IAB seeks new CEO with Alice Manners set to depart after three years in the role
Manners departing after 3 years in the role.
Key digital industry body the Interactive Advertising Bureau is currently recruiting for a new CEO to replace Alice Manners, Mumbrella can reveal.
It is understood a recruitment firm has been engaged to look for possible candidates for important industry position, which is currently grappling with key industry issues including the bedding in of mobile measurement and the ongoing industry debate around viewability.
When asked this morning about the departure the IAB confirmed that Manners would step down at the end of her three year contact, in May and that the IAB was currently recruiting for a new CEO.
Commenting on the departure, Ed Harrison, chairman of IAB Australia said: “Alice’s contribution to the industry has been immense. She has driven substantial change for both the Association and our industry, delivering a suite of initiatives which have contributed to the ongoing health and growth of the digital advertising ecosystem
“On behalf of the board, I would like congratulate Alice on her many achievements. She leaves the IAB in great shape and well positioned to face the future.”
During her three years in the role, Manners has sough to broaden the membership base of the IAB away from just the big four publishers, News Corp Australia, Fairfax Media, Mi9 and Yahoo7, and better engage agencies, technology partners and smaller publishers.
The IAB also launched a number of new Councils for industry issues including on IAB-MFA advisory agency group, ad tech advisory council, video council, audio council and brand safety council however, progress on some of the key issues has been slow as the industry struggled to find agreement.
Manners also oversaw the tender for the key contract to be preferred supplier for the provision of digital audience measurement services which was retained by Nielsen in 2014.
“I was brought in to make a change and to make the IAB relevant again,” Manners told Mumbrella this morning. “I am a proud of being able to do that and have loved the role and to see the change in the IAB over the last few years.”
The departure of Manners leaves the IAB with vacancies in its two key roles of CEO and research director, following the departure of Lisa Walsh last year.
Nic Christensen
Hopefully the IAB can find someone as passionate as Alice.
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I though Alice did a great job of moving the IAB on and serving a wider community of publishers, agencies and advertisers.
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A great job bringing the market together – hoping we can now move to view-ability and accurate measurement (desktop, mobile) as standard across the market. Measurement and process that benefit all and allow progress.
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Poison chalice. The IAB is not a credible industry body, and arguably, can never be when so many agendas are set by industry players commensurate with their market power. Alice in Wonderland.
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Alice has done the IAB a great service by broadening it’s member base. Unfortunately the board could care less (apart from the new $) and are only concerned with a intensely narrow set of objectives which serves the interests of major publishers.
Unless the IAB can embrace change for the wider industry and not seek to engage in delaying or protectionism strategies, it will continue down the slippery slope of irrelevance.
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