Speakers

Amy Lehman serves as SVP, Ad Platforms for Disney Entertainment and ESPN.  In this role, Lehman oversees the product, software engineering, operations, and partnerships behind Disney’s advertising platforms. She leads an Ad Platforms team that has played a key role over the past three years in the development and launch of proprietary Disney technology and products that have helped evolve Disney into an industry-leader in ad tech, including its own Disney Ad Server.

Lehman most recently served as VP, Product Management, Ad Platforms, leading the strategy and building of the advertising technology that powers Disney’s streaming brands, including Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+, as well as Disney’s linear and digital ad systems. 

Lehman joined Disney via Hulu in 2019 and has more than 25 years of experience in ad tech, specializing in advertising monetization, streaming and video ad serving technology, software development, and enterprise scale operations. Previously, Lehman spent eight years at Adobe, building out a suite of capabilities in the OTT, video delivery, data, and programmatic advertising spaces. She’s also held leadership roles at United Online/Adcurate and Conversant.

Lehman graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. She and her family live in Los Angeles.

Diana Finster is the Head of Partnerships at Walmart Connect. In her role, Diana oversees partnerships across Agencies, Tech and Media partners like The Trade Desk and NBCU. Her ability to identify market opportunities, execute product vision, whilst possessing a deep knowledge of measurement and analytics has been key to scaling Walmart’s Agency and Tech partnership strategy. With more than 20 years of experience in the media and advertising industry, Diana joined Walmart most recently from Amazon Ads, where she oversaw strategic solution provider partnerships. Prior to that, Diana held a variety of roles across product and sales at Microsoft focused on driving advertiser, partner and business growth on Microsoft Ads across search, display and Xbox.

Dallas Lawrence is an award-winning communication, crisis management, brand, and digital media executive with a proven track record of leading transformative programs that define, disrupt, and shape market perceptions. His first book, Communicating Under Fire: The Mindset to Survive Any Crisis and Emerge Stronger, distributed by Simon & Schuster, hit #1 in its Amazon non-fiction category in 2024. 

Currently, Dallas serves as the Chief Communications and Strategy Officer for Telly, the groundbreaking company behind the world’s first free, dual-screen TV supported entirely by advertising. 

A seasoned expert in connected TV and advertising, Dallas previously led communications for Roku, driving strategic positioning for Roku’s ad business, The Roku Channel, Roku Originals, and the company’s public policy initiatives. He also served as Chief Brand and Communications Officer for both OpenX and Rubicon Project (now Magnite), where he co-led investor relations for the newly public company. 

Earlier in his career, he was the Global Chief Digital Strategist for WPP’s largest PR agency, guiding digital strategy and reputation management for major brands like Bank of America, Ford, and J&J.

During more than a decade in Washington, DC, Dallas served as a press secretary on Capitol Hill prior to joining President Bush’s communications team initially leading outreach efforts for the President’s signature domestic policy initiative No Child Left Behind. He later served as a spokesperson for the Coalition in Baghdad and as Director of Public Liaison at the Pentagon, advising both Secretaries Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates.

An educator and thought leader, Dallas developed and taught the crisis communications graduate course at USC’s Annenberg School for Communications. His first book, Communicating Under Fire: The Mindset to Survive Any Crisis and Emerge Stronger, distributed by Simon & Schuster, hit #1 in its Amazon non-fiction category in 2024.

He serves today as the go to expert for media and emerging technology companies on the future of consumer media and advertising engagement in the new age of connected television viewing and is a regular contributor for Fox Business, Bloomberg Tech TV and Venture Beat. He has been recognized as PR News’ “Crisis Manager of the Year,” PR Week’s “Top 40 Under 40,” and PR Daily’s “Corporate Communicator of the Year.”

A former commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy, Dallas holds a BA in Political Science from UC Berkeley and an MA in Government from Johns Hopkins University.

Jeremi T. Gorman served as president of worldwide advertising for Netflix, Inc., until October 2023.
Prior to becoming president of worldwide advertising, Mrs. Gorman was chief business officer at
Snap Inc. and prior to that, held various positions at Amazon.com, Inc. including as global head of
enterprise advertising sales. Earlier in her career, she held advertising and marketing roles at
Yahoo!, Variety and Monster.com.
In January 2025, Mrs. Gorman joined Fanatics to lead their advertising business. She also serves as
a senior advisor to various companies and is an active angel investor. Mrs. Gorman is also a
founding investor in Angel city Football Club and serves on the board of Women for Women
International, as well as GameSquare Holdings, inc. and Revitate.
Mrs. Gorman holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles and an MBA
from Pennsylvania State University.

Tim Forman is media director at Brinker International. In this role, Tim leads U.S. media investment strategy for Chili’s Grill and Bar. Focused on delivering integrated campaigns to stimulate restaurant traffic and build brand reputation through media and strategic partnerships. 

Prior to Chili’s, Tim led media programs at Pizza Hut, Interstate Batteries and managed advertising accounts for retail, financial services, CPG and QSR clients, including Western Union and McDonald’s.

