Chloe Sanderson

Chloe is a commercially driven and tech-savvy leader with over a decade of experience in media, digital, and data-focused roles across leading publishers and advertising technology companies in Australia and the UK. She brings a strategic approach to commerce media, with deep expertise in building partnerships, navigating complex product roadmaps, and driving growth through privacy-first, data-led solutions.

Most recently at The Trade Desk, she led data partnerships across the retail sector in ANZ, working closely with retailers and data providers to enable addressable, performant media solutions. Now at Afterpay, she leads Programmatic Partnerships across Australia and New Zealand, focused on scaling the Afterpay Media Network.

Andrew Gilbert

Andrew is a leading marketing and advertising technology expert with a history of building high performing commercial and technical teams that drive strong commercial growth regionally.

He has spent the last 15 years working within key sectors of the marketing industry across APAC from media agencies, to brands, publishers and technology companies. His expertise is in connecting all of these experiences, to build innovative, trusted and transparent partnerships that drive marketing success.

Most recently he has led the growth of Yahoo DSP across the Australia, New Zealand and South-East Asia market. Andrew joined Afterpay in May, 2025.

He is also a member of the IAB Executive Technology Council and previously the IAB DOOH Council, where he participates in industry development and best practices.

Brendan Graham

Brendan Graham’s career has spanned digital and creative agencies in Sydney and Singapore; fintech start-ups; sports marketing in the AFL; and now retail, where Brendan is responsible for all creative, social, media, sponsorships and brand partnerships in the role of Senior Director Marketing for Foot Locker Asia Pacific. Brendan holds a Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Creative Industries from QUT. He is a Top 3 AWARD School graduate, and the co-founder of the global creativity competition Young Glory.

Willie Pang

With more than 20 years of experience working across the United States, the United Kingdom, ANZ, China, and the broader Asia Pacific region, Willie’s background and areas of expertise include IT and technology infrastructure, cloud computing, automation, big data and analytics, and more, which contribute to his track record of driving growth, invention, and customer success in the digital space.

Prior to joining Amazon in 2023 Willie held executive positions within Australia’s marketing industry, leading Yahoo!’s advertising business and serving as CEO of global advertising and media agency, MediaCom. His career spans a range of experience across the global marketing, data, and advertising technology landscape in businesses of all sizes and growth stages, from startups, to agencies.

Anneliese Douglass

After 16 years in the agency sector, Anneliese Douglass transitioned to Unilever, where she led the Media and Digital Hub before being appointed Chief Digital Director. In this role, she played a pivotal part in advancing Unilever’s digital communications transformation. In 2021, Anneliese joined Nestlé Oceania as Director of Marketing & Communications, where she leads a high-performing team of marketers and functional specialists across Insights, Marketing IT, Content, Media, Influencer, Consumer PR, and CES. She is passionate about solving business challenges through strategy, creativity, and technology, and is committed to positioning marketing as a key driver of growth.

Janice Hoogeveen

Janice Hoogeveen is an experienced marketing and innovation leader with a 30+ year career spanning FMCG, health and wellness, and retail pharmacy. She has built, launched and revitalised over 30 brands in 16 countries—including Australia, North America, Asia, and Europe. As Head of Marketing at TerryWhite Chemmart, she leads the brand and customer experience strategy, in support of a 620-store pharmacy network. Janice heads up TWC Connect; the Health Powered Retail Media offering for TWC which launched in July 2024. Her career includes senior leadership roles at Nestle, Sanofi, Nudie, McCain Foods, Yoplait, and Metagenics.

Adam Freedman

Adam has a breadth of expertise in omnichannel marketing disciplines, transcending owned, earned, shared and paid channels, to elevate the way brands show up and maximise their real estate to drive commercial impact.

At The digiDirect Group, his remit includes oversight of online bookstore, Booktopia, consumer electronics retailer, digiDirect and technology retailer, Mwave. 

With strong commercial acumen and expertise at identifying and scaling strategic business opportunities, Adam spearheads a number of innovative commercial initiatives, including its emerging retail media operation, creating a unique proposition both locally and internationally.

