The Women In Programmatic Network was set up to represent women in the programmatic industry. To celebrate its work, NDA is running a series of interviews with its members. Next up is Jess Barrett, Associate Trading Director at The Trade Desk.
Why did you join the Women in Programmatic network and what do you hope to get out of it?
I was one of the first people to join the Women in Programmatic Network when it launched in the UK. I had recently moved from New York to London and was keen to meet new people and learn more about the UK’s programmatic market.
What are the biggest challenges, and opportunities for women in the programmatic industry today?
COVID has been the biggest challenge, as women are disproportionately responsible for things like unpaid child care, homeschooling, etc.
One silver lining from the pandemic is that we’ve proven that we’re able to successfully work outside of an office in the programmatic industry. This is an opportunity for women to improve work/life balance post-pandemic.
What does the industry need to do to champion women in the programmatic industry better?
Sharing knowledge, challenging outdated stereotypes, and identifying and removing biases are all things we can all do to help champion women in the programmatic industry.
Companies should encourage and make it easy for women to speak at industry events by providing tools/training that will help them feel comfortable doing so. Women should get recognised for their work and access to the same opportunities as their male counterparts.
What are the biggest challenges, and opportunities overall for programmatic advertising this year?
The biggest challenge is uncertainty. Uncertainty with COVID (lockdowns, layoffs) and uncertainty around the future of the internet (cookie deprecation, data regulation) is a cause for concern, but also an opportunity. Programmatic now includes many channels that don’t involve cookies, so there are plenty of opportunities to learn and innovate.
What is your biggest achievement in programmatic to date?
Launching the global programmatic team at the Financial Times was the most challenging and rewarding experience. I was so proud when the FT made AdExchanger’s list of Top 10 Programmatic Publishers in 2018.
