DigitasLBi Appoints Emily Macdonald as Head of Programmatic, International

Global marketing and technology agency DigitasLBi has further boosted its growing programmatic offering with the appointment of Emily Macdonald to the newly-created role of Head of Programmatic, International.

Macdonald has spent 18 years working in digital media and ad tech, holding positions at some of the industry’s biggest names, including WPP, News UK and Microsoft. Most recently, she spent two years working as an independent consultant, advising Ebiquity and Global Radio on digital technology and data investments.

Between 2012 and 2014, Macdonald was Director, Global Partnerships at the WPP-owned Xaxis, overseeing its proprietary programmatic audience and data platform. Between 2009 and 2012, she was Digital Head of Advertising Strategy and Operations at News UK. She has also held roles at Microsoft and AOL.

In her new role, Macdonald will help to further develop DigitasLBi’s well-established programmatic capability and industry-leading data and technology proposition, working to strengthen programmatic expertise across the whole agency and helping its clients to navigate the increasingly complex ad tech landscape, in order to gain competitive advantage.

Macdonald will report to Paul Dalton, who joined the agency as Chief Media Officer, International in 2015.

Emily Macdonald, Head of Programmatic, International at DigitasLBi said: “Joining DigitasLBi gives me a fantastic opportunity to further my agency-side experience, working directly with clients to translate and deliver true value from programmatic solutions. I’m delighted to be working with such a smart and talented team and an agency known for its innovation and expertise across media, data, tech and creative.”

Paul Dalton, Chief Media Officer, International at DigitasLBi said: “More than ever, our clients are looking to us to help them drive commercial advantage through the development and deployment of programmatic solutions. As the number of solutions available to brands grows exponentially, Emily’s breadth and depth of experience make her the right person to help further develop and lead our existing programmatic offering internationally. She has a rare combination of tech and business acumen, enabling her to translate tech need into real value for clients.”