Robbie Hills

With over 30 years in media sales across Australia and globally, Robbie has spent the last 26 years immersed in digital media, with senior leadership experience across agency, publisher, retailer and big tech sectors. He is an expert across all digital platforms, has extensive experience developing channel strategies and possesses valuable experience working with retailers and brands to solve their customer challenges.

A year ago, Robbie established his advisory and consulting business, where he focuses on digital transformation, adtech and martech strategy, and retail media sales team go-to-market solutions. He has recently worked with clients such as The Iconic, Metcash, Australian United Retailers, UBS, and TerryWhite Chemmart.

Before launching his consultancy, Robbie was the Director of Sales and Partnerships at Cartology (Woolworths Retail Media). He returned to Australia after a 12-year tenure at Google, where he led global sales teams in adtech, martech, and data solutions for Fortune 1000 companies throughout APAC, Europe, and the US.

Jon Harding

Current Co-Founder & Head of Ad Ops at Retail Media Works, Australia's largest independent Retail Media specialist. Jon has played a leading role in building & scaling retail media networks for Australia’s biggest retailers – most recently including Coles360 & Bunnings Hammer Media.

​Lachlan Brahe

Lachlan Brahe is the Commercial Director at Epsilon and serves as the Chair of the IAB Australia Retail Media Council, where he leads industry efforts to define standards, drive education, and foster collaboration across the retail media sector. With 20+ years in digital advertising, he previously launched and scaled retail media platforms at Cashrewards, Endeavour Drinks Group (‘MixIn’), launched a retail media planning and buying team at Reprise/IPG Mediabrands, and worked with retailers across APAC to retail media tech platform deployment with Criteo. As Council Chair, he guides key initiatives including the annual Retail Media State of the Nation report, industry measurement frameworks, glossaries, and e‑learning resources.

Ben Allman

Ben Allman is a Sydney-based ad-tech and media sales professional, with close to 15 years' experience spanning out-of-home (OOH), online and television in both Australia and the United Kingdom. As Regional VP of Sales for leading OOH software provider Broadsign, Ben is responsible for ensuring that brands, agencies and media owners within the region are able to buy, sell and manage OOH campaigns more easily and efficiently than ever before. Ben has a long held passion for Retail Media and the OOH medium and believes that while the industry has made impressive progress in recent times, there remains a great deal of unfulfilled potential.

Barry McGhee

Barry McGhee is a seasoned retail media executive, with almost 10 year’s experience in the category. From 2014 to 2018, Barry served as the Managing Director for Australia of WPPs TRM, the world's leading retail monetisation agency. TRM collaborated with tier-1 retailers and marketplaces, including Walmart, eBay, Media Markt, and ASDA, helping them unlock the potential of their digital and physical assets and strengthen relationships with partners and customers through world-class advertising and content solutions.

Barry also recently headed up commercial operations at Zitcha, leading customer acquisition and building out their partner ecosystem model, which included penning agreements with the likes of PWC and assisting existing customers in optimising their engagement with the Zitcha platform, including the likes of The Warehouse Group in New Zealand and Coles Liquor Group.

In between TRM and Zitcha, Barry played a pivotal role in leading the operations of Dynamic Yield, a personalization marketing stack powering some of the world's largest eCommerce and B2C brands. As an early advocate, he educated the market on the value of true AI-powered personalization at every touchpoint. Barry established the foundation for Dynamic Yield in the region by creating an ecosystem of tech and agency partners and securing agreements with some of the most innovative retailers in the area.

Brooke Rau

Brooke leads Agency Partnerships at Market Media, the retail media division of The Warehouse Group. With extensive experience across advertising, media and technology, she has a strong track record in building and driving growth. Brooke is focused on expanding Market Media’s presence with agency partners and non-endemic brands, helping shape the future of the retail media landscape for non-endemics.

Jodie Koning

Retail Media thought leader and founder of the Retail Media Academy. With five years of experience building and scaling Cartology, Australia's leading retail media network. My journey has provided an unparalleled understanding of the sector's intricacies and immense potential for brands, retailers, agencies, publishers and suppliers.

