IAB’s Audio Leadership Gathering (ALG) is the must-attend event for senior leaders across the digital audio and podcasting space.
This event is invite-only for participants across the marketing, media, agency, and technology industries.
The IAB Audio Leadership Gathering elevates core challenges facing the audio industry, identifies the most important and impactful trends in audio, and will explore the implications of changing technology.
Important: All attendees will be required to show proof of vaccination and comply with IAB’s Event and COVID-19 Policy and Code of Conduct.
Conal Byrne is the Chief Executive Officer of the iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group, which includes the company’s fast-growing and high-profile podcasting business and #1 podcast publisher globally according to Podtrac, as well as the industry-leading iHeartRadio digital service; the company’s digital sites, services, newsletters and programs; and its digital advertising technology companies, including Jelli, RadioJar, Unified, Voxnest and the recently-announced Triton Digital acquisition, upon its completion.
Prior to joining iHeartMedia, Byrne was President and CEO of Stuff Media, Inc., home of the incredibly popular HowStuffWorks (HSW), which pioneered the podcast space with leading shows including “Stuff You Missed in History Class” and “Stuff You Should Know.” Byrne joined iHeartMedia when the company acquired Stuff Media in October 2018. Prior to Stuff Media, Byrne served as Senior Vice President of Digital Media for Discovery Communications, where he ran digital for all of Discovery’s U.S. networks’ sites and social platforms and led the launch of Discovery VR.
David Cohen joined IAB in April 2020 as President and was named Chief Executive Officer in September 2020. Cohen is a widely respected advertising agency leader who, prior to IAB, served as President, North America for MAGNA, Interpublic Group’s (IPG) centralized media intelligence, investment, and innovation arm. In this role, Cohen was responsible for more than $20 billion in media spend. During his tenure, Cohen structured and executed large global transactions on behalf of IPG and its clients, with such major IAB member companies as Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Spotify, Twitter, and Verizon Media.
Prior to MAGNA, Cohen served as Chief Investment Officer of UM, ensuring that digital innovation, data, and technology acumen flowed throughout the agency to drive performance. From 2001 to 2011, Cohen served in critical, transformational roles at UM during the explosive growth of digital advertising, including Chief Media Officer, Chief Digital Officer, and Executive Vice President, U.S. Director of Digital Communications. In the late 1990’s, Cohen was responsible for launching and building IPG’s digital practice.
Cohen has a long history of working with trade organizations including IAB and 4As, where he served as chairman of the Interactive Marketing Committee from 2009-2013. He has also been instrumental in initiating several vital industry-wide programs, including the Future of Television, facilitated by EY. Cohen is a Queens native, with a bachelor’s degree in communications from Adelphi University. He was recognized by Adweek as a “Media All Star” and was part of the “Adweek 50” in 2012.
In 2016, David was elected to the Board of Directors of Partnership with Children a non-profit whose mission is to strengthen the emotional, social, and cognitive skills of vulnerable children in New York City to help them succeed in school, society, and life.
David enjoys spending time with his wife and two teenage daughters. A self-described gadget-geek and sometimes fitness fanatic – he ran the NYC Marathon in 2014 and 2019 and Boston Marathon in 2016.
Ryan Seacrest is a creative entrepreneur and holds preeminent positions as a host and producer in nationally syndicated and local radio, as well as broadcast and cable television.
On radio, Seacrest is host of “On Air with Ryan Seacrest,” his market-topping #1 nationally syndicated LA morning drive-time show for iHeartMedia’s 102.7 KIIS-FM, as well as the nationally-syndicated “On Air with Ryan Seacrest,” “American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest,” and the weekday vignette “Direct from Hollywood.” For his work in radio, he was honored with the 2011 NAB Marconi Award for “Network Syndicated Personality of the Year,” and he was inducted in the prestigious Radio Hall of Fame in 2019.
Seacrest is a host and executive producer of the Disney/ABC syndicated “Live with Kelly and Ryan,” daily entertainment talk show, alongside Kelly Ripa. He is also host of the iconic music competition series “American Idol” on ABC. Additionally, Seacrest hosts and executive produces the annual live ABC broadcast of “Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve with Ryan Seacrest.”
Seacrest helms Ryan Seacrest Productions (RSP) an Emmy-winning entertainment production company. RSP produced the E! hit cable series “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” which celebrated its 20th and final season in 2021, its spin-offs, as well as Hulu’s “The Kardashians” and Bravo’s “Shahs of Sunset.” Additionally, RSP produced “Shades of Blue,” an NBC drama series starring Jennifer Lopez; “Insatiable” for Netflix; and the Emmy Award-winning reality series “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution.”
As an entrepreneur Seacrest has a burgeoning lifestyle enterprise, which includes a menswear collection, Ryan Seacrest Distinction, and a men’s skincare line, Polished by Dr. Lancer, in partnership with renowned dermatologist Dr. Harold Lancer. He has also several investments in media and technology companies including Headspace and ATTN:, among others.
His philanthropic efforts include serving as chairman of the Ryan Seacrest Foundation (RSF), which has opened 11 broadcast media centers – Seacrest Studios – in pediatric hospitals in cities across the country. He also serves on the board of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and as honorary chair of the Grammy Museum Foundation.
Idil Cakim is the Senior Vice President, Head of Research and Insights of Audacy. Audacy is a leading multi-platform audio content and entertainment company with the country’s best collection of local music, news and sports brands, a premium podcast creator, major event producer, and digital innovator. Audacy engages 200 million consumers each month, bringing people together around audio content that matters to them.
