IAB Australia today announced that Vanya Mariani, Commercial Director – Media for Carsales has been appointed Chair of the IAB Australia Board, while Andrew Brain, Director Data & Growth at Seven West Media has been appointed Deputy Chair. Rebecca Costello will also join the IAB Board as the new representative for The Guardian, while Suzie Cardwell joins as the new board representative for Nine.
Mariani was previously IAB Board Deputy Chair and succeeds Matt Rowley who stepped down from the IAB Board following his departure from Pedestrian Media.
As Chair, Mariani will work closely with IAB Australia CEO, Gai Le Roy, on several initiatives including helping the industry in relation to ad effectiveness, audience measurement, finding ways to reduce industry carbon emissions, helping all sectors to navigate changes in data usage and privacy obligations. These are detailed in the IAB Australia Annual Report.
IAB CEO, Gai Le Roy commented: “I would like to thank Matt for being an incredible chair and ambassador for the digital advertising industry. During his tenure the IAB in Australia has continued to significantly expand membership, roll out a new audience ratings currency, play a major role in industry policy areas and helped drive deeper connections across the industry. I am looking forward to working closely with Vanya, a passionate and positive industry leader representing an innovative and successful Australian business, who will help lead the board and identify important initiatives for the digital advertising industry.”
Mariani said “It has been a pleasure to be co-chair of the IAB alongside Matt Rowley over the last 18 months, and I feel privileged to take the reins of chair officially. It’s a transformational period for our industry and with that comes incredible opportunity to raise the bar on how we all operate. The IAB is committed to supporting the digital ecosystem on several key areas. Our vision is clear, and we have a wonderful team of experts that executes with excellence.”
Outgoing Chair, Matt Rowley commented "Over my years of involvement I've seen the IAB grow into Australia's 'United Nations' of digital advertising. Like the UN, the work the IAB undertakes is complex yet immensely valuable. It has been a privilege to serve as Chair, and I'm confident that Vanya and Gai will elevate the organisation to even greater heights."
Mariani is Commercial Director Media at carsales.com. She oversees all sales and customer solutions activity for the company and has worked with carsales.com for more than 14 years.
Brain is the Director, Data & Growth at Seven West Media and responsible for shaping the data-driven audience and revenue growth strategies of 7plus. He has 20 years of industry experience in leadership roles in digital media across publishing, OOH, Radio and Television.
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About the Interactive Advertising Bureau
An independent industry association with more than 175 members in Australia and nearly 9,000 globally spanning media owners, publishers, technology companies, agencies, and advertisers, IAB works to align industry stakeholders to develop solutions for the issues faced by the market and develop standards that are integral to the operation of digital advertising.
As one of 47 IAB offices globally, the role of the IAB is to support sustainable and diverse investment in digital advertising across all platforms in Australia as well as demonstrating to marketers and agencies the many ways digital advertising can deliver on business objectives.
www.iabaustralia.com.au