My Expertise
My time at Cartology gave me hands-on experience across the full spectrum of retail media:

● Founding leadership team member for both the Australian and New Zealand businesses.
● Led the business & brand strategy and end to end marketing execution including brand narrative development, go-to-market plans, thought leadership content, sales enablement, events and digital.
● Drove commercial growth and client integration opportunities. Forging strong partnerships with brands to deliver integrated opportunities and campaign success.
● Oversaw the research & insights function, embedding client listening and customer insights at the business core.
● Led the Product Marketing function, responsible for launching products and solutions that drove continued innovation and growth.

The Retail Media Opportunity
We are experiencing a seismic shift in the marketing landscape and significant growth in retail media. This offers extraordinary opportunities for a diverse range of organisations. For Marketers, understanding the true opportunity and getting the basics right is imperative. As I recently wrote in a Mumbrella piece: “Retail media isn’t a silver bullet; it’s a powerful accelerant. But like any high-octane fuel, it demands a finely tuned engine and a skilled driver.”

I am passionate about empowering brands and businesses to navigate this exciting landscape and unlock the full potential of retail media. It is about getting curious, understanding the landscape and knowing beyond anything else - the customer sits at the centre.

Raphael Hodes

​Marc Wilson

Marc is a Client Partner at Meta leading client partnerships with the largest retail and marketplace businesses in ANZ. His experience spans two decades working at Meta and media agencies. Marc helps shape global product development at Meta to meet the unique needs of Retailers & Marketplaces, Retail Media Networks, CPG brands and agencies in the growing area of retail media.

Renae Usher

Renae is Director of Revenue at reo, with over 13 years of experience across retail media, digital, and publishing. She has led high-performing teams and delivered strong results for global FMCG brands like Coca-Cola, Mondelez, and Nestlé through impactful, data-led campaigns. Previously, Renae held senior roles at Cartology, Nine, and Fairfax Media, managing key agency partnerships across GroupM, Dentsu, and Publicis.

Leah Jackson

Leah Jackson is a highly accomplished and innovative leader in Australia's commerce media landscape, including being recognized as the 2025 B&T Women Leading Technology (Commerce) winner. With a robust background spanning trade, digital, brand marketing, and media, including significant brand-side experience and her current position as Head of Commerce Strategy at WPP Media, Leah is renowned for pioneering data-driven strategies and frameworks that redefine how brands connect with consumers. She has spearheaded the evolution and implementation of sophisticated cross-functional planning models, driving significant commercial uplift for major clients like Unilever, Coca-Cola, and L'Oréal. Leah actively shapes the burgeoning Australian Retail Media Network landscape through her influential consultations with retailers, and her contributions to the IAB Retail Media Council. Her expertise in integrating disparate data sets, fostering cross-functional synergy, and delivering measurable ROI has earned her recognition as an industry pioneer who consistently challenges the status quo and sets new benchmarks for strategic rigor and effectiveness in commerce media.

Anna Mcloughlin

Anna Mcloughlin is Head of Digital & eCommerce at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners.

Anna and her team are responsible for driving digital commerce growth and omnichannel executional excellence, working with our brand partners to deliver a world-class experience for our consumers.

With a background in Digital Commerce, Anna’s career spans across UK & Australia including CPG, healthcare & Liquor. Anna is passionate about driving brands forward, connecting with customers in key moments & working with partners to formulate digital commerce strategies for incremental growth.

Andy Ford

Highly motivated and visionary analytics leader with a proven track of over 20 years of experience in marketing analytics across diverse industries. Andy joined Coles 360 as Head of Data Intelligence and Measurement following nearly a decade at Meta where he was Director of Marketing Science (ANZ). At Meta, Andy led APAC and global initiatives to achieve better results for clients through pushing for better measurement standards. At Coles 360, he’s launched Coles 360 Impact, a whole new suite of retail media measurement tools and recently introduced automation to achieve scale and consistency in campaign reporting.

Andy is an industry expert in cross-channel ads measurement and he’s also not afraid to push industry boundaries to help drive growth for clients through applying measurement. 