Tim holds a journalism degree from Oklahoma State University and an MBA from the University of Texas at Dallas. Tim and his husband, Reno, live in Dallas, TX with their dog, Pecos.

Shane Dwyer is the Head of Sales for Lyft Media, where he has spent the past two years leading the creation and launch of Lyft’s digital advertising business. From whiteboard to market, Shane built the foundational strategy that underpins the business today — developing monetization models, defining go-to-market plans and bringing to life a vision for how brands can engage with audiences across the Lyft ecosystem.

In addition to launching the platform, Shane played a critical role in building the organization itself — hiring top talent, establishing sales infrastructure and developing the business model for a new revenue stream at Lyft. 

Before Lyft, Shane was Head of Automotive at Snap, where he led advertising strategy for the vertical. He also held senior roles at Yahoo!, Time Inc. and Arnold Worldwide, giving him a rich background across media, sales and brand development.

Shane is a graduate of Providence College and lives in Manhattan Beach, California with his wife and three children.

Glory Linsley is a seasoned marketing leader driving strategic partnerships and growth for DoorDash’s CPG advertising division. As Head of CPG Partnerships and Sales, she oversees the development and execution of innovative marketing initiatives for a diverse range of brands, from industry giants to emerging startups. Her oversight spans multiple verticals, including alcohol, beverages, household goods, personal care, snacks, pantry staples, fresh and frozen foods, pet products, and sweets.

Before joining DoorDash, Glory was a Senior Business Lead at Amazon Advertising. She also held ad sales management positions at AOL (Oath Media) and TikTok after starting her career in finance at People Magazine and Hess Energy Trade Company. 

Glory holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science & International Relations from the University of Michigan and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. A native New Yorker, she now resides in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter.

Jim Keller serves as Chief Revenue Officer at global entertainment company Fuse Media, the leader in the creation and distribution of inclusive, purpose-driven stories and experiences for culturally diverse young adults. Keller leads advertising sales partnerships and initiatives across Fuse Media’s large supply of diverse-owned and diverse-focused media, bringing his strategic point of view and deep knowledge of advertising to expand Fuse Media as a one-stop shop for brands that want to engage with inclusive audiences at scale. As Fuse Media reaches over 85% of all FAST multicultural households, Keller helps connect even more brands to the untapped $7 trillion buying power of multicultural consumers.

Keller works closely with marketers and agencies on authentic landmark partnerships that tap into the buying power and influence of inclusive audiences, with a portfolio that includes a suite of owned-and-operated, diverse-focused FAST channels, including Shades of Black, Backstage, El Rey Rebel, Latino Vibes OUTtv Proud, Somos Novelas, and Backstage en Español; Culture Collective, Fuse Media’s proprietary ad sales solution that offers the industry’s largest diverse-focused media supply in the exponentially growing CTV space; and linear channels Fuse and FM that feature award-winning original content.

Keller joined Fuse Media in 2024 following a revered career at prominent media companies including WBD, Discovery, Hulu and NBCU, where he has led streaming, digital, linear and advanced advertising teams.

Terry City, an industry veteran with more than 20 years of experience building and leading sales and partnerships divisions, is the Senior Vice President of Advertising Sales at Cineverse. City has extensive experience in the ad landscape, with executive roles at Variety, Yahoo Entertainment, The Huffington Post, BuzzFeed, Tumblr and, most recently, Tastemade. In addition, City is the co-founder of Steel Titan Entertainment, producers of the Emmy Award winning ESPN: 30 for 30 film, Playing for the Mob. City is also an advisor to many startups and entrepreneurs, as well as being a mentor to college students and young industry professionals.

Clara Bowman is the West Coast Vice President of Media Sales at Volta Media, a Shell Brand. In her role, she leads the regional sales team, strategically connecting leading advertisers with Volta’s innovative digital media network of EV charging stations at premier commercial properties and retail locations. With over a decade of experience in driving revenue growth at esteemed organizations such as Fox Sports, Home Team Sports, and the San Francisco Giants, Clara has successfully spearheaded the expansion of Volta Media’s revenue on the West Coast by establishing key partnerships with top global brands, retailers, and agency partners.

Motivated by data and her sheer curiosity about the CTV/OTT landscape, Kristin Eardley is the head of programmatic & revenue partnerships at Tastemade, a modern media company whose award-winning lifestyle programming commands a global audience of more than 300 million across all major digital, mobile and streaming television platforms. She is responsible for the development of key programmatic partnerships, strategy, and revenue growth across Tastemade’s global streaming network.

Prior to Tastemade, Kristin brings with her 20+ years of experience in digital client development and ad tech, and has contributed to revenue growth for some of the world’s leading technology companies including Time Inc., Fox Interactive Media, and Yelp.

Hermelinda Fernandez is a seasoned advertiser with experience across multiple categories such as auto, entertainment, QSR, CPG, tech and finance in her 15+ year career. Her expertise spans across digital investment, strategy and custom programs focused on general market and multicultural marketing. She is the SVP, Digital Investment at Canvas Worldwide, covering a majority of accounts within the agency.

