Kris Magel — Head of Global Agency Partnerships at FreeWheel

FreeWheel, the Comcast-owned advertising technology platform specializing in premium video and connected TV (CTV) advertising, has appointed Kris Magel as its new Head of Global Agency Partnerships. Magel is a well-regarded industry veteran with deep roots in media buying and agency relationships, having previously served as President of Initiative, the global media agency within IPG Mediabrands. His background bridges the buy-side and sell-side of the advertising ecosystem, making him a strategically significant hire for FreeWheel as it seeks to deepen its relationships with holding company agencies and independent media buyers. In this newly defined or elevated role, Magel will be responsible for managing and growing FreeWheel's partnerships with advertising agencies on a global scale. This includes aligning FreeWheel's technology and inventory solutions with the evolving needs of agency trading desks, investment teams, and programmatic buying units. The appointment signals FreeWheel's intent to position itself more aggressively as a preferred technology partner for agencies navigating the increasingly complex premium video and CTV buying landscape. The hire is significant given the intensifying competition in the CTV and streaming ad tech space, where platforms like Magnite, PubMatic, and The Trade Desk are all vying for agency relationships and premium video supply. By bringing in a recognized agency-side leader, FreeWheel is reinforcing its commitment to making its platform more agency-friendly and operationally seamless for buyers who manage large-scale video advertising investments across linear, digital, and streaming environments.

This leadership appointment reflects a broader industry trend of AdTech companies recruiting executives with agency-side experience to bridge the gap between technology platforms and media buyers. As CTV and streaming advertising continue to capture a growing share of video ad budgets, FreeWheel's ability to cultivate strong agency relationships becomes a critical competitive differentiator. Agencies control significant programmatic and direct buying volume, and having a trusted industry figure like Magel leading those conversations could accelerate adoption of FreeWheel's tools and marketplace among major holding companies such as WPP, Publicis, Omnicom, IPG, and Dentsu. This move also positions FreeWheel more competitively against rival SSPs and video ad tech platforms that are similarly investing in agency-facing teams. For the broader AdTech ecosystem, it underscores the continued importance of human relationship capital alongside technological capability, particularly in premium and reserved inventory environments where trust, transparency, and workflow integration are paramount.