, Paramount Australia
Since joining Paramount ANZ in 2019, Diane has held several key leadership positions, including Sydney Sales Director, before being promoted to National Digital Sales Director in 2022. In this role, she is responsible for the development and implementation of the digital sales strategy and oversees national digital advertising revenue across the network.
Before her tenure at Paramount ANZ, Diane spent 14 years at the Seven Network.
Diane's leadership and industry expertise are well-recognised. She has held senior board roles within the media industry and was honoured with the B&T Women In Media Award in the Sales/Account Management category in 2020. This accolade highlights her results-driven approach, professionalism, strong work ethic, and her commitment to fostering a positive and inclusive workplace culture.
James Vongdara
NSW
James is Head Of Advertising Platforms, Paramount ANZ
James Vongdara joined Paramount ANZ in February 2023 as Head Of Advertising Platforms, responsible for leading Ad Technology strategy to drive revenue and deliver exemplary ad experiences across programmatic, ad product and data initiatives.
Over the past 15 years, James has held positions in the digital advertising industry across publishers and broadcasters, including SBS, BBC and LinkedIn.
James has great skill in bringing teams together, providing guidance and support to colleagues, and fostering growth, to solve business challenges.
He is a proud dad of two young children, James is an advocate for equality, parental leave and ensuring true work/life balance.
Lachlan Brae
NSW
Lachlan is General Manager of Retail Media at Cashrewards
With over 25 years of experience in digital advertising and a proven track record in retail media innovation, Lachlan brings invaluable expertise in strategic leadership and in fostering strong industry partnerships. Prior to Cashrewards, Lachlan served as Head of Retail Media for The Endeavour Drinks Group, where he spearheaded the successful launch of MixIn, its retail media business, in 2022. Before this, he lead the rollout of Criteo’s retail media platform across APAC, collaborating with prominent retailers and marketplaces such as eBay, Flipkart, and Alibaba. Lachlan joined IPG Mediabrands in 2018 as Managing Director of Reprise, overseeing search, social and retail media initiatives for leading FMCG advertisers such as Johnson & Johnson, Nestle and Coca Cola. Prior to these positions, Lachlan has held executive and leadership roles at comScore, Vevo and emitch (now Dentsu). He is a current member of the IAB’s Retail Media Working Group, Re:made’s advisory panel, and has been a member of the UNSW Business School Mentoring program since 2022.
Read more here
Janette Higginson
NSW
Janette is VP of Buyer Development, APAC at Index Exchange
Janette boasts 15 years of experience in digital marketing, with a decade specifically honing her expertise in programmatic advertising. Throughout her career in the ad tech sector, she has garnered recognition for her role as an educator in programmatic advertising for buyers. Her consultative approach is key to her success, allowing her to strategically align with customer needs.
Originally starting in journalism, Janette transitioned to digital sales at Linkedin, News Corp, and Yahoo7, where she refined her skills in programmatic trading and management. She further advanced her career at Criteo and Postr, assuming the role of Global Head of Ad Strategy and Platforms. In 2018, she joined Index Exchange, the world’s largest independent advertising exchange, where she currently oversees all buy-side business initiatives across broader APAC.
Janette's played a pivotal role in establishing the Australian and Japanese chapters of The Women In Programmatic Network and is leading the association's efforts in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Her achievements include being named a finalist in prestigious awards such as the B&T Women Leading Tech Awards and Mediaweek Next of the Best Awards. Janette also mentors for TWIPN reinforcing her reputation as a digital advertising thought leader. Passionate about nurturing new talent, she is dedicated to equipping the next generation with the skills and expertise needed in programmatic advertising.
Josh Hover
NSW
Josh is a Digital Director at PHD Sydney
Currently working across Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda and Cupra Josh has been at PHD for 6 years. In his role, he is responsible for delivering digital strategic work across paid, earn and owned media and delivering/maintaining data strategies for the brands.
Josh has worked across Virgin Australia, Volkswagen Group Australia and Unilever. Josh is recognised as a digital leader within the PHD Media specialising in Programmatic, Search, Social and Data/Tech.
Amy Jansen-Flynn
QLD
Amy is Country Manager, ANZ at Adform
Amy is a digital tech leader with more than 15 years’ experience in Media. She has led commercial and product teams across both programmatic supply and demand, and data strategy. Amy is fiercely passionate about equality, effective leadership and emerging talent. She’s driven by transparency, commercial strategy and disruptive product ideation/development. She is also an enthusiastic home cook and wine drinker, and spends most of her spare time chasing around her two wild little girls.
Larissa Nery
NSW
Larissa is Head of Digital Experience, Tourism NSW
Larissa is currently Head of Digital Experiences at Tourism Australia. She leads global digital strategy, digital campaign execution and continuous improvement of the user experience across Tourism Australia’s owned platforms. Larissa helped drive the Digital Transformation program at Tourism Australia, as well as championing technical innovation in campaigns that have been recognised by Cannes, The Webby’s and Skift.