Jeannine Shao Collins is Chief Client Officer at Kargo, the leading next-generation digital advertising platform, creating memorable experiences that capture users’ attention by meeting them where they are consuming content.

Prior to Kargo, Jeannine was the President of the SeeHer, the leading global coalition established by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) to increase accurate portrayals of women and girls in marketing, advertising, and entertainment. Jeannine was the Co-Founder/CEO of Girl Starter, a reality television series featuring female founders that aired on TLC Discovery Networks. She also served as EVP/Chief Innovation Officer at Meredith Corporation. Collins is an industry-recognized executive named “Publishing Executive of the Year” by Adweek, a “Woman to Watch” by Advertising Age, and she was inducted to both the MINS’ Hall of Fame and the AAF’s Hall of Achievement.

Suzanne Matarazzo serves as the SVP of Agency Partnerships at NBCUniversal. In this role, Matarazzo oversees NBCUniversal’s investment team for PMX and leads in partnerships that provide the agency’s portfolio of brands with innovative targeting and measurement tools and access to NBCUniversal’s broad portfolio of content to maximize their media effectiveness.  

Matarazzo has 15+ years of experience at NBCUniversal. Prior to her current role, she oversaw the automotive, tech, wireless and financial categories on NBCUniversal’s Client Partnerships team. She also worked in network partnerships for NBCUniversal and integrated sales and marketing at The CW Network and The WB Television Network. Outside of work, Matarazzo is a member of Let It Break, a community of women called to action through intentional personal growth and development. She also invests her time in the Madeline Fiadini LoRe Foundation for Cancer Prevention, serving as 2025’s Classic Golf Outing Chair.  

Matarazzo graduated from Lehigh University with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, where she also played Division 1 field hockey. She resides in Manhasset, New York with her partner, Tom, and their son, Thomas.

Lisa brings 32 years of experience in video advertising investment to her role at RPA, a full-service independent advertising agency based in Los Angeles. Throughout her tenure, she has managed investments across various sectors including automotive, quick service restaurants, entertainment, travel, and retail. Her career began with traditional TV investment and has since expanded to encompass the complex landscape of video investment, which includes addressable TV and streaming services at both local and national levels. Each year, Lisa leverages increasingly sophisticated audience data and technology to optimize investment strategies.

Lisa’s guiding principle is to anticipate and adapt to the latest trends and innovations in the fast-evolving media landscape. She diligently tracks the “business of the business” allowing her to understand entertainment, technology, data and the dynamic media ownership models that exist to properly guide RPA clients through video investment decision-making to meet their business needs. 

To influence and learn from the marketplace, Lisa has seats on multiple industry boards such as the ARF, IAB and JIC.

Craig Chinn is Senior Vice President of Advertising Sales for the Americas at TiVo. He brings over 25 years of experience in digital media, advertising technology and customer success. In this role, Craig leads the commercial strategy and revenue growth for TiVo’s advertising business.

Throughout his career, Craig has built and led high-performing sales organizations at companies including Jumpstart Automotive Media (Hearst Autos), Microsoft and PubMatic. Most recently, he led Samsung Ads’ programmatic business, helping to scale its media and data-driven solutions through automated marketplaces and self-serve advertising platforms. His leadership has played a key role in shaping how digital buyers engage with premium TV inventory in today’s rapidly evolving landscape.

Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Craig is a devoted Warriors and 49ers fan.

Jerrold Son is Vice President, Ad Operations & Integrations for Xumo Advertising.  In this role, Jerrold oversees all aspects of the advertising tech stack for Xumo, a streaming platform joint venture between Comcast and Charter, including yield management, media buying, trafficking, account management, product innovation and strategy. He previously served as Executive Director, Ad Operations.

Prior to joining Xumo in 2020, Jerrold served as the Chief Revenue Officer at SuperMoney, the premier financial services comparison engine. With over two decades of experience in advertising technology and operations, he has also served as SVP of Digital Media at both ConsumerTrack and Fox Dealer and as SVP of Operations at Viant, VINDICO Group and Specific Media.

Jerrold is actively involved with industry organizations, participating in both the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC) and Comcast Advertising’s FreeWheel Council. Jerrold earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Master of Business Administration from USC Marshall School of Business. He also graduated from University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business’ NAMIC Executive Leadership Development Program. He resides in Brea, California with his family.

Maggie Siegler is the VP, Retail Media Strategy & Operations at dentsu. She transitioned into this newly designed role at dentsu in 2025, where she brings her passion for people development, measurement and operational excellence to provide strategic support across dentsu’s rapidly growing commerce solutions. Her focus on product and process optimization unlocks team potential and innovation across integrated projects between our commerce media specialists, audience planning, product and analytics teams. 

With over a decade of experience in commerce and retail media, Maggie has led high-performance activation teams across retail media networks, maximizing both onsite and offsite media for clients spanning CPG, apparel, fitness, electronics, beauty and automotive industries.

