Skip to content
KC

Katie Comerford

Operator

Katie Comerford is a senior investment executive at Horizon Media, one of the largest independent media agencies in the United States, where she leads media investment strategy and execution across digital and programmatic channels. Her work spans negotiating and managing media buys at scale, with a focus on delivering performance-driven outcomes for Horizon's diverse client roster. She is recognized within the agency community for her deep expertise in media planning, buying, and the evolving programmatic landscape. Comerford has built her career within the media agency world, developing expertise across traditional and digital investment disciplines. Her tenure at Horizon Media has seen her take on increasing responsibility as the media buying ecosystem has shifted toward data-driven, automated purchasing models. She has been involved in navigating the industry's transition through key inflection points including the growth of programmatic guaranteed, audience-based buying, and the ongoing identity resolution challenges posed by cookie deprecation. As a senior leader at a major independent agency, Comerford represents the operator class of AdTech professionals who translate emerging technologies and marketplace shifts into actionable investment strategies for brand advertisers. Her work at Horizon positions her at the intersection of media strategy, vendor relationships, and the technical infrastructure that underpins modern media buying.

Last updated Jul 30, 2026 by ATDb automated enrichment · Connections updated Aug 3, 2026

Role
Senior Vice President, Investment
Company
Horizon Media
Based
New York, New York, United States
Connections
1
Years in industry
15 years

Bio

Katie Comerford is a senior investment executive at Horizon Media, one of the largest independent media agencies in the United States, where she leads media investment strategy and execution across digital and programmatic channels. Her work spans negotiating and managing media buys at scale, with a focus on delivering performance-driven outcomes for Horizon's diverse client roster. She is recognized within the agency community for her deep expertise in media planning, buying, and the evolving programmatic landscape. Comerford has built her career within the media agency world, developing expertise across traditional and digital investment disciplines. Her tenure at Horizon Media has seen her take on increasing responsibility as the media buying ecosystem has shifted toward data-driven, automated purchasing models. She has been involved in navigating the industry's transition through key inflection points including the growth of programmatic guaranteed, audience-based buying, and the ongoing identity resolution challenges posed by cookie deprecation. As a senior leader at a major independent agency, Comerford represents the operator class of AdTech professionals who translate emerging technologies and marketplace shifts into actionable investment strategies for brand advertisers. Her work at Horizon positions her at the intersection of media strategy, vendor relationships, and the technical infrastructure that underpins modern media buying.

Career

  • Vice President, Investment

    Horizon Media · prior role

Expertise & education

Expertise

Programmatic AdvertisingMedia InvestmentDigital Media BuyingAudience-Based BuyingProgrammatic GuaranteedMedia PlanningVendor NegotiationsIdentity Resolution

Speaking topics

Media Investment StrategyProgrammatic BuyingDigital Media Trends

Recognition

Notable achievements

  • Rose to SVP-level investment leadership at one of the largest independent media agencies in the U.S.
  • Guided media investment strategy through major industry transitions including programmatic growth and cookie deprecation
Connection details