Scott Cunningham

Scott Cunningham is best known as one of the key architects of digital advertising standards during his tenure at the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), where he served as Senior Vice President of Technology and Ad Operations. In that role, he helped define the technical frameworks that underpin modern programmatic advertising, including ad format specifications, viewability standards, and measurement protocols adopted industry-wide. His work gave publishers, platforms, and buyers a common technical language at a time when the ecosystem was rapidly scaling and fragmenting. Cunningham's career has been defined by his ability to translate complex technical challenges into actionable industry policy. He was a central figure in the IAB's efforts to address ad blocking, leading initiatives that sought to balance user experience with publisher monetization. He also contributed to foundational work around brand safety and privacy compliance, areas that have only grown in strategic importance as regulatory scrutiny of digital advertising has intensified. Following his IAB tenure, Scott founded Cunningham Tech, an independent consulting practice where he advises publishers, ad tech vendors, and platforms on technology strategy, standards adoption, and navigating the evolving regulatory and ecosystem landscape. He remains an active voice in industry conversations around the future of programmatic infrastructure.

• Led development and promotion of foundational IAB technical advertising standards adopted across the digital advertising industry
• Spearheaded IAB initiatives addressing ad blocking, helping broker dialogue between publishers, advertisers, and browser vendors
• Contributed to viewability and measurement standards that became baseline requirements for programmatic transactions