We are thrilled to announce that IAB Europe is bolstering its support for industry committees with two key hires: Simon Halstead and Ioana Mardare. As we continue to drive forward our mission to support the digital advertising industry across Europe, these additions will play a crucial role in enhancing the effectiveness and impact of our industry committees.
Introducing Simon Halstead: Senior Advisor, Programmatic Trading and Brand Advertising Committees
We are pleased to welcome Simon Halstead to our team as a Senior Advisor, focused on the Programmatic Trading and Brand Advertising Committees. Simon will be joining us on a consultative basis, working one day a week until the end of the year. His expertise will be instrumental in guiding our work around key industry pillars, particularly within the Brand
Advertising and Programmatic Trading Committees. Simon's deep industry knowledge is unparalleled. With 25 years of experience in programmatic advertising, he has held significant leadership roles across agencies, publishers, and ad tech companies, most recently at Yahoo. Simon also has a strong history with IAB Europe, having previously chaired the Programmatic Trading Committee, and he recently served as a strategic advisor to IAB UK.
In 2023, Simon founded Halstead Incubation Partners Ltd, a bespoke strategic advisory firm offering services in strategic consultancy, executive coaching, organisational design, and leadership development. His insights and leadership will be invaluable as we continue to develop and refine the outputs of our Brand Advertising and Programmatic Trading Committees.
Simon will be reaching out to our members in the coming weeks, and we encourage you to connect with him as he integrates into our team.
Welcoming Ioana Mardare: Senior Project Manager for Industry Committees
We are equally excited to introduce Ioana Mardare as our new Senior Project Manager for Industry Committees. Ioana will be responsible for ensuring the smooth and efficient operation of IAB Europe’s four key industry committees: Programmatic Trading, Brand Advertising, Retail Media, and Sustainability Standards.
Ioana brings a wealth of project management experience to the role, and she will be instrumental in coordinating the rhythm of the business across these committees. Her responsibilities will include scheduling meetings, collaborating with content leads to set agendas, producing action lists, and ensuring that follow-up actions are completed and well-documented. With Ioana's support, we are confident that our industry committees will continue to thrive, delivering valuable insights, best practices, and standards that benefit all industry members and the entire digital advertising ecosystem.
About Our Industry Committees
IAB Europe's industry committees are central to our mission of advancing the European digital advertising industry. Each committee focuses on key areas that are critical to the growth and sustainability of our industry:
Simon and Ioana will be working closely with IAB Europe’s CEO, Townsend Feehan, and CMO, Helen Mussard, who oversee our industry programs and initiatives alongside the committee leads Marie-Clare Puffett (Retail Media) and Dimitris Beis (Sustainability).
We are confident that the expertise and dedication of Simon and Ioana will significantly enhance the work of our committees and further strengthen IAB Europe’s role as a leader in the digital advertising landscape. Please join us in welcoming Simon and Ioana to the IAB Europe family. We look forward to the positive impact they will have on our industry committees and the wider digital advertising community.
For any questions or to connect with Simon or Ioana, please feel free to reach out to us at communication@iabeurope.eu.