Nicole Kuebler is a marketing and advertising executive with expertise in media strategy, customer engagement, and business transformation. As Vice President of Sales & Market Strategy at Division-D, she drives thought leadership and industry presence, shaping conversations around CTV, data-driven marketing, and emerging media. With a track record of accelerating revenue growth, developing platform strategies, and fostering strategic partnerships, she blends analytical precision with creative storytelling. Nicole holds an MBA in Strategic Management & Marketing Analytics from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and serves as a board member for various Chicago non-profits.

Patrick Colletto is a seasoned media sales executive with nearly 20 years of expertise in CTV, digital video, branded entertainment, and digital sponsorships. Since 2023, Patrick has led Ad Sales for Uber’s JourneyTV, driving strategy and monetization for its in-car screen platform. Previously, he held leadership roles at Roku, Xumo, and Sony Pictures, where he built and scaled sales teams across the U.S. and Canada. At Roku, he focused on non-traditional ad formats, while at Xumo, he managed ad sales for their OTT platform, working with 160+ content partners. Patrick is passionate about digital ad sales strategies and technology-driven solutions that fuel growth for customers.

Ariel is an impressive leader in the media industry. She joined the Digitas team in January 2023 as the Head of Social at the agency. She built her career with roles at Twitter, Meta, IPG, and a number of other great companies across the US and Europe. She has a proven track record of developing high-performing teams, creating innovative solutions, and pushing for creative, outside-the-box thinking. 

When she’s not at home curled up with a book, Ariel loves travel, al fresco dining, and retail therapy. An avid arts lover, Ariel often spends time scoping out live music, going to art galleries, and seeing any musical or play that happens to stop in LA.

As the Managing Director and Head of Sales for Kinective Media by United Airlines, Aaron Gallagher is building a brand-new best-in-class sales and commercial team for the world’s first traveler and commerce media network from the world’s largest airline. Through Kinective Media, advertisers can map their customer’s journey, marketing to United’s customers before, during and after their travel journeys. The network has been custom-built on a foundation of technologies and partners, along with a broader set of data assets to enable premium brand advertisers to connect with a valuable audience, at scale. 

Prior to Kinective Media, Aaron was leading the digital ad sales organization at Warner Bros. Discovery, where he played an integral role in merging the Discovery and Scripps Networks digital sales organizations and built a strategic ad sales and revenue strategy for the combined companies. And during his tenure at Time Inc., Aaron was in sales leadership roles at CNNMoney.com, People.com, and the corporate digital sales group. 

Aaron graduated with a B.A. in English from the College of the Holy Cross and is a long time New Yorker. He loves to travel and spend time at the beach in Montauk, NY.

Liz Toth is the Team Lead for Agency Partnerships at Walmart Connect, where she leads a team dedicated to developing relationships with large and strategic agency partners. At Walmart Connect, Liz’s work is centered on building scalable, high-impact partnerships that blend data, technology, and media innovation for partners such as Dentsu and Omnicom. She excels in building strong C-suite relationships and creating joint business plans that drive new revenue streams and consistently exceed goals.

Liz joined Walmart Connect most recently from Google, where she oversaw marketing technology and programmatic media partnerships with global agencies and consulting partners. Prior to that, Liz held a variety of roles across partnerships and sales at both Google and Disney.

A graduate of the University of Southern California (USC), Liz is also a strong advocate for cross-functional leadership, team culture and thought leadership in the evolving retail media landscape.

Kelly Gandee Cohen is the West Coast Sales Lead at Kargo, where she has spent the past six years driving growth and innovation. She leads a high-performing team focused on key verticals including Grocery, CPG, Entertainment, and Travel. Known for her strategic client partnerships, collaborative leadership, and results-driven mindset, Kelly delivers impactful media solutions that make a difference. In 2024, she was named ThinkLA’s Salesperson of the Year and continues to play a pivotal role in expanding Kargo’s presence on the West Coast.

As Co-Founder and Chief Customer Officer at Fluent, Matt Conlin oversees sales, marketing, and business development strategies for the industry-leading performance marketing company. Matt co-founded Fluent in 2010 and has led the organization through its 2015 acquisition, transition into a stand-alone public company, and ongoing expansion into international markets over the past decade. Serving as an advisor and board member to multiple tech companies, Matt is also recognized as an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year finalist.

Talia Arnold is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Exverus Media, a 3x Ad Age Small Agency of the Year. In her 20 years of advertising, media strategy and data analysis, Talia has secured long-term partnerships with growth-stage brands like Premier Protein & Dymatize, New Belgium & Bell’s Brewery, and many more. As the result of her leadership and creativity, Talia is an Adweek Media All-Star of 2024 and CampaignUS Inspiring Women in Media of 2025.

Mark Kapczynski is the Head of Advertising Services as part of the Commerce Media Network at RE/MAX in the real estate market. He focuses on 360 partnerships for brands that help to solve challenges for RE/MAX home buyers and sellers. RE/MAX has a unique home buying audience along with over 50,000 agents in the US.

