What’s the best piece of professional advice you’ve ever received?

“Build the career you want, not just the one you’re offered.”
A mentor shared this early on and it shaped every big decision since. I’ve found that it’s easy to get caught up in job descriptions and titles but how you add value and what you bring to each role is what defines your personal brand and aligns you with long-term growth, not just the next logical step.

What excites you most about the future of digital advertising in Canada?

My answer won’t come as a surprise, but it really is the collision of AI and creativity. From generative AI changing search behaviour to clean-room data partnerships enabling smarter targeting, we’re at a point where marketers can measure and personalize at scale while still telling great stories. What excites me most is how this evolution is forcing brands to rethink the balance between efficiency and emotion – how to use data not just to reach people, but to truly connect with them. Canada is uniquely positioned to lead in this space, with strong privacy frameworks, diverse talent, and an ecosystem that values both innovation and integrity. As AI becomes embedded in creative workflows, media optimization, and audience intelligence, we have the opportunity to build an industry that’s not only more effective, but also more human.

In your view, what’s the biggest opportunity for our industry right now — and what’s the biggest challenge?

Opportunity: Harnessing first-party data and AI to deliver meaningful, measurable experiences. As marketers, we now have the tools to connect insights across platforms, predict intent, and tailor creative in real time. The opportunity lies in using these capabilities to deepen relevance and drive genuine value, not just clicks or conversions. AI can help unlock smarter segmentation, adaptive media strategies, and creative personalization at scale, empowering brands to be both efficient and emotionally resonant.   

Challenge: Keeping consumer trust while doing so. As technology accelerates, maintaining transparency and respecting privacy will be the defining test of modern marketing. Striking the balance between personalization and protection will separate brands that thrive from those that fade. Building ethical data practices and clear value exchanges isn’t just compliance, it’s how we’ll sustain long-term brand equity in an AI-driven world.

If you could change one thing about the industry overnight, what would it be?

A universal measurement framework. Multi-touch attribution, MMM, offline signals – today it’s patchwork. A standard that captures cross-channel impact would unlock smarter investments for every brand.

Which trends, tools, or innovations are you keeping your eye on this year? 

Generative AI for creative optimization, advertising in AI-powered search (Google’s AI Overviews and LLM agents), and retail media networks expanding beyond traditional e-commerce.

What role do you think collaboration through IAB Canada plays in driving industry growth?

IAB Canada is where I see competitors become collaborators to tackle industry-wide challenges. From privacy policy to ad tech standards, the Council is a forum where we can share data, pilot new formats, and advocate for regulations that protect consumers while fueling innovation.