Celebrating women in AdTech in honour of International Women’s Day

To mark International Women’s Day on 8 March 2026, we’re proud to spotlight the remarkable women shaping the AdTech industry.

In this special feature, we share insights and reflections from a selection of influential female leaders and innovators – women we’re fortunate to collaborate, partner, and work alongside. Their voices, experiences, and achievements not only inspire progress across our industry, but also remind us of the power of diverse perspectives in driving meaningful change.

Denise Indovina, SVP, Strategic Partnerships, Dentsu

Tell us about your role and why you’re passionate about what you do.

As SVP, Strategic Partnerships at dentsu Data & Technology, I am responsible for building, scaling, and governing high impact partnerships that accelerate client growth and strengthen Dentsu/Merkle’s position as a global, data driven CX and marketing leader. I lead the strategy, selection, and executive management of key data and identity partnerships, ensuring tight alignment between partner capabilities and dentsu/Merkle’s integrated offerings across CRM, experience, analytics, media, and commerce.

I’m passionate about data and its ability to impact business success. Over the course of my long career in this space, I’ve seen new and innovative ways of sourcing, resolving and utilising data and that’s exciting because it can lead to measurable impact for our clients.

What does great leadership within AdTech look like to you in practice?

In my opinion, great leadership is based on building trust based partnerships. With data partners, trust comes from transparency, shared goals, and a genuine commitment to doing the right thing for clients and consumers. I believe the strongest partnerships are built when both sides feel respected, heard, and confident in how data is managed, governed, and activated and when commercial success is shared.

My approach is collaborative and focused on the long-term. I aim to create open dialogue, align on outcomes, and foster relationships where partners feel invested in mutual success. When trust is strong, innovation accelerates and relationships and business grow.

What is one piece of advice you’d give to women building their careers in AdTech?

Build your reputation on trust and deep knowledge. In AdTech, credibility is your real currency. Be known for asking the right questions. Invest in learning. Listen and ask smart questions. When others trust both your expertise and your integrity, you earn a seat at the most important conversations – and the opportunity to shape what comes next.

Sandy Ghuman, Senior Product Manager – Customer Data, easyJet

Tell us about your role and why you’re passionate about what you do.

I lead data initiatives, defining the strategy and roadmap to drive value from customer data and insights across easyJet. My focus is on enhancing data products and capabilities that enable data-driven decisioning, smarter data activation and personalisation to ultimately drive better customer experience and positive business outcomes.

I am passionate about this space because whilst the key fundamentals and best practices have always been there – building solid data foundations, connecting with the customer – the way we bring those principles to life is constantly evolving. Customer expectations, the way they interact, what they share, what they want, is always shifting, alongside the continuous innovations around Data, Tools and Technologies. It is a fast-paced industry and there is never a dull day. Whether you are leading transformational initiatives, delivering roadmaps, bringing stakeholders on the journey, or simply developing yourself and keeping up with the next big thing – the work is dynamic, fast moving and rewarding.

What does great leadership within Data/Marketing look like to you in practice?

A leader that recognises the importance of being data-driven – using data and insight to truly understand the customer in order to deliver relevant, timely and targeted comms – whenever and wherever you see and engage your customers. It means understanding the complexities and building blocks required to get you there – and identifying the gaps that need filling, particularly around People, Process, Data & Tech. And lastly, a great leader assembles winning teams, fostering collaborative learning, encouraging test & learn, and being realistic in Time to Value.

What is one piece of advice you’d give to women building their careers in Data or Marketing?

Believe in yourself, up and never forget imposter syndrome is normal. We all have it, and often we are too hard on ourselves.

Data & Marketing is a great industry to shine. Embrace the learning opportunities and environments, build great relationships, and leverage your network.

Jess Saunders, VP Global Partner Success & Operations, Eyeota

Tell us about your role and why you’re passionate about what you do.

I’m VP at Eyeota, leading international teams across partnerships, operations and global strategy to drive sustainable growth for our partners. I’m passionate about working at the intersection of data, technology, people and AI, particularly in a global environment where unique perspectives shape smarter decisions and stronger outcomes.

What does great leadership within Data/Marketing look like to you in practice?

Great leadership in AdTech balances commercial ambition with integrity, openness and clarity. It means making data-driven decisions, creating space for different viewpoints and new ideas, and building teams that are stronger and more confident over time – not just delivering short-term results.

What is one piece of advice you’d give to women building their careers in Data or Marketing?

Build range early in your career across both technical fluency and commercial confidence, and don’t feel pressure to follow a linear path. Exposure to different functions and business models becomes a real advantage over time. Avoid self-selecting out of opportunities – confidence often follows actions, not the other way around.

Erika Vaiciunaite, Senior Product Manager, Experian Marketing Services

Tell us about your role and why you’re passionate about what you do.