Kapczynski previously ran Kontrol Media Consultancy and served as CMO for several companies, working in executive roles at Envestnet:Yodlee, Experian, FreeCreditReport.com and Microsoft.

Adrian Chiu is Senior Vice President of Product at Paramount Streaming, where he oversees ad experience and monetization strategy. With over 20 years in media and technology, Adrian has led product innovation across streaming, gaming and digital advertising. His work spans dynamic ad insertion, in-stream ad experiences, signal acquisition and product strategy — all focused on optimizing the ad experience and driving revenue at global scale.

Sean R. Kalub is the Executive Vice President of Video Investments at Havas Edge, where he leads a team of integrated performance marketers focused on driving efficient outcomes at scale. Sean believes that with thorough analysis and intellectual curiosity, any problem has a solution. He extends this philosophy to his team, which helps guide them to oversee the success of every client Edge partners with.

Since joining Edge in 2009, Kalub has managed countless brands such as DraftKings, Citibank, Casper, Tripadvisor, Monster Energy and Bethesda Softworks, and has worked with them to find creative solutions in video investments.

Athena Nestoras is Senior Manager, Brand Marketing Strategy at United Airlines.

Adam serves as the Group Vice President of Advertising & Data Sales at VIZIO, a frontrunner in the smart TV landscape. He spearheads both the VIZIO Ads and Inscape Data divisions, and he played a pivotal role in founding VIZIO’s innovative Platform+ business unit. His strategic vision has been crucial in launching VIZIO’s cross-platform Ads product suite, leveraging advanced targeting capabilities fueled by the company’s currency-grade viewership data, Inscape. Under his leadership, the partnerships organization has expanded fivefold since 2019, significantly contributing to VIZIO’s successful IPO in March 2021, and the subsequent acquisition by Walmart in 2024.

In 2022, Adam was recognized by Business Insider as one of 22 media execs furthering the streaming business. In 2023, was honored as a 40 under 40 selection by LA TV Week and Broadcasting & cable.

With a proven track record in building high-performing sales organizations and crafting cutting-edge media and data solutions, Adam is also a mentor to startups and emerging talent. His deep expertise in the streaming and OTT sectors is backed by senior roles at Samba TV, YuMe, and The Daily Beast. As an active member of the IAB Video Board, he champions the evolution of industry standards and best practices.

Stuart McLean is a prolific innovator and pioneer in the FAST channel space. As CEO of FAST Studios, Stuart is dedicated to influencing the next wave of streaming media and revolutionizing free streaming sports TV. He conceived and launched the WOMEN’S SPORTS NETWORK as the world’s first dedicated women’s sports channel, attracting 15+ leagues and numerous blue chip advertisers to the brand, delighting fans and marketers in the process. In motorsports, he launched RACING AMERICA, the official media partner of the Race Team Alliance consisting of 16 NASCAR CUP Series teams and featuring exclusive NASCAR CUP team content. And his latest effort – TEAM USA TV in partnership with the USOPC – celebrates our Olympians and Paralympians by delivering always on story, news, and tentpole moments “flame to flame” to the single biggest fandom in the USA.

Stuart is a sought out advisor helping both CTV and FAST distributors and studios design their FAST offering. A former advertising executive-turned-publisher with extensive media, marketing, and studio expertise, McLean is uniquely equipped to bring streaming platforms quality content channels, loyal audiences and premium content experiences.

Recently named to Media Play News 2024 FAST 30, McLean presently serves on the boards of thinkLA. OTT.X and the Sports Innovation Lab’s Women’s Sports Club supporting his enthusiasm and success in the sports and entertainment sector.

Mark Borum, Nift’s Partnerships Lead, is a sales and marketing leader with more than a decade of experience driving business growth for organizations. Prior to joining Nift, he founded Sell Grow Repeat, a strategic advisory, helping founder-led sales organizations and early-stage companies build effective go-to-market strategies. He’s also served as co-founder and VP of Sales and Marketing at Reelio, taking it from ideation to acquisition by Fullscreen Media, Inc. (a subsidiary of AT&T), and built the partnership ecosystem at Teachable, Inc. (acquired by Hotmart). Borum holds a BA and an MBA from Murray State University.

Alex Loza is the Vice President of West Coast Digital Sales at TelevisaUnivision, the world’s leading Spanish-language media company. In his role, Loza is tasked with leading strategic digital planning and execution for TelevisaUnivision’s extensive list of national clients on the West Coast, which spans entertainment, telecommunications, travel, auto and tech.

With over 15 years of experience building enterprise partnerships across the digital landscape, Loza is a strategic digital advertising leader who brings extensive expertise in omni-channel strategies that bridge traditional linear video to emerging platforms and channels, including long form, short form, vertical, CTV, social, programmatic and beyond.

Stuart Michell is the Chief Commercial Officer at WHSmith North America, leading the merchandising teams with strategic vision and steady leadership during a period of rapid expansion. With a decade of experience at WHSmith, Stuart most recently served as International Commercial Director, where he oversaw buying and merchandising across diverse markets and store formats. His prior roles include leading WHSmith operations in Qatar and Singapore, as well as holding senior positions in business development and buying. Stuart’s expertise in global retail and merchandising positions him as a key driver of WHSmith North America’s growth and success.

