The Board’s Composition

Trade publication AdExchanger has assembled an advisory board stacked with senior leaders from across the digital advertising and media landscape. The roster includes current and former executives from major brands, agencies, publishers, and ad-tech platforms, signaling an effort to ground its editorial coverage in on-the-ground industry expertise.

Among the members are Sara Badler, who drives ad revenue at the Guardian US and previously held top commercial roles at Morning Brew and Dotdash Meredith; Karen Chan, Group Director of Investment Innovation and Marketing at media agency GroupM; and Jay Friedman, CEO of data-driven digital firm Goodway Group, which he led through 15x revenue growth. Brand-side representation comes from Zach (surname not provided), Director of Global Data Partnerships at PepsiCo, who oversees cross-brand data licensing and consumer data strategy, and Josh, VP of Performance Media at Pfizer, responsible for digital channel strategy across all brands.

The board also includes Hyun from digital agency Good Apple, who has extensive healthcare and AI-driven media experience; Allie Lichtenberg, a programmatic and analytics consultant via AD LUCEM; and Vinny, a former GroupM and Hershey ad-tech leader. Felix Zeng, Head of Programmatic at The Weather Company, and other senior figures round out the group. Notably, many have been recognised by industry awards such as Adweek Media All-Stars and Top Women in Media & Ad Tech.

A Mix of Expertise Across the Ad Ecosystem

Board Spans the Entire Value Chain

The makeup of the advisory board spans nearly every layer of the advertising ecosystem: publishing (Guardian, Weather Company), agency holding companies and media buying (GroupM, Good Apple), client-side marketing and data leadership (PepsiCo, Pfizer), and ad-tech platforms (Goodway, past roles at Google and Amazon). This diversity suggests AdExchanger is seeking input on issues ranging from programmatic infrastructure and data strategy to in-housing trends and the sustainability of publisher business models—topics that often require multiple perspectives to cover with nuance.

Programmatic and Data Expertise Dominates

A striking pattern is the deep programmatic and data background shared by most members. Several have held programmatic revenue, investment, or strategy roles at outlets like The New York Times, Hearst, and GroupM’s Wavemaker. Others directly manage enterprise data partnerships, consumer targeting, and measurement innovations. This concentration likely reflects the publication’s core focus on data-driven advertising and its intention to ensure its advisory voices understand the technical and commercial realities of real-time bidding, identity resolution, and media measurement.

Seniority Signals a Commitment to Strategic Influence

With titles such as CCO, SVP, VP, and CEO, the board is not simply a collection of middle-management operators. The calibre points to AdExchanger’s ambition to shape editorial strategy through high-level strategic counsel, not just tactical advice. For the individuals involved, board membership offers a platform to shape industry discourse while potentially elevating their own professional profiles. For AdExchanger, it provides access to decision-makers at influential organizations, which may bolster sourcing for future reporting and strengthen the publication’s relevance to both readers and event sponsors.