As a Senior Product Manager leading the strategy for Experian’s UK Identity Graph, Consumer Sync, I’m passionate about solving real client challenges in a market that never stands still. The digital ecosystem changes daily – new regulation, emerging identifiers, shifting consumer expectations – and I love being in a role where you have to stay curious and continually learn. What excites me most is being able to shape where we go next: expanding our UK proposition into new markets, evolving our products, and bringing together partners, data and technology to create solutions that genuinely move the industry forward. No two days are the same, and that’s exactly what keeps me energised.

What does great leadership within AdTech look like to you in practice?

AdTech only works when product, engineering, data, privacy and commercial teams genuinely understand each other. So good leadership is often about being the “connector” – the person who can see the whole chessboard and help everyone else see it too. It’s translating technical identity concepts into language clients understand, and turning regulatory updates into actionable product decisions. When you take that bridging role seriously, everything moves more smoothly. People understand the why, issues surface earlier, and teams feel aligned rather than overwhelmed by complexity.

What is one piece of advice you’d give to women building their careers in AdTech?

My advice would be to stay curious and keep developing your own point of view. AdTech is full of strong voices, and it’s easy to assume everyone else has it all figured out – they don’t. Ask questions, listen widely, and give yourself permission to contribute even when you’re not entirely sure. Your perspective is valuable, especially in rooms that don’t always reflect the full diversity of the industry. You’ll be surprised how often others are thinking the same thing but haven’t said it yet.

And also, surround yourself with people who genuinely want to see you succeed – mentors, peers, partners, whoever that may be. This industry moves quickly, and having people who advocate for you, challenge your thinking and stretch you is invaluable. AdTech is built on relationships, and you don’t need a huge network – just a small group of people in your corner can accelerate your growth more than anything else.

Alison Parsons, Head of Customer Insight, Hunter Douglas

Tell us about your role and why you’re passionate about what you do

I lead the Customer Insight team for EMEA at Hunter Douglas — the largest window furnishings business in the world, including Hillarys Blinds in the UK. My role spans research, database hosting, CRM, analysis and insight, compliance, and leading exceptionally talented specialist within my team. One of the things I enjoy most is the sheer variety: working across B2C, B2B and multiple brands means no two days are ever the same. What I ensure is consistent, though, is the breadth and quality of the data we use — and the strength of the insight my team deliver. Their work shapes how we understand our customers and sits right at the heart of the business, underpinning the decisions we make every day.

What does great leadership within AdTech look like to you in practice?

For me, great leadership in a data role is about creating the conditions for insight to influence at the highest level. That means working with peers who appreciate the value of evidence and are committed to using it well. As a senior leader, I focus on ensuring our choices are not just customer focused and well informed, but also future fit — decisions that support long term thinking, not just immediate outcomes.

What is one piece of advice you’d give to women building their careers in AdTech?

My advice to women considering a career in data is to go for it — the industry offers a huge variety of roles and there truly is space for every strength. Most importantly, choose to work in organisations where data genuinely informs decision making. When insight is respected, your work has impact, your contribution is seen, and your career can grow in meaningful ways.

Sarah Robertson, Chief Product Officer, Experian Marketing Services

Tell us about your role and why you’re passionate about what you do

I’m the Chief Product Officer for Experian Marketing Services in the UK, where I’m responsible for shaping our product strategy and ensuring we deliver solutions that genuinely help brands connect with their customers. I’ve spent my career in marketing because I’m fascinated by the way it brings together technology, data, creativity and human psychology. Marketing sits at the intersection of all four- using insight and innovation to understand people, solve real problems, and drive meaningful outcomes. When these elements come together effectively, they enable campaigns that are not only commercially impactful but also relevant and valuable for consumers.

What does great leadership within AdTech look like to you in practice?

Great leadership in AdTech is about intentionally shaping an environment where curiosity, challenge, and learning are embedded into the culture – not just encouraged, but expected. It’s about creating an environment where people at every level feel empowered to question assumptions, test new ideas, and take thoughtful risks, knowing that progress often comes through experimentation and occasional failure.

As AdTech continues to evolve at pace, particularly with the accelerating adoption of AI, great leaders must look beyond today’s capabilities and anticipate what the organisation will need tomorrow. This requires a shift from simply managing performance to actively cultivating adaptability, critical thinking, and ethical judgement alongside technical expertise. Leaders must recognise emerging skills early, invest in continuous learning, and redesign teams and ways of working to harness the full potential of both human creativity and intelligent technology.

Ultimately, great leadership in AdTech is about balancing innovation with responsibility – setting a clear vision, building trust, and enabling diverse teams to thrive in an increasingly complex, data driven ecosystem, while ensuring the technology we build serves people, businesses, and society in a meaningful way.

What is one piece of advice you’d give to women building their careers in AdTech?

I have three:

1. First, be brave – having the confidence to challenge and speak up is essential.
2. Second, be kind- teams thrive on a human touch, and people never forget how you make them feel.
3. But most importantly, be yourself. True leadership is rooted in authenticity, and that’s what builds trust and lasting impact.