The Dubai office of the global advertising technology leader is growing. Here’s the team behind the tech with their insights on the advertising industry.
Terry Kane, Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa, sets the strategic direction for the business in the region, fostering an environment of innovation and leading the team towards achieving The Trade Desk’s ambitious goals in the region.
Previously, Terry was at Meta and the Jumeirah Group in Dubai. On a personal note, Terry just completed the Marathon Des Sables – the toughest footrace in the world - for the third time.
Insights: According to Terry, advertisers should focus on five key areas to achieve success in 2024: the third-party cookie phase-out and how advertisers need to adapt their identity strategy on the open internet, how AI and programmatic advertising can deliver efficiencies to optimize budgets, the role retail data plays for added precision, and how brands and agencies can benefit from the revolution of TV advertising with audiences increasingly choosing streaming content.
Marie-Christine Kienlen, Director of Business Development, is in charge of strategic business development and partnership management in AdTech and digital media.
She previously worked with Choozle which, interestingly, was one of the first technology companies to leverage The Trade Desk’s API. Marie-Christine has an adventurous spirit with a penchant for adrenaline-fueled challenges like mountain climbing and skydiving.
Insights: In 2024 advertisers are aligning their approach to reach the right audiences with the increasingly fragmented media landscape. Orchestrating communications across the web, apps, digital audio, connected TV and digital out-of-home will ensure that messages are delivered across all the channels that consumers use every day. Additionally, retail data partnerships in the Middle East have the potential to revolutionize the industry by augmenting targeting capabilities, fine-tuning personalized ad experiences and measuring the effects of advertising on actual sales.
Ashnee Thacker, Senior Account Manager, is responsible for client relations and growing the business across the Middle East and Africa for long-term success. Before joining The Trade Desk, Ashnee worked for Verizon Media and Yahoo.
Insights: Ashnee is excited about the opportunities advertisers realize by combining digital out-of-home with mobile in order to elevate storytelling from high reach messaging to precision on the personal smartphone. Advertisers across the Middle East and especially Saudi Arabia are already leveraging this capability that digital advertising provides.
Victor Busnel, Senior Trading Specialist, is growing new and existing business, and enables platform users to maximize their media spend ROI. Prior to joining The Trade Desk, Victor worked for The Boston Consulting Group.
Insights: Victor sees a massive shift as advertisers’ most effective channels increasingly become digital and data driven. Also, as the MENA market is quickly catching up, it has the potential to leapfrog the developments of more mature Western media markets, by adopting the latest independent and transparent technology, as well as proven innovative media buying approaches.