Alistair Leathwood

Alistair Leathwood is a highly experienced professional and holds the position of Head of Analytics, Insights and Media for the APAC region at Circana. With more than 20 years of experience in analytics, consulting and technology, Alistair brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise. His passion for innovation and insight in the FMCG industry has made him a prominent figure and a strong advocate.

Marieke Van Bruggen

Marieke is a passionate, data-driven leader with over 20 years of experience in retail and e-commerce. She excels at leveraging analytics to optimise retail content and customer experiences, consistently driving sales and engagement. Her expertise includes developing and implementing data-driven strategies that improve product discovery, conversion rates, and customer satisfaction. She's successfully analysed customer behaviour and market trends to inform content creation and personalisation, delivering measurable results in increased online sales, website traffic, and customer loyalty. A strong advocate for staying ahead in the evolving retail landscape, Marieke continuously seeks new ways to leverage data for deeper customer insights and superior shopping experiences.

Alberto Vergara

Alberto Vergara is the Head of Data and AI at Zitcha, where he is leading the charge to reimagine retail media through intelligent data infrastructure and transformative AI innovation. With more than 25 years of software engineering experience, a Master of Science in Advanced Computing from the University of Technology Sydney, and a career spanning roles at Quantium, VOLY, and Prezzee, Alberto brings deep technical expertise and strategic vision to one of the fastest-evolving spaces in retail technology.

At Zitcha, Alberto is focused on building scalable data architectures, enhancing real-time analytics, and enabling predictive intelligence across the retail media lifecycle. He is developing advanced frameworks that unify retailer first-party data with media performance, conversational visualisation tools for actionable insights, and AI systems that personalise experiences and automate optimisation.

A respected thought leader, Alberto is a strong advocate for emerging AI protocols like the Model Context Protocol (MCP) and Agent-to-Agent (A2A) communication technologies he believes will shape the next era of retail. His mission is clear: to move beyond impression-based media and build goal-driven, data-centric platforms that empower retailers and brands alike.

Alberto’s work is redefining what’s possible at the intersection of AI, data, and retail, transforming not just how ads are delivered, but how people discover and interact with products in an increasingly intelligent world driven by agentic commerce.

Roger Dunn

Roger is the Global Lead for retail media at Diageo, the worldwide leader in premium drinks with over 200 brands across 180 countries, including Guinness, Baileys, Johnnie Walker, Don Julio, Captain Morgan, Tanqueray, Gordon's, Smirnoff, Bundaberg and many more... He leads the worldwide retail media program, working with local teams and regional hubs to drive best practice across the globe.

He has held previous leadership roles in retail media, including APAC SVP at CitrusAd and Head of Retail Media ANZ at Criteo, launching the business into Australia and New Zealand. Prior to this he was the founder and general manager of GroupM Commerce, the holding company’s specialist e-commerce consultancy and WPP’s retail media practice.

A LinkedIn ‘Top Voice’, RETHINK Retail ‘Top Retail Expert 2024 & 2025’ and winner of ‘Retail Media Leader of the Year’ at both the Unmade/RE:made Awards and Path to Purchase Institute (P2PI) Retail Media Awards, he brings over 20 years’ experience in building businesses and driving commercial outcomes across all aspects of the retail media ecosystem - including advertiser, agency, adtech, publisher and consultancy roles.

Roger was the first person in Australia to be Amazon Advertising certified and has played an active role on the MFA Interactive Board, the IAB Retail Media Council, WFA Retail Media Committee and a founding member of the advisory panel for the upcoming ‘Retail Media Pioneers’ event and ‘RE:made’, Australia’s only retail media conference. He helped create the MFA Digital Foundations Certification program and was a judge for the ‘Creative eCommerce’ category at the 2021 & 2022 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, also joining the jury for this years’ MFA and B&T Awards locally.

Sarah Minassian

Sarah Minassian is a strategic and results-driven senior leader with deep expertise across FMCG, cosmetics, fashion, and convenience and supermarket retail Including Metcash, Myer, 7-Eleven, Pacific Brands. Sarah also worked supplier side with P&G on CoverGirl cosmetics and on a number of local cosmetic and skincare brands.