Nik Rochnik is a Product Management leader at Albertsons Media Collective, the retail media arm of national grocer, Albertsons Companies. Nik is responsible for managing and developing ad technology products and building and fostering key technology partnerships that drive innovation and growth for advertisers. Prior to his time at Albertsons Media Collective, Nik worked on a variety of digital ad channels—from mobile apps to CTV and out-of-home. He holds multiple patents in predictive advertising and is passionate about his volunteer work with the Red Cross, managing disaster response operations.

Nik holds a degree in Computer Science from Bentley University.

Melissa Clark is a Senior Client Partner focused on retail media networks at Snapchat. With over 17 years in digital advertising, Melissa was a founding member of Snapchat’s RMN team and has been instrumental in shaping the platform’s retail media strategy — from identifying monetization opportunities to building scalable partnerships. She began working with retail media networks in 2015 and has deep experience across both the buy and sell sides of the industry. Prior to Snapchat, Melissa spent 11 years at Spotify, where she led the first retail media network activations as an offsite partner, and began her career on the agency side. Melissa brings a unique perspective across media, sales, retail and the evolving RMN landscape.

Natalie Ong serves as Director of Operations for Dollar General’s Retail Media Network (DGMN), leading the development of products, processes and tools that enable the media network to scale. Her experience in building media networks has been crucial as DG grows its offerings for partners.

Ong and team help brands connect with the hard-to-reach consumer and measure efficacy by building commercial products and capabilities that drive conversion and loyalty of their products at Dollar General. Her work has been garnered industry recognition including a Path to Purchase Institute’s 40 Under 40 award in 2023.

Prior to joining DGMN, Ong served as senior manager of commercial operations at Target’s Roundel, a start-up incubator, and held roles of increasing responsibility at Citigroup, most recently as vice president, multi-asset derivatives trading, where she honed her expertise across commercialization, product development and financial disciplines.

Ong graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in financial economics from Columbia University.

Dollar General is the nation’s largest retailer by store count, with over 20,000 stores, 80% of which are in rural markets of less than 20,000 people. DGMN connects advertisers to rural shoppers across the US using their rich first party data asset.

Derek leads the team who craft and deliver custom-designed media campaigns for Expedia Group’s airline, car rental and cruise supply partners. With extensive knowledge of Expedia Group’s audience, traveler trends and first-party insights, they leverage the vast network of trusted Expedia Group travel brands, global points of sale and Expedia Group’s travel media network to extend the reach of their partners’ content and drive real business impact from media campaigns.  

Derek has been a travel industry veteran for over 30 years, with more than 15 years in the online space, including stints at OTAs like Travelocity, Orbitz and now Expedia Group. He has held various roles, from travel product manager and hotel sales director to market management and media sales at travel marketing companies like Sojern. His career has taken him to diverse locations, including Vermont, Arizona, San Francisco, New York City, Las Vegas, South Florida and now Maine. When not traveling with his team, Derek enjoys splitting his time between Ft. Lauderdale and Coastal Maine. A culinary school graduate and trained pastry chef, Derek brings a dash of creativity to everything he does.

Brad Epperson is the Global Business and Development Lead, Monetization – Media, Entertainment, Games, and Sports at AWS. He joined AWS in October 2024 after holding executive positions at TCB Media Advisors as CEO and Nexstar Media Group as Executive Vice President of Platform Technology and Operations. Brad spent over 23 years at NBCUniversal, where he served as Senior Vice President Business Operations and Services. He has 30 years of deep expertise in media, ad tech and operations, with a proven track record in sales process improvements and partnership development. Brad holds a BS in Broadcast Journalism from Oklahoma State University.

Jeff Coleman is a 15-year veteran of the Retail Media and eCommerce industry. He built and managed industry-leading Amazon management and Retail Media agency teams at CPC Strategy and Tinuiti, and is currently the Chief Client Officer of BirdDog Media Agency. When he’s not blazing trails in the Retail Media industry, you can catch him on the softball field coaching his daughters’ softball teams, or sailing around San Diego Bay.

Giuseppe Cagliostro, Wavemaker’s Director, Client Investment Lead for Adobe, is helping tech, auto and CPG brands move traditional dollars into the digital realm through a data driven approach.

Mariana Ricalde is a Senior Enterprise Marketing Manager at Albertsons Companies with over 15 years of experience leading brand and digital strategy. For the past 3 years, she has helped lead the transformation of Albertsons Companies print circular into a high-impact digital experience, driving high impact for the business. Her work earned Albertsons the Retail TouchPoints Brand Experience Award in the Complete Shopper Journey category in 2023. Mariana is passionate about making marketing human, impactful, and sustainable

Ryan Yamamoto is Senior Manager of Commerce Softlines at Tinuiti.