With over 19 years of experience working on globally recognised brands like Nokia, Dove, Qantas, and Coca-Cola, Larissa has a proven track record of delivering engaging digital experiences and exceptional business growth.
Natalie Stanbury
NSW
Natalie is the Research Director at IAB Australia
Natalie has been working as Director of Research at the IAB Australia since February 2019. In her role Natalie works with the IAB Audience Measurement Council in developing the industry standard audience measurement methodology and with the IAB Ad Effectiveness Council to refine the best methods to assess the impact of advertising. She also works on research projects and initiatives to support the continued investment in digital advertising in Australia. Natalie has gained extensive research expertise and industry experience from her previous positions as Research Director at News Corp Australia, Head of Research & Insights at Fairfax Media, as well as working with ninemsn and Ticketek.
Nina Vanneck
NSW
Nina is Country Manager, Publisher Partnerships AUNZ, Google.
Nina Vanneck joined Google in 2010 in the UK Media & Publishing Team, relocating to the Sydney office in 2015 to be Country Manager for AUNZ Publisher Partnerships. Nina is an online media all-rounder, working in the digital media space since 2000 in a mixture of programming, channel management, business development, account management, research and sales strategy roles. She has worked at different publishers including News Corp, Fairfax, Yahoo!7 and AOL. Nina is a mother of 2 little ones, 5 and 1. She was a facilitator of a course called 'Taking the Stage', that shows women how to speak with courage and confidence so they can be seen and heard as leaders.
Manuela Cadd
VIC
Manuela is Head of Global Strategic Partnerships, Vudoo
Manuela Cadd is a seasoned digital media leader with over 20 years of international experience in advertising and business development across Europe and APAC. With a background in ad tech, she has a deep understanding of the programmatic ecosystem and a track record of building successful media businesses and executing high-performing campaigns.
Throughout her career, she’s worked across advertisers, publishers, and ad tech platforms. In her recent role as Director of Regional Go-to-Market at Criteo, she spearheaded the launch of client-centric products, collaborating closely with global product teams to test cutting-edge innovations and partnerships. Prior to her role at Criteo, she served as the Australian country manager at Verve Group and founded DigitalOne, where she facilitated market entry for international brands into Australia and collaborated with international publishers to bolster their local market presence.
Manuela's passion lies in the fusion of technology and creativity, a driving force behind her excitement with Ad Tech and Commerce Media.
Rachel Page
VIC
Rachel is the National Digital Sales Director, Seven
Rachel is an established media professional and passionate people leader. With more than 25 year’s experience, she has a track record of creating high performance teams that deliver great results. Rachel’s background spans across the media and advertising industry, having held senior roles in TV, out of home, sports marketing, radio and tech including Network 10, Pandora Internet Radio, Ninemsn and Yahoo. Rachel’s human and helpful approach has won her B&T’s Best of the Best award for Commercial Director in 2021 along with numerous team and individual awards. Rachel believes that it is more critical than ever before to provide strong support and mentoring for the next generation to ensure we continue to thrive and have fun!
Jenny Parkes
VIC
Jenny is the Managing Director, Audience360
Jenny has extensive experience across the media landscape including Programmatic, Location, Publisher and Broadcast. She is a passionate leader with a focus on creating high performance teams with company values and culture at the heart. Her career kicked off on the commercial side in media sales and then progressed to general management with full P&L responsibility.
In her current role at Audience360 she leads a business that is at the forefront of programmatic audience targeting and works with some of Australia’s leading publishers such carsales, Webjet, Mozo and AFL.com.au to help them monetise their audiences
Renee Stopps
NSW
Renee is the Sales Director, ANZ at Microsoft.
An experienced sales leader with more than 18 years in digital media. Renee has a strong passion for personal and professional development with experience in working with large corporate global agencies and businesses in delivering strong results. Renee is grounded in her core values of transparency, trust, and integrity, holding high expectations and demonstrating grit and resilience when faced with challenges. Renee thrives on collaboration and being adaptive to our fast-paced industry.
Renee believes leadership is about empowering others to achieve their full potential and that high performing teams need to be diverse and inclusive to excel. Deeply passionate about diversity, inclusion and wellbeing, her goal is to create a workplace of trust where everyone can be their authentic selves. On a personal note, Renee is a passionate health advocate and has a master’s in fitness and nutrition..
Rhys Williams
NSW
Rhys is Managing Director of Large Customer Sales, Google Australia/NZ
Rhys leads a team of sales and product specialists to help marketers, agencies and partners to harness the power of Google’s advertising, measurement and technology solutions. Rhys is a member of Google’s AUNZ Leadership team, is an active industry speaker and represents Google on the IAB Australia board. Rhys holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Maj. Marketing) from UWS in Sydney.
