Townsend Feehan
CEO at IAB Europe
Feehan is known for leading IAB Europe's Transparency & Consent Framework (TCF) and steering the organization through intense GDPR regulatory scrutiny, making her a defining figure in European AdTech privacy governance.
Last updated Apr 19, 2026 by ATDb automated enrichment
Townsend Feehan is the CEO of IAB Europe, the leading trade association for the digital advertising and marketing ecosystem in Europe. She is best known for her central role in developing and defending the Transparency & Consent Framework (TCF), the industry's primary mechanism for managing user consent under GDPR. Her work sits at the intersection of privacy law, adtech infrastructure, and industry self-regulation, making her one of the most consequential figures in European digital advertising policy. Feehan has led IAB Europe through some of its most challenging periods, including sustained regulatory scrutiny from data protection authorities — most notably the Belgian Data Protection Authority's 2022 ruling that found the TCF non-compliant with GDPR, and the subsequent multi-year process of engaging with regulators to remediate and evolve the framework. Her ability to navigate complex multi-stakeholder environments — balancing the interests of publishers, advertisers, technology vendors, and regulators — has defined her tenure. Before becoming CEO, Feehan held senior roles within IAB Europe focused on policy and legal affairs, giving her deep institutional knowledge of the organization and the European regulatory landscape. She is a frequent voice at industry conferences and in policy discussions, representing the digital advertising industry's perspective on privacy, data governance, and the future of the open web.
Senior Policy & Legal Affairs
IAB Europe (Prior to CEO appointment)
- Led IAB Europe's response to the Belgian Data Protection Authority's 2022 ruling on TCF non-compliance with GDPR, managing a complex remediation process
- Oversaw the development and widespread industry adoption of the Transparency & Consent Framework (TCF) as a pan-European consent management standard
- Guided IAB Europe through the implementation of GDPR and its implications for the digital advertising ecosystem
- Represented the European digital advertising industry in high-stakes regulatory and policy forums across the EU
- IAB Europe position papers and regulatory submissions on GDPR, TCF, and digital advertising policy