8. Ana Milicevic Tells Us About AdWeek's Nextech Conference
Release Date: 08/14/2019
191. Agency Life Unfiltered
Programmatic Digest
🎧 Summary: In this episode of the Programmatic Digest, Hélène sits down with Alexa Fulmer, a seasoned programmatic buyer and advocate for inclusion, to discuss what it’s really like navigating agency life as a gay woman of colour. From microaggressions and being the only person of colour in the room to building confidence and community, Alexa shares her story with vulnerability, insight, and strength. They unpack how authenticity in the workplace often comes at a cost, the emotional labour tied to identity, and why representation matters—especially in leadership. Alexa also reflects...
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Curation 101 in less than 3 mins
Programmatic Digest
Our Let’s Talk Curation series was created in partnership with GDB, our curated data partner, to help demystify curated audiences, what they are, how they work, and when and why you should consider using them. Check out this lesson on Curation 101. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: About our Partner: GDB is a curated audience data partner focused on combining quality inventory and audience signals to support smarter testing and cleaner measurement in programmatic campaigns.
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190. 2025 Recap, 2026 Roadmap: AI, Privacy, CTV, RMNs, and Supply Quality
Programmatic Digest
Find YouTube link to watch here: Shownotes Welcome to the first Programmatic Digest episode of 2026 with Ellen Parker and Manuela Cortez. This is a quick check-in, plus a trader-friendly breakdown of the biggest 2025 shifts and what to watch in 2026. We cover five trends from 2025 (AI everywhere, privacy and cookieless reality, CTV growth, RMNs going more programmatic, and supply quality/transparency). Then we close with three 2026 predictions: curation becoming “default infrastructure,” AI as a co-pilot (not autopilot), and multi-identity strategies becoming standard. This...
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189. How To Turn Curated Audience Into Insights with GDB
Programmatic Digest
Preview of the Sell-Side Foundations for Traders workshop sponsored by ! Sign up to this FREE workshop: Summary: A fast, practical deep dive into how GDB redefined programmatic curation from their early roots as a DSP to becoming an SSP focused on “Curation as a Service.” John Dittar and Felipe share how refining supply paths, removing low-quality inventory, and layering intelligence into deals leads to cleaner, smarter buying. They explain how curation powers stronger brand safety, reduces pre-fraud exposure, and replaces guesswork with predictable,...
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188. Past the Hype: How to Buy Smarter After TTD’s Reseller Update
Programmatic Digest
A fast, practical deep dive into The Trade Desk’s move to label all SSPs as “resellers” — what that label actually means, why it has a bad rap, and where it’s fair vs. misleading. Gareth breaks down value-add resellers (e.g., unique widgets/placements) vs. pure pass-through reselling, explains OpenPath in plain English, and demystifies the Transaction ID debate: what it is, why TTD wants it, and how it impacts buy-side efficiency and supply transparency. We wrap with actionable steps for traders — how to pressure-test paths, when to go direct with publishers/PMPs, and how to...
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187. What Traders/Buyers Should Know About Publisher’s Ad Stack Relating To SPO with Jana Meron
Programmatic Digest
In this episode of the Programmatic Digest, host Helene Parker sits down with Jana Meron, programmatic veteran and sell-side expert, for a deep dive into how the buy side and sell side can finally bridge the gap. This episode serves as a preview of their upcoming joint workshop — The Sell-Side Programmatic Foundation for Buyers — designed to help traders, buyers, and ad ops professionals better understand how publishers, SSPs, and ad tech integrations actually work. Jana shares her fascinating career journey, from early media buying days to leading programmatic and data operations at...
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186. Why More DSPs ≠ More Reach: Programmatic Deep Dive with Gary Guarnaccia & Ryan Verklin
Programmatic Digest
In this episode of the Programmatic Digest, host Ellen Parker welcomes two of LinkedIn’s most active programmatic voices: Gary Guarnaccia and Ryan Verklin. Together, they dive into the realities of in-housing, retail media, DSP strategy, and the ongoing shifts in supply path optimization (SPO). Ryan shares his journey from agency life to in-house at Bayer, where he helped lead the transition to hands-on programmatic buying before moving into retail media. Gary reflects on his role supporting Bayer’s in-house teams through ad tech partnerships, ensuring programmatic and retail investments...
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185. From Brand to Demand: B2B Programmatic with Rosey Sutton
Programmatic Digest
In this episode of the Programmatic Digest, host Helene Parker welcomes Rosey Sutton, Head of Programmatic at Leadswell, for a deep dive into the world of B2B programmatic advertising. Rosey shares her journey from traditional broadcast buying to programmatic leadership, offering practical insights into brand-to-demand strategy, content syndication, and how to connect brand awareness with demand generation for better results. We explore the importance of aligning creative messaging with funnel stages, why programmatic often serves as the accelerator in B2B, and how intent data can transform...
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184. AI, Attribution & Attention: Insights from IAB’s Angelina Eng | Programmatic Digest Podcast
Programmatic Digest
In this episode of the Programmatic Digest, host Manuela Cortes sits down with Angelina Eng, Vice President at IAB, to unpack the evolving world of measurement, attribution, and attention in digital advertising. Angelina shares her deep expertise in helping reduce friction across the ad tech ecosystem and establishing industry best practices through IAB’s Measurement, Addressability, and Data Center. She breaks down the misconceptions around last-touch attribution, the importance of assisted attribution, and how weighting ad formats can better reflect their role in the funnel. We also...
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183. Curate the Path: How DPO + AI Boost Publisher Yield with Petri Kokkonen from Relevant Digital
Programmatic Digest
Petri Kokkonen from Relevant Yield explains how his team helps publishers grow revenue through Demand Path Optimization (DPO), curation, and AI-driven decisioning.
info_outlineIn the Sensei’s Corner this week, we welcome the Khaleesi of DMPs, Ana Milicevic from SparrowAdvisors.
This week, we dive into the highlights and lowlights of AdWeek's inaugural Nextech conference. She gave us the rundown on the panel she participated in and explained why Brands Could ‘Kneecap’ Themselves Without the Right Talent on In-House Programmatic Teams. We discussed the transparency challenges we face and How Advertisers Are Untangling the Programmatic Supply Chain. We reviewed How Google Is Thinking About Its Upcoming Changes for User Privacy and Milicevic really helped us decrypt where we stand as an industry. Finally, what does the Beyhive and Marshmallows have in common? Why a Surprise Drop Can Be a Great Marketing Ploy for Brands?
Ana is an accomplished entrepreneur, versatile executive, and digital technology innovator. As principal and co-founder of Sparrow Advisers, Ana helps marketers and C-suite executives build effective data products and operationalize data assets to drive more value in a customer-centric, cross-channel environment. Ms. Milicevic was responsible for the development of the Demdex platform (now Adobe Audience Manager) from its early days through its successful integration into the Adobe Digital Marketing suite, She’s a pioneer of digital data management, the Mother and ultimate OG of DMP’s
Connect with:
- Ana Milicevic: Twitter | LinkedIn | Website
- Programmatic Digest Podcast: Contact | Website | Shownote
- Helene Parker: Website | LinkedIn | Twitter