IAB Australia has appointed Nine’s chief data officer Suzie Cardwell as chair. Sarah Myers, the GM of Audience and Marketing at REA Group, has been appointed deputy chair.
Cardwell succeeds Vanya Mariani who stepped down from the IAB Board following her departure from carsales.
Three new board members have also been appointed: News Corp’s general manager of commercial data Dean La Rosa, Domain’s acting CMO Heather McGovern, and carsales executive GM Davor Vilusic.
As chair, Cardwell will work closely with IAB Australia CEO, Gai Le Roy, on initiatives including ensuring responsible frameworks are in place to meet marketer, consumer and Government expectations through 2025, while also exploring new market needs and dynamics.
The Board will also focus on harmonising carbon emissions tracking for media buying and planning, evolving the digital ratings currency Ipsos iris, preparing for the next tranche of privacy reforms and providing education and guidance on AI developments impacting the digital advertising industry. These have been detailed in the IAB Australia Annual Report.
“I would like to thank Vanya for driving a vibrant and productive era of the IAB and being such a positive force in the industry. We are incredibly lucky to have Suzie, who is an incredibly admired and respected digital advertising leader, taking the chair role. Her strategic smarts and market knowledge will be wonderfully complemented by Sarah’s knowledge of marketing and audience trends and needs,” Le Roy said.
Cardwell said: “I’m honoured to be appointed as the Chair of the IAB Australia Board and excited to work with Gai and the Board to further the mission of IAB Australia. The IAB plays a vital role in fostering a thriving and sustainable digital advertising ecosystem in Australia.
“We operate in a complex landscape. By continuing to work together, we can navigate the challenges and opportunities ahead. We can also ensure that the industry continues to grow and evolve in a way that benefits all stakeholders.”
Cardwell is the data lead across the Nine group. She has more than 20 years experience in media, digital and data roles. Prior to Nine she held senior roles at News Corp and Foxtel.
Myers is a seasoned marketing professional with more than 20 years’ experience building and expanding Australian brands including realestate.com.au, Mortgage Choice, Domain, SMH and The Age.