Tricia Hoff, EVP Business Intelligence, is an insights leader with extensive expertise in helping brands understand customer perceptions and the competitive landscape to drive strategic decisions. With a proven track record in B2B research, she specializes in providing data-driven insights to support strategy, marketing, product, and sales initiatives. Her most recent experience is rooted in the tech industry, where she led B2B research initiatives at Yahoo, focusing on ad platforms for search, native, and programmatic advertising. Before her time at Yahoo, Tricia honed her skills in research, brand development, and advertising during her tenure at research firms Millward Brown and Hall & Partners. With a unique blend of research acumen and client-side experience, Tricia excels at translating research insights into actionable takeaways.

Sri Rajagopalan is an experienced CPG brand commercial leader & co-host of the industry’s largest podcast & growing media platform for brands, retailers and service providers – The CPGGUYS
(www.cpgguys.com). He is also partner at Think blue consulting, who embrace the modern 365-24-7
digitally anchored shopper in store, online and on social media at the intersection of growth strategy,
technology and commerce, working closely with brands, retailers and the service providers that anchor
‘seed to shelf’ for them.

By focusing on today’s common challenges in sustainable topline growth, category management, merchandising, market share and retail media via strategy and managed services, their deep practitioner experience ensures a focus on today’s changing retail dynamics and ensures sustainable outcomes that anticipate the future. Prior to entrepreneurship, Sri was Chief customer officer for General Mills’ $13BN+ US retail business, where he oversaw a team of over a 1000+ people managing retail relationships and growth across 50+ retail chains with a retail media budget over $200 mil.

In other past experiences he was SVP of sales for Revlon, VP ecommerce for Johnson & Johnson and several commercial leadership roles at PepsiCo & Frito-Lay. He is also grounded by his past in insights and analytics starting his career at Circana. He is well known in the CPG industry as an ‘OG’ of scaled ecommerce, a retail media expert, people connector and is frequently seen as host and keynote speaker at many industry events.

A graduate of Virginia Tech, Sri lives in Los Angeles, with two pop star daughters Lara Raj (band Katseye) & Indie artist, former American idol finalist Rhea Raj, whose songs are streaming in the multiple tens of millions on music platforms and can often be seen at popular music festivals such as ‘Wango Tango’, ‘Lollapalooza’ & ‘Jingle ball’. His wife Kavita is an entrepreneur with her own record label ‘Misschief records’.

Jordan Berke is the founder and CEO at TOMORROW, a digital retail consulting firm. The firm advises top-tier retailers on accelerating digital transformation with a focus on ecommerce, personalisation, and omni-channel fulfilment.

With over 20 years of digital, retail and marketing experience, Jordan was an early leader in digital marketing in the United States before moving to lead Walmart’s e-commerce and in-store digital efforts in China, where he spent the past 10 years.

At Walmart, Jordan held positions in merchandising, operations, finance, strategy and ecommerce. In 2010, he spearheaded the launch of e-commerce in China for Walmart’s wholesale club, Sam’s Club.

After a successful launch to Sam’s Club e-commerce in China, Jordan also led the 2015 launch of Walmart’s online business in China – expanding Walmart’s ecommerce business to include multiple offerings, such as its instant fresh delivery and cross border trade offerings, which now represent nearly 50% of Walmart’s sales in China.

In 2018, Jordan was awarded the Sam Walton Entrepreneur of the Year Award in China for his innovation around ecommerce. The same year, he was also named Chairman of Walmart’s Global Omnichannel Forum, guiding the company’s priorities around O2O and digital innovation.

At TOMORROW, Jordan is continuing his push to transform how customers experience the physical store, while providing brands with a platform to engage users on a truly 1-to-1 level.

Oliver Smith is an accomplished AdTech and media executive with over 20 years of experience driving video, CTV and programmatic media growth. He has held leadership roles at companies including Unruly, Pixability, Shopline and DAZN, where he scaled operations across the U.S. and EMEA —contributing to successful exits for both Unruly and DAZN. Oliver now advises early-stage AdTech firms and startup retail brands in the U.S. and UK, helping them navigate go-to-market strategy, product positioning and commercial expansion.

Shannon is a business outcomes and growth-oriented global marketing leader, with proven success in developing integrated marketing strategies and campaigns that drive ROI. Her expertise includes developing and implementing strategic marketing and content campaigns supporting some of the largest Fortune 500 brands, including tech, entertainment, sports, auto, CPG, financial services and retail. Additionally, she has a proven track record in leading commercialization of businesses including new revenue streams, strategic partnerships and innovation through bringing disruptive, new technologies to market for brands.

Having uniquely worked in both buying and selling capacities across brand, publisher, agency, and IP right’s holder, she is skilled at stewarding and motivating high-performing cross-functional global teams. She specializes in leveraging brand’s mission and values to develop and execute strategies and omni-channel platforms and campaigns against key business objectives that build brand awareness, create consideration, drive preference and create loyalty. As both an SME and practitioner she ensures seamless execution of integrated programs across channels and platforms, continually exceeding business goals. She’s a recognized collaborator, resulting in the building of growth and ROI driven initiatives with both clients and internal teams.