Sarah has been leading the data-driven retail media strategy at Metcash that will unlock new growth opportunities for independent retailers and suppliers. Under her leadership, the function has scaled rapidly transforming the way brands connect with shoppers across the Metcash network.

A recognised voice in the sector, Sarah is an active member of the IAB’s Retail Media Council and a speaker and panellist at retail and media events. She is passionate about shaping the future of retail media in Australia, advocates strongly for diversity and inclusion, particularly supporting women in retail media,  and driving meaningful, customer-led innovation.

Hope Williams

Hope Williams is the Managing Director of Podean Australia & New Zealand, the largest independent global marketplace-focused agency. She has built her career at the intersection of commerce, media and technology. With deep experience in fast-moving growth areas — from social to programmatic to commerce to building and exiting a D2C brand — Hope brings an energy for change and a passion for how customer behaviour and technology continue to reshape the industry. Known for her connected-thinking style, she joins the dots across disciplines to create future-facing solutions that bring both clarity and commercial impact.

Paul Brooks

Paul is a seasoned media and marketing executive with over 20 years of experience driving growth across retail, agencies, and publishers. He specialises in building and scaling retail media capabilities, taking them from strategy to execution by leveraging data, technology, and commercial innovation to unlock new revenue streams and deliver measurable business growth. Paul’s extensive background spans all aspects of the advertising ecosystem, including advertising sales, CRM, technology, commercial strategy and operations. He is particularly skilled at leading market-first initiatives and cutting-edge media strategies to drive rapid business transformation. Most recently, Paul played a key role in establishing and launching Coles 360, Coles’ retail media business, further solidifying his expertise in building profitable, sustainable business models and developing high-performance teams.

Georgina Woodcock

Bio coming soon...

David Bielenberg

David Bielenberg is the National Head of Strategy at PHD Australia, where he helps some of Australia’s leading brands clients navigate complexity through data-driven insights and strategic thinking. Over 15 years in media agencies across Australia and the UK, David has expertise in leading strategy and planning across varied sectors, including government, retail, FMCG, and financial services. Some of his most high-profile campaign work includes four John Lewis Christmas campaigns (UK), and the 2024 relaunch of ANZ Falcon.

Since 2018, David has been a global leader in the rollout and application of Omni, Omnicom’s data and tech platform, enabling clients to benefit from sophisticated marketing science capabilities.

David is known for his industry thought leadership and regularly provides clients with in-depth analyses on current and future issues. He has authored several reports addressing topics such as cost of living, AI in marketing, connected commerce, and holistic measurement. David contributes to the industry as a member of the MFA Awards and Expo Committee. 

Matt McGinley

Matt McGinley is a retail media and digital advertising leader with over a decade of experience spanning programmatic strategy, commercial growth, and strategic partnerships across APAC.

As Head of CPG and Retail Advertising at Uber Advertising, Matt leads a team driving client partnerships for some of Australia and New Zealand’s largest consumer brands. He works closely with advertisers and agencies to help them tap into Uber’s unique retail media ecosystem, connecting with high-intent audiences through brand and performance-led solutions across Uber Eats and Rides.

Before joining Uber, Matt held senior roles at InMobi, including Head of Publisher and Telco Development, where he forged strategic partnerships and helped shape the mobile ad landscape across the region. He was also a member of the IAB’s Gaming Council and a frequent contributor to industry thought leadership and events.

Rory McDonald

Rory is the GM of Market Media, the Retail Media Network for NZ’s largest integrated retailer, The Warehouse Group. With deep, multi-market experience across media, tech and retail, Rory is responsible for leading the growth of one of retail media’s most innovative players as the space continues to reshape advertising as a whole.

