Penry Price — Founder & Managing Partner at Charcoal Advisors

Penry Price, a well-known veteran in the digital advertising and AdTech industry, has founded Charcoal Advisors, a new advisory firm where he serves as Founder and Managing Partner. Price brings decades of senior leadership experience to this venture, most notably from his long tenure at LinkedIn where he served as Vice President of Marketing Solutions, overseeing the platform's advertising business and driving significant revenue growth. His career also includes senior roles at Google and other major players in the digital media ecosystem, giving him a broad perspective across search, social, and programmatic advertising. Charcoal Advisors appears to be positioned as a strategic consultancy focused on helping companies navigate the complex and rapidly evolving AdTech and digital media landscape. By leveraging Price's extensive network and operational expertise, the firm is likely to serve clients ranging from emerging AdTech startups to established media companies seeking guidance on go-to-market strategy, revenue growth, and technology partnerships. This type of advisory firm is increasingly common as seasoned executives transition from operator roles to advisory and consulting functions. The founding of Charcoal Advisors reflects a broader industry trend of experienced AdTech leaders establishing boutique advisory practices as the industry undergoes significant transformation driven by privacy regulation, the deprecation of third-party cookies, the rise of retail media, and the continued growth of connected TV advertising. Price's deep relationships across the buy side, sell side, and platform ecosystem make him a valuable resource for companies seeking strategic counsel during this period of disruption.

Penry Price's transition to founding Charcoal Advisors signals continued demand for senior-level strategic advisory services within the AdTech ecosystem. As the industry faces compounding challenges — including signal loss from cookie deprecation, evolving privacy frameworks like GDPR and CPRA, and the fragmentation of media consumption across CTV, social, and digital channels — companies increasingly seek experienced operators who can provide hands-on guidance rather than generic consulting. Price's background at LinkedIn and Google gives him particular credibility in B2B advertising, audience targeting, and large-scale platform monetization, areas that remain highly competitive and strategically important. His move may also attract talent and clients away from larger consulting firms or other boutique advisories, reinforcing the trend toward specialized, relationship-driven advisory models in AdTech. For LinkedIn and Google, this represents a natural alumni transition with no immediate competitive threat, though Price's advisory work could influence how clients perceive and engage with those platforms.