In addition to her role at Stagwell, she is an active member and investor: including: a Public Board Member position with digital B2B gaming company Versus, Alpha, Zipline ai, Adomni Video Council, Snapchat AR Agenc Executive Council, BrandStory Architech Board Member, original member of The Brand Storytelling Advisory Board and Motley Bloom (Lifestyle platform and collective celebrating neurodiversity in all of its forms) and dating app, Duett.

As a mother of 3 children, she is a passionate neurodiversity and inclusivity activist including developing a nationally recognized fundraisers “Quinn’s Cocoa $4 the Cure,” and “Help Feed the Frontline LA.”

She holds a MBA with a focus in Sports Business from the University of Oregon, and a BA in Japanese, which she still speaks proficiently.

Brett Whelan spent over 20 years in leadership roles at media agencies Initiative, Canvas Worldwide and Publicis. He has overseen media strategy and driven integrated marketing solutions for major clients across verticals – including Amazon, Hulu, The Home Depot, Dr Pepper and others.

Currently, Brett is the co-founder of Forma Media, helping brands, agencies, publishers and startups navigate the modern media ecosystem. With an emphasis on applying AI to traditional workflows, Forma Media equips clients with cutting-edge technologies and strategies to drive innovation, unlock efficiencies and gain a competitive edge.

Having had a front-row seat to the evolution of measurement and the increased role of data in media, drawing from practical experience leading teams and guiding clients, he has an appreciation for the challenges and obstacles ahead. His reputation for building partnerships founded on trust and mutually beneficial outcomes also gives Brett a clear perspective on the need for cross-platform measurement solutions that work for all involved.

Allysun Lundy has spent the past 22 years in client service, agency side positions focused on growing CPG brands including General Mills, Hershey’s, Colgate-Palmolive and PepsiCo. Her retail expertise grew through promotions, shopper marketing and retail media activations. She thrives on partnering with clients and cross functional teams to bring strategic big ideas to life in ways that drive measurable business results. 

Allysun lives in Los Angeles and spends her time in the sunshine: cycling, hiking and enjoying the beach.

Greg Osborne is an accomplished sales executive with over two decades of experience driving transformative growth across AVOD, CTV, FAST, Digital, Linear, Experiential and Social/Branded Content platforms. He has consistently led high-performing teams and delivered outstanding results at top-tier organizations including TelevisaUnivision, Vevo, and Univision Communications. Known for his strategic leadership and innovative client solutions, Greg has cultivated deep, trusted relationships across major brands and agencies representing industries such as Automotive, Entertainment, Tech, and Telecom.

Crystal Alexander is an accomplished advertising leader with a proven track record in the apparel and footwear industry and is excited to start learning more about the luxury and beauty retail side of things in her new role. She spearheads a team of client partners and account managers, crafting strategic and innovative partnerships in a fast-paced environment. She is passionate about mentorship and is dedicated to guiding her teams towards success.

Prior to her current role, Ms. Alexander excelled in her roles at Twitter and ESPN, further honing in on her brand management and strategic planning skills throughout the apparel and footwear industry.

In her spare time, she enjoys beach volleyball and traveling. If she finds a new place where she can do both, it’s a win!

Abbey Thomas is an industry recognized CTV/Video Expert and AI Enthusiast who works with early stage companies to accelerate adoption and drive rapid growth. As Chief Commercial Officer at Anoki AI, Abbey is helping usher in a new wave of FAST 2.0 aimed at PII compliant and personalization for experience and advertising harnessing multimodal contextual intelligence. Previously Abbey served as Chief Revenue Officer at OpenAP, the platform uniting the television ecosystem’s advanced advertising business across NBC Universal, Paramount, Warner Brothers Discovery, and others. Her responsibilities for driving the company’s Holding Company Enterprise MSA’s included oversight of Platform Sales, Client Strategy, and Client Success. As the first Enterprise Sales hire, Abbey built the company’s revenue practice from the ground up by driving buy side adoption of TV’s advanced advertising platform, growing OpenAP’s portfolio of clients to hundreds of advertisers and scaling the company north of $1B in total platform sales. Under Abbey’s leadership, OpenAP established strategic partnerships with leading holding companies.  Prior to OpenAP, Abbey served as Chief Marketing Officer at Tremor Video, overseeing creative, PR, product and sales marketing functions; and representing the company internationally across the industry’s largest stages at Cannes, Mobile World Congress, and Ad Week. She led various sales teams at Tremor Video including the Entertainment Vertical, as well as founding the Categorical practice at the organization, over her ten year tenure.  Previously, Abbey was responsible for the west coast digital ad sales business at Entertainment Weekly. Abbey began her career at MTV working alongside the industry’s brightest females in early digital advertising beginning in 2000. She has served on the Advisory Board at the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and ThinkLA Entertainment organization. Abbey is a cum laude and early graduate from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Journalism specializing in Advertising, one of the most recognized programs in the country aimed at developing top tier ad talent. Abbey lives in Venice, CA where she resides with her two daughters.