Jeff Green

Co-Founder and CEO at The Trade Desk

Building The Trade Desk into the leading independent DSP and creating Unified ID 2.0, the industry's most widely adopted open-source alternative to third-party cookies.

OperatorVentura, California, United States18+ years in industry

Last updated May 30, 2026 by the ATDb Editorial Team

Bio

Jeff Green is the Co-Founder and CEO of The Trade Desk, the world's largest independent demand-side platform (DSP), and one of the most consequential figures in modern advertising technology. Since founding the company in 2009, Green has transformed it into a publicly traded powerhouse (NASDAQ: TTD) with over $1.5 billion in annual revenue, serving the world's leading agencies and brands with programmatic advertising technology spanning display, video, audio, connected TV, and mobile. His relentless advocacy for the open internet, transparency, and advertiser empowerment has made him a defining voice in the industry's ongoing battles over identity, data ownership, and the dominance of walled gardens. Green's most significant industry contribution beyond The Trade Desk itself is the creation of Unified ID 2.0 (UID2), an open-source identity framework designed to replace third-party cookies while maintaining user privacy and publisher monetization. UID2 has been adopted broadly across the ecosystem and is now governed by Prebid.org, reflecting Green's philosophy that the open internet requires collaborative, non-proprietary infrastructure. He has been a consistent and vocal critic of closed ecosystems — particularly Google and Meta — arguing that their opacity undermines fair competition and advertiser value. Prior to founding The Trade Desk, Green served as President and COO of AdECN, an early advertising exchange that was acquired by Microsoft in 2007, giving him foundational experience in the mechanics of programmatic buying and selling. His combination of technical depth, business acumen, and industry evangelism has earned him recognition as one of AdTech's most influential operators and thought leaders. Green is a frequent keynote speaker at major industry events and has shaped regulatory and industry conversations around privacy, identity resolution, and the future of connected TV advertising.

Previous Roles

President and COO

AdECN (2004-2007)

Various roles post-acquisition

Microsoft (via AdECN acquisition) (2007-2009)

Expertise

Programmatic AdvertisingDemand-Side Platforms (DSP)Unified ID 2.0 (UID2)Identity ResolutionConnected TV (CTV) AdvertisingData-Driven MarketingOpen Internet AdvocacyAd Tech Infrastructure

Education

Bachelor's Degree, Brigham Young University

Notable Achievements

Co-founded The Trade Desk in 2009 and led its IPO on NASDAQ in 2016, one of the most successful AdTech public offerings in history
Created Unified ID 2.0 (UID2), an open-source identity solution now adopted across hundreds of publishers, platforms, and data providers
Grew The Trade Desk to over $1.5 billion in annual revenue as an independent, non-walled-garden platform
Led the sale of AdECN to Microsoft in 2007, one of the early significant AdTech acquisitions

Awards

Adweek Executive of the YearAd Age Leading Women and Men honoreeFrequently named to AdExchanger's list of most influential people in digital advertising

Speaking Topics

The future of the open internetProgrammatic advertising and DSP innovationIdentity resolution and the post-cookie eraConnected TV and streaming advertisingWalled gardens vs. open ecosystemsData privacy and consumer trust

Publications

Various op-eds and thought leadership pieces in AdExchanger, Adweek, and Ad Age on identity, privacy, and the open internet

Board Memberships

The Trade Desk (Board of Directors)

Advisory Roles

Prebid.org (UID2 governance)

Connections