In this role, Cakim leads the company’s business to business strategy and audio insights practice, with a focus on building perspectives, ideas, and client strategies.
Cakim has devised marketing and communication strategies for Fortune 500 companies and non-profit organizations for more than 15 years. Prior to joining Audacy (then Entercom) in 2020, she served as Vice President of Media Analytics Consulting for Nielsen, where she led custom media analytics projects for advertisers across various sectors. Cakim played an integral role in transferring big data from metered television, digital and radio panels into meaningful business assets for brands across the U.S., Japan and China. She also supported clients in achieving their objectives by advising on advertising efficiency based on media effectiveness, optimization, and targeting exercises. Other previous roles include Vice President of Client Development for NM Incite – a Nielsen and McKinsey company – and Senior Vice President of Interactive Media for Golin.
Cakim is the author of the book “Implementing Word of Mouth Marketing: Online Strategies to Identify Influencers, Craft Stories and Draw Customers (Wiley),” as well as numerous industry briefs and articles on digital communications. She has also served as a public speaker on marketing and technology trends and has been widely quoted in trade journals and newspapers such as The New York Times, CNet News, CBS Market Watch, The Financial Times and others. In 2010, she was named Digital Communicator of the Year by PRNews. She also serves on the Ad Council’s Research Committee and is a member of the World Future Society.
Cakim earned a Master of Arts degree in communication from the Annenberg School at University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from Bryn Mawr College.
A seasoned executive with 24+ years of digital media, marketing and operations experience, Angelina Eng has focused her career on supporting agencies and brands to define, build and manage digital media and marketing efforts while enabling teams to operationally work efficiently and effectively with both internal and external partners and platforms. She’s been responsible for the development and management of internal systems and workflow, establishment of deliverable standards, designing ad trafficking and tracking guidelines, implementation of emerging platforms, as well as establishing best practices at companies such as Morgan Stanley, Merkle, Dentsu Aegis and Publicis Modem.
Over the years, She has been involved with multiple organizations and events to help define, establish and advocate some of the industry standards that we see in today’s digital media ecosystem (such as ad verification/brand safety, ad fraud, viewability and programmatic, social, etc)
Angelina has been awarded the AdMonsters 2018 Power List, IAB Data Rockstar 2016 and AdMonsters Digital Media Leadership Award 2016.
Eric John leads the IAB Media Center, a dedicated unit within the IAB whose mission is to simplify the video and audio supply chain, providing best practices and education for brands, agencies, and media companies. Eric drives the center’s efforts in the development of market-making research, industry standards, best practices and buyer/seller terms and conditions. Before joining the IAB, Eric served as VP of Digital Services and Strategy at the Alliance for Audited Media and as Global Director of Publisher / Developer marketing at Nokia, managing the company’s world-wide mobile app developer ecosystem. Prior to Nokia, Eric launched and led advertiser brand engagement solutions for Yahoo!, creating advanced, data-driven video, mobile and interactive campaigns for brands such as Pepsi, L’Oréal, GM, Audio and Nikon. Eric began his career at internet advertising pioneer DoubleClick (Google) where he led product development and marketing within the DART for Publishers (DFP) and DART for Advertisers (DFA) business units where he launched the industry’s first post-click measurement tools. Eric is an alumnus of Miami of Ohio (BA) and Indiana University (MA) and is a graduate of Columbia University’s Product Management Program.
Hilary Ross is the vice president of podcast media for Veritone One. She has nearly a decade of experience in advertising and is a podcast aficionado. She leads Veritone One’s team of podcast buyers and frequently provides guidance to partners and podcasters on topics including growth tactics, sponsorship models, podcast timing, show length, ad unit innovation, and monetization. When she is not thinking about podcasts, Hilary enjoys exploring new hiking trails in Los Angeles, where she lives with her husband, pet cat, and goldfish.
Matt Shapo is the Director of Digital Audio and Video in the IAB Media Center where he serves as the IAB’s subject matter expert focused on all things audio and drives the center’s efforts to develop market-making research and best practices in the digital audio space. He works in close collaboration with members of the IAB Audio Committee and Audio Board, the IAB Tech Lab, and industry stakeholders in the publishing, creator, and ad tech communities to optimize frameworks for buyers and sellers of digital audio advertising to engage with consumers. Before joining the IAB, Matt served as VP of Digital Content for the All Access Music Group, a music marketing company and audio industry news publisher where he planned and led advertising, editorial, and other growth initiatives for AllAccess.com, a B2B website that delivers breaking news, data, and commentary to an audience of audio content creators, sales leaders, and programming executives. Matt holds a B.A. in Political Science and International Relations from Tufts University and an M.F.A. in Radio, TV, and Film Production from Florida State University.
Troberman leverages the company’s extensive range of content, experiences and technologies to bring brands together in new ways with consumers across all of the company’s businesses, iHeartMedia’s 859 radio stations and iHeartRadio. Troberman is a marketing innovator and visionary. Prior to iHeartMedia, she served as Chief Marketing and Ideas Officer for IPG Mediabrands; before that, she spent 16 years at Microsoft, first launching Internet startups and building the first branded entertainment team online, and then as their Chief Creative Officer, overseeing their portfolio of brands and global advertising campaigns across consumer and business-to-business products, including Windows, Office, Bing, and XBOX.