David Cohen has been named CEO of the Interactive Advertising Bureau, which represents digital media, effective Sept. 15.
Cohen joined the IAB as president in March. He had been a top media buyer, most recently as president of Magna.
Since joining IAB, Cohen oversaw the IAB’s NewFronts, which were conducted virtually this year because of the COVID pandemic as well as the IAB Podcast upfront. He also took charge of the IAB’s Tele://Vision campaign seeking to change the way video is bought and sold and the News Saves Lives initiative supporting journalism by pushing advertisers not to abandon news content while pursuing brand safety.
"The bottom line in business is results, and David delivers,” said Peter Naylor, VP of Sales, Snap Inc., a longtime member of the IAB’s board of directors, and the founding chair of the IAB Video Center. “His buy-side experience and perspective, most recently as president of Magna, is invaluable. He has built organizations responsible for purchasing billions of dollars of digital media inventory annually. In just six months, that expertise already has made a difference for all of us in IAB’s membership.”
Cohen is replacing Randall Rothenberg. Rothenberg will be executive chairman of the IAB, working fulltime through the end of the year, and half-time through 2022 and reporting to Cohen.
“I knew that coming to IAB would give me the opportunity to leverage the experience and relationships that I have worked my entire career to develop. Bringing together publishers, brands, and agencies for the common good has been rewarding, and we are just getting started. I continue to be energized by the innovation and entrepreneurial spirit of the media, marketing, and advertising industries,” said Cohen. “But what makes the IAB leadership position so meaningful is that the team here is not just helping individual companies - we’re helping to reshape and grow an entire sector of the economy.”
In his new role, Cohen said he will focus on increasing the presence of brands, agencies and across all IAB activities. "My buy-side experience has shown me that connecting all those dots is critical for industry collaboration, agenda-setting, and leadership," he said.
Prior to Magna, Cohen was chief investment officer at UM, where he made sure that digital innovation, data and technology acumen drove performance. From 2001 to 2011, he served as chief media officer, chief digital officer, and executive VP, U.S. director of digital communications.
The IAB represents more than 650 leading media companies, brands, and the technology firms responsible for selling, delivering, and optimizing digital ad marketing campaigns.
