Rick Erwin.

Coming Soon

Rick brings more than 25 years of experience in data driven marketing and advertising to his role as CEO of Adstra. He is a leading voice in the field of omnichannel marketing and an outspoken advocate for the value of data in the global economy.

Prior to joining Adstra, Rick spent three years as president of Acxiom’s data and identity business, where he led its turnaround and growth, culminating in the sale of the company to Interpublic Group. Prior to Acxiom, Rick was the president of Experian’s data and identity business where he expanded the company into the digital media ecosystem and established its leadership in connected TV.

Rick holds a master’s degree in business administration from Northwestern University (Kellogg), and a bachelor’s degree in marketing and finance from Michigan State University. He is currently a board trustee at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, and has held past board roles at the Interactive Advertising Bureau, the Data and Marketing Association (DMA), LoopMe, Chicago Youth Centers, and RevSpring, Inc.

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About our Hosts

Elizabeth Donovan

Elizabeth Donovan is a dynamic and visionary media executive with deep expertise in sales leadership, omnichannel strategy, marketing innovation, and data-driven advertising solutions. As SVP, Global Head of Retail & Commerce Media Networks at Acxiom/IPG, she spearheads global strategy, revenue acceleration, technology innovation, and activation for a growing portfolio of media networks. Strategic consulting expert for monetization for brands across retail, hospitality, finance, and beyond.

Elizabeth is widely recognized for launching and scaling transformative media network businesses. Most notably, she architected and led the successful launch of the Marriott Media Network—the industry’s first hospitality media network, where she built a multi-functional organization from the ground up, overseeing ad revenue, operations, go-to-market execution, and technology infrastructure. Her impact reshaped how hospitality brands engage travelers through meaningful, data-enriched advertising experiences.

Prior to Marriott, Elizabeth spent nearly a decade at AccuWeather, where she drove top-line growth through strategic enterprise partnerships, advanced first-party data solutions, and multi-platform monetization across digital, mobile, OOH and emerging channels. Her ability to integrate business strategy with technology and talent development has consistently delivered results at scale.

A sought-after speaker, panelist, and thought leader, Elizabeth is passionate about unlocking potential—whether in emerging technologies or in people. She actively mentors rising talent, serves on advisory boards, and co-hosts the podcast Unlocked with Austin & Elizabeth, which explores leadership, innovation, and the evolving future of media networks.

Austin Leonard

Austin is a marketing leader with over two decades of experience in retail media and programmatic advertising, bringing unparalleled expertise and a track record of success. His journey in the industry has taken him from leading teams at Dollar General, Sam’s Club, Walmart, and eBay to building retail media network businesses that achieved exponential growth.

As co-host of Unlocked with Austin & Elizabeth, he loves to dig into the history of retail media with Elizabeth Donovan to help share the untold stories behind “the 3rd wave of digital advertising” and explore the trends that are shaping the growth, acceleration, and future of commerce media.