Rhys thrives at the intersection of media and technology, and is passionate about the transformative role that digital technology plays in marketing and media.
Renee Murray
VIC
Renee is Head of People & Culture at Half Dome Media Agency.
With 20+ years of professional business experience in People and Culture, Organisational Development, Operations, and Project Management, Renee has a proven track record of driving successful growth through high-performing teams. With a passion for fostering nurturing and positive cultures, Renee excels in supporting both individual and organisational success.
Renee lives in Melbourne with her husband Sam and daughters, Imogen (13) and Scarlett )10) She is a strategic thinker, exceptional communicator, and natural leader, dedicated to continuous improvement and achieving exceptional results.
Sab Chirakkal
NSW
Sab is the Director of Programmatic at Val Morgan Outdoor
Sabarish is the Director of Programmatic at VMO, with 14 years of experience in media and 7+ years in programmatic in ANZ, India, and Southeast Asia. He has worked across the programmatic ecosystem including Demand-Side Platforms (DSP), Supply-Side Platforms (SSP), and data platforms.
In his current role at VMO, Sabarish is responsible for growing VMO’s programmatic OOH offering and has launched innovative products and solutions. His career prior to VMO included impactful tenures at The Guardian, Impulse Screen, and IPG Media Brands. Sabarish actively contributes to the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and Outdoor Media Association (OMA) programmatic Out-of-Home working groups.
Sabarish is an advocate for workplace diversity and volunteers at his local Rotary Club. He is an avid pickleball player.
Chris Eden
NSW
Chris is Head of Programmatic Media, Google Australia & New Zealand.
Chris leads a team of Programmatic Media Specialists across Australia and New Zealand and is part of the Google Marketing Platform leadership team. In his role Chris helps marketers, agencies and partners to harness the power of Google’s advertising technology solutions to deliver business value.
Chris has ~15 years experience in industry across the UK and Australia and has worked across a wide range of verticals and roles including client, agency, publisher and tech sides of the equation. He is an experienced leader of direct and cross-functional teams with a strong track record in operations, solution design and enterprise sales (tech & media).
Chris is also an active industry speaker and a member of the IAB’s Executive Technology and Digital Out of Home Councils.
Sally Lawrence
NSW
Sally is the Executive Director, Media Enigma.
Sally is an experienced media practitioner, having worked across both the B2B and B2C sectors, leading strategy, planning, buying and implementation across a diverse portfolio of clients. Sally is a full funnel planner, and since day dot has been working across all media channels, and whilst digital is her thing, traditional is just as important to her.
Sally leads a team of driven, savvy and like-minded media professionals. Her team help drive her passion, and she is proud of the work they do every day. Sally’s focus for her team is to deliver excellent work and drive results for clients. She does this by providing the team with leadership, training, development and the skills to do great work, and be happy whilst doing it!
Working at a full-service agency, Sally also has the privilege of working alongside an incredible team of talented creative professionals, to deliver a fully integrated agency offering to our clients.
In 2023 Sally was shortlisted for Media Week’s Next of the Best Awards in the Independent Media Agency Specialist category.
Shani Kugenthiran
NSW
Shani is the Digital Advertising Strategy & Product Director, Paramount ANZ
Shani is responsible for developing and delivering the overarching commercial strategy of Paramount ANZ’s streaming platforms across digital innovation, ad products, data monetisation and advertising technology.
Shani is an experienced digital media leader with a strong commercial orientation and bias for innovation combined with driving business outcomes for brands and is a passionate advocate for the use of data and technology to create engaging and effective advertising experiences.
Shani joined Paramount ANZ from Seven West Media where she was responsible for the overall commercial direction of Seven’s digital ad products and growing new revenue streams. Shani’s background is focused on digital advertising.
Sorrel Osborne
NSW
Sorrel is Head of Growth for Playground XYZ
As Head of Growth, she oversees P&C, new markets, recruitment and works alongside the CEO on global strategy. With over a decade in media, Sorrel has worked on publisher side for Conversant Media as COO and in Martech for Audience Republic as Head of Operations and Commercial.
Sorrel has always overseen commercial and operational functions of media businesses and is passionate about delivering innovative solutions to the global media industry.
Yun Yip
NSW
Yun is the Chief Commercial Officer at iion
Specialities: Work/Life Balance, Striving for Growth Mindset, Well-rounded view of the industry
I love what I do. I have thoroughly enjoyed:
1. The teams and people who surround and inspire me
2. The different shades of media and advertising… From my time checking TV / print confirms and OOH proof of posting, to infusing AI and machine learning into everyday screens.
