Megan Clarken

Megan Clarken is best known for engineering one of AdTech's most consequential corporate pivots—transforming Criteo from a performance retargeting company into a full-stack commerce media platform at a moment when the industry's foundational identity infrastructure was collapsing. Since taking the helm as CEO in late 2019, she has repositioned Criteo around retail media, first-party data partnerships, and contextual advertising, making the company a central player in the commerce media category alongside the rise of retail media networks. Her leadership has been defined by a pragmatic, privacy-first philosophy that has resonated with brands, retailers, and publishers navigating a post-cookie world. Before Criteo, Clarken spent more than a decade at Nielsen, ultimately serving as Chief Commercial Officer where she oversaw global commercial strategy during a turbulent period of audience measurement disruption. Her deep background in media measurement, data analytics, and attribution gave her a distinctive vantage point on the structural forces reshaping advertising—experience she has applied directly to Criteo's product and go-to-market evolution. Her tenure at Nielsen also built her reputation as a commercially rigorous operator capable of managing complex, multi-stakeholder businesses at global scale. Clarken is widely regarded as one of the most influential executives in AdTech, frequently cited for her ability to communicate a clear strategic vision during industry uncertainty. She has been a vocal advocate for sustainable, privacy-compliant advertising standards and has represented Criteo in industry coalitions and policy conversations around identity, measurement, and the future of the open web. Under her leadership, Criteo has expanded its Commerce Media Platform, deepened retailer data partnerships, and grown its addressable market significantly beyond its legacy retargeting roots.

• Bachelor's Degree, University of Auckland

• Led Criteo's strategic transformation from a retargeting specialist to a commerce media platform, significantly expanding its total addressable market
• Navigated Criteo through the deprecation of third-party cookies and major privacy regulation changes without a collapse in core business performance
• Grew Criteo's Commerce Media Platform to connect thousands of brands, retailers, and publishers through first-party data infrastructure
• Oversaw Criteo's acquisition and integration of assets to build out its retail media supply-side capabilities
• Served as Chief Commercial Officer at Nielsen during a period of significant audience measurement disruption and digital transformation