Charles Manning
Chief Executive Officer at Kochava
Building Kochava into a leading independent mobile attribution and data marketplace platform, and advocating for privacy-compliant measurement in a landscape dominated by walled gardens.
Last updated May 30, 2026 by the ATDb Editorial Team
Charles Manning is the founder and CEO of Kochava, the independent mobile measurement and attribution platform he built from the ground up into one of the most trusted names in AdTech. Since founding the company in 2011, Manning has positioned Kochava as a privacy-first alternative to walled-garden measurement solutions, serving thousands of brands and app developers globally with tools for mobile attribution, audience segmentation, and data marketplace services. His leadership has been defined by a commitment to transparency and independence at a time when the industry has faced mounting scrutiny over data practices. Under Manning's direction, Kochava has expanded well beyond attribution into a full-stack data ecosystem, including the Kochava Collective, one of the largest independent mobile data marketplaces. He has been a vocal advocate for privacy-compliant measurement frameworks and has guided Kochava through major industry shifts including Apple's ATT (App Tracking Transparency) framework and the deprecation of third-party identifiers. His technical and strategic acumen has kept Kochava competitive against larger, better-funded rivals. Manning is widely recognized in the AdTech community as a builder and operator who has navigated the complex intersection of mobile marketing, data privacy regulation, and identity resolution. He regularly speaks at major industry conferences and has been a consistent voice in debates around mobile measurement standards, data ethics, and the future of privacy-preserving advertising technology.
Founder & CEO
Kochava (2011-present)
- Founded Kochava in 2011 and scaled it into one of the top independent mobile measurement platforms globally
- Built the Kochava Collective, one of the largest independent mobile data marketplaces
- Led Kochava through Apple's ATT framework transition, maintaining platform relevance and client trust
- Positioned Kochava as a privacy-first measurement alternative amid increasing regulatory scrutiny of AdTech data practices
- Various bylines and thought leadership pieces on mobile measurement and privacy in AdTech trade publications