I am a successful leader, with sales and operational expertise, who is passionate about:
1. Achieving business outcomes through collaboration and maximising internal/external relationships and opportunities
2. Leading and developing a thriving team capable of proactively achieving personal and organisational goals
3. Integrating media, data and technology to craft the solutions that simultaneously maximise organisational and client returns.
4. Challenging the status quo through emerging channels and team empowerment.
Sara Müller
NSW
Sara is a Sales Manager AUNZ, Adform
Sara is currently a Sales Manager AUNZ at Adform, a pioneering integrated SaaS platform for buying, managing and serving digital advertising. My passion lies in new business development, scaling from the ground up to substantial revenue, and enhancing client outcomes by building excellent business relationships.
With over 20 years in the advertising industry, I’ve seen it all. I’ve navigated the nuances, embraced the changes, and tacked the challenges head-on. Adaptability is my superpower, allowing me to keep pace with this dynamic industry.
My journey from Brazil to Australia taught me the power of connection. Started with limited English and no local connections, I overcame obstacles like visa rights, language barriers, and the need for local experience. I’ve learned that building strong relationships is the key to success.
Vanya Mariani
VIC
Vanya is Commercial Director - Media (Sales & Customer Solutions) at carsales.com
Over her 12+ years in digital media sales working for a leading Australian owned (and now globally operating) tech, data and media business, Vanya has harnessed the skills of becoming a trusted advisor, a solution creator, and an effective leader. She describes herself as authentic, resourceful, tenacious and adventurous. What she is most passionate about is helping people uncover their unique self-expression in the corporate world, focusing on the value they bring as individuals to a team environment to successfully achieve an outcome.
Mark Serhan
NSW
Mark is a Senior Account Director at Xandr
Mark has a rich history on the Publisher and Tech side of the industry having held senior positions at Microsoft, Nine and AOL across Sales and Operations. Mark is Xandr’s Video Specialist and Commercial lead across Xandr’s Broadcasters including Nine, Seven, Ten, SBS and Foxtel Media.
Peter Barry
NSW
Peter is VP of Addressability and Commerce Media, APAC, at PubMatic.
He is responsible for PubMatic’s APAC addressability solutions business, focused on helping buyers reach the right audiences, on the right publishers, in a privacy-compliant manner. Peter also leads PubMatic’s commerce media efforts, allowing retailers and commerce companies to leverage PubMatic’s wide range of commerce monetization capabilities via their Convert platform. He has a successful track record in revenue growth, solution selling, and strategic partnerships. Peter joined PubMatic in 2016, spent several years leading PubMatic’s Australia and New Zealand business, and has just returned to Sydney after two years in New York and San Francisco.
Denny Handlin
NSW
Denny is Head of Business Marketing, TikTok
Denny is Head of Business Marketing at TikTok Australia & New Zealand. Born in Sydney, Denny has a track record of driving business transformation through creativity, leading Virgin Australia Airlines to overtake Qantas for the first time, Tourism Australia to deliver it's highest tourism income ever, and building TikTok's creative innovation lab from the ground up. With a career spanning TikTok, Meta, Dentsu, BBDO, and Ogilvy, Denny has won over 100 international awards for his innovation, strategy and storytelling. Outside of the job, Denny can be found practicing Jiu Jitsu and watching simpsons re-runs with his kids.
Amy McCormack
NSW/QLD
Amy is MD and Founder of A&A Digital Services
Amy McCormack has been part of the digital media industry since the late 1990’s, working her way through ad operations, media sales, sales strategy and product management at some of Australia’s largest media organisations. In 2011, with a young family and having noticed a gap in the local market around ad ops and ad tech support, she launched a business which now has a couple of divisions – HT AdOps and A&A Digital. The businesses focus on providing high quality, locally-based support for publishers and agencies around ad ops, ad tech, programmatic and training, as well as being a certified Google Sales Partner for Ad Manager 360 and Campaign Manager. Amy is enormously proud of the team she’s been able to build, the level of expertise they have and continue to evolve, all within a remote-based, completely flexible working structure.
Perry Smith
VIC
Perry is a Senior sales manager at Ogury
Perry has over 18+ years digital experience and 7+ years in programmatic, specializing in Mobile ad tech. He began his digital media career in London, holding a range of senior roles at major digital publishers where he helped brands pivot their digital transformation during the growth of Mobile first solutions and pending GDPR regulation.
Since relocating to Australia in 2014, Perry has established brands such as Domain, Kargo and Ogury in the Melbourne market and himself as one of the key thought leaders in the Programmatic space. He is currently focussed on working with major brands, agencies and tech providers to help them effectively prepare and navigate the global shift towards cookieless solutions.
In 2023, Perry joined the IAB Sustainability Council where he participates in the industry's efforts towards a more sustainable ecosystem and future.