Celebrating Canada’s Digital Citizens
Humans of Digital shines a spotlight on IAB Canada members who are driving innovation in Canada’s digital advertising industry. Each story offers a behind-the-scenes look at their journeys, challenges, and proudest moments, inspiring the next wave of digital talent.
Walder Amaya
Apex Mobile Media ULC
CEO
I help brands and agencies maximize the impact of their advertising investments by building strategic partnerships and delivering measurable business results through innovative digital solutions.
Vlad Stesin
Optable
CEO, Co-Founder
We enable media companies, brands, and technology platforms to collaborate securely using their data. And now with Agentic Collaboration, we’re introducing AI agents that can analyze, plan, and activate campaigns on behalf of humans — intelligently, transparently, and with privacy at the core.
Doha Skaf
Spark Foundry
VP, Media Planning
With 19 years of experience and nearly a decade at Spark Foundry, I’ve built my career around helping brands form meaningful connections with their audiences. From digital and PR roots to leading integrated media strategies, I’m passionate about driving work that blends creativity, strategy, and real impact.
Fiona Karl
Sun Life
Director, Growth Marketing
I help brands turn attention into action.
I am a Technology, Data Privacy, Data Protection, and AI lawyer. I am a
George Leith
Adcellerant Canada
President, International Partnerships
I lead AdCellerant’s global expansion strategy, focusing on markets in Canada, United Kingdom, and beyond. Working to cultivate strategic partnerships to enhance international team growth and strategic partner acquisition. Leverage my 40 years of marketing and business development skills to establish AdCellerant as a recognized global brand.
Paula Festas
illumin
SVP North America Sales
At illumin, I lead strategic sales and partnerships, helping brands harness data-driven advertising journeys with clear attribution to drive measurable impact and smarter consumer engagement.
I PrivacyData Protection,
Jason Bauer
PRN
Sales Director, Retail Media
With decades of expertise in retail media, PRN/Stratacache provides comprehensive, turnkey digital signage solutions tailored for all retail media needs. From hardware installation and maintenance to content management software and ad monetization, PRN Media is your trusted partner every step of the way.
Marie-Claude Dion
Cirque Du Soleil
Digital Manager
I lead digital media strategy for touring shows at Cirque du Soleil in North America. I make our team’s work more accessible to other teams so they understand how we can work together for our common goal of selling tickets.
Sahil Razdan
Samsung
Senior Legal Counsel
I am a Technology, Data Privacy, Data Protection, and AI lawyer.
I am a Technology, Data Privacy, Data Protection, and AI lawyer. I am a
Ryan Casey
Time & Space
Director, Media Operations
I work with a great team of traditional and digital advertising experts in Halifax and Toronto, who work on strategy, planning, buying, execution and measurement of clients advertising budgets in Canada and internationally.
Noel Geer
Connected Interactive
Founder/CEO
We help brands utilize in-store purchase data and offline consumer behaviours in their digital advertising to combine offline data with online data to create their most valuable audiences to targeting consumers with the highest Lifetime Value.
Melissa Savage
Air Miles -BMO
Director, Media
My role is to support our businesses and Partners reach Collectors and Canadians with the right message at the right time. While we work to help our Collectors ‘Collect More Moments’, media strategy and execution is essentially for this storytelling and driving value to Canadians everywhere.
Joanne Crump
Active International
EVP Integrated Media
I oversee the Media Team at Active International. As the EVP of Integrated Media, I help brands unlock hidden value of their excess assets into working media and marketing investments.