Isabella Spragg

Isabella Spragg is Director of Data Partnerships for Australia and New Zealand at The Trade Desk, where she leads the development of independent, data-driven retail media solutions across the region. Beginning her career as a commercial lawyer, Isabella brings a unique blend of legal insight, commercial strategy, and digital innovation to her work. She has been instrumental in launching industry-first collaborations with major retailers across Australia and more recently, New Zealand and is known for her ability to navigate complex partnerships with clarity and impact. With almost two decades of experience across law, marketing, and media, she thrives at the intersection of technology, data, and consumer engagement.

Mo Heidari Far

Mo Heidari Far is the Managing Director of Flywheel Australia, Omnicom’s Commerce practice,  where he focuses on Digital Commerce Growth strategies that drive incremental sales and market share. In this role, he has successfully built local partnerships with UberAds, Criteo and other RMNs, enhancing the value provided to clients. Prior to this position, Mo founded OMG's eCommerce framework in Australia in 2017. He also led initiatives such as OMEGA, the exclusive Amazon Ads training program, educating both OMG staff and clients on Retail Media. With 19 years of experience in digital marketing and a Master's degree in IT for eCommerce Mo is committed to driving innovation and success in the eCommerce space.

Karen Franco

With over 20 years of experience in sales and retail marketing, Karen has a proven track record of driving growth and cultivating strong client relationships. In her role at Logitech, Karen plays a key role in aligning sales strategies with company objectives, promoting a culture of innovation and collaboration.

Karen's expertise in key account management and retail marketing supports measurable results and contributes to the expansion of Logitech’s business within Amazon with huge growth year on year and expansion of Logitech's key categories. Skilled in sales analysis and promotional planning, Karen optimizes trade spend and executes programs and Amazon ad strategies that consistently enhance sales performance in a competitive tech environment.

Outside of work, Karen successfully balances a dynamic career with raising three children (including her Toy Poodle) —proving that leadership, strategy, and multitasking are just as effective at home as they are in the boardroom.

Hayley Robinson

Hayley is an experienced voice in the retail media landscape, with over 11 years of hands-on expertise building and scaling teams and partnerships. Having honed her FMCG and data skills at Quantum she went on to successfully lead retail media teams across Australia's leading retailers. Hayley has a unique, 360-degree perspective on what it truly takes to drive tangible, revenue-generating outcomes.

A passionate believer in the power of data-driven collaboration, Hayley is known for her passionate stance on breaking down silos between brands, agencies, and retailers and bringing to life some unique brand led activations.  

When she's not busy helping teams unlock the next growth frontier, you can find her debunking industry myths and sharing her candid insights on how to build a retail media culture that doesn't just talk the talk, but walks the walk.

Bel Lloyd

As a Martech Leader at Amperity, Bel is passionate about the intersection of people, AI, data, digital, and marketing. In a deliberate pursuit of improving human journeys and how we navigate technology to illuminate our future. 

As part of the Amperity team Bel has partnered with some of Australia's largest enterprise customers, including JB Hi-Fi, Accent Group and Endeavour Group to deliver impactful growth and customer delight in this pursuit.

Bel is also a dedicated advocate for empowering women in tech. This commitment is shown through her continued work as a mentor and as a captain with the Women@ Amperity advocacy group.

Meredith Lewis-Jones

Meredith is a results-driven senior marketing leader with over 12 years of experience driving brand growth and digital transformation. In her current role at Accolade Wines—the world’s fifth-largest wine company—she leads strategic marketing initiatives across a portfolio of premium global brands. Meredith specializes in brand development, integrated campaigns, omnichannel strategy, and P&L leadership, bringing a proven track record of delivering impact in high-growth, complex environments.

Jess Truesdale

A strategic media leader with extensive experience across retail and commerce media, omnichannel strategy, and ad tech solutions with a proven track record in sales and media strategy.

Jess' expertise lies in aligning operational considerations with strategic objectives to maximize efficiency and performance across channels. Jess is passionate about driving innovation in retail media, increasing accessibility and education in retail media advertising effectiveness and bridging the gap between retailers, brands and agencies to deliver impactful, customer-centric solutions.

As a thought leader in the field, Jess brings a wealth of practical insights and strategic vision to every discussion, helping businesses unlock new opportunities in an increasingly complex marketplace, transforming retail and commerce media through strategy, technology, and client success.

Jonathan Hopkins

Jonathan is the Co-Founder of Sonder, an independent owned media valuation and software business, which in the past 10 years has unlocked over $12Bn in owned media value across 14 industry sectors, in 18 different countries.

Sonder has worked with the leading organisations in the country and has unique insight into how owned media value is created and leveraged. Owned media experience includes grocers Woolworths Group, Coles Group & Endeavour Group, telcos Telstra & Optus, financial services CBA, ANZ, Amex & Mastercard, airlines British Airways, & Virgin and retailers Harrods, David Jones, Officeworks, BIGW, Rebel, Myer, Sephora and 7-Eleven. 

Jonathan is an experienced media and marketing executive with over 25 years’ experience at media agencies, media owners and marketing roles. Jonathan was previously CMO for music platform VEVO in Australia & NZ and Managing Director of strategic media agency, Razor.

Over several continents Jonathan has led businesses and brands on a mission to disrupt, innovate and challenge category norms. His contribution has been acknowledged by the industry, being previously recognised as one of Australian marketing’s 40 under 40.

For more information on Sonder services please visit: sondermedia.com

Patrick Crowley

As General Manager of Marketing at Commonwealth Bank, Pat leads the Paid and Owned Media function with a focus on delivering strategic impact across the organisation’s media investments. His career spans more than 25 years across media agencies, media owners, and client-side marketing, giving him a rare depth of insight into the evolving media and advertising landscape.

Driven by a genuine passion for media, Pat has built a reputation for his comprehensive understanding of the market and his ability to connect audience performance with commercial outcomes. His approach blends strategic communications planning with financial rigour, ensuring that media decisions support both brand growth and business performance.

Before joining CBA, he served as CEO of EssenceMediacom Australia, guiding the agency through a period of transformation and growth. His leadership journey also includes senior roles at AKQA Media and a 16-year tenure at Ikon Communications, where he spent seven years as Managing Partner of the Sydney office. During his time at Ikon, he oversaw more than $400 million in annual media billings and led communications planning and trading for major clients including Commonwealth Bank Group, Coca-Cola, Vodafone, Diageo, and Sony Music.

Known for renewing foundational client contracts and building high-performing teams, Pat has consistently driven innovation across paid and owned media channels. His experience spans a wide range of industries, including financial services, FMCG, telco, entertainment, and retail.

Energised by the pace of change in media and marketing, he remains committed to helping clients, agencies, and media owners navigate complexity with clarity and confidence.

Melissa Polglase

Melissa Polglase is General Manager Marketing and Retail Media at David Jones, leading category marketing, trade marketing, and the premium retail media network, David Jones Amplify. With over 20 years’ experience in retail marketing, Melissa blends commercial acumen with a passion for creating customer-led, high-impact campaigns. She has driven marketing strategies for some of Australia’s most recognised retail moments, forged innovative brand partnerships, and led the evolution of retail media in a premium, full-funnel context. Known for her strategic thinking and ability to align marketing with broader business goals, Melissa champions retail media as an EBIT-driving, customer-centric growth engine. She is a regular industry speaker and is committed to shaping the future of retail marketing in Australia.

Simon Porter

Simon has 25-years leadership experience in retail marketing and consulting roles spanning the UK and Australia. Specialising in retail strategy and communications. Experience includes retail transformations and building retail best practice for leading brands and retailers. He has worked across brand portfolios for the likes of Samsung, Uber, Sony, Unilever, P&G, Diageo and Nestle. He has also worked with some of Australia and the UK’s biggest retailers including Vodafone, J Sainsbury’s, Coles, Asda, Telstra and T-Mobile. With innovation and digital technologies reshaping business models and how retailers engage with customers, helping brands harness the power of their retail footprint has never been more important. Today, his key focus is reimagining retail communications and how retail fits into media ecosystems.

Kate Steven

Kate brings over 20 years of experience working across media agencies, publishers, and marketing technology platforms, with deep expertise in the media and retail media landscapes. She combines strategic insight with hands-on experience in advertising technologies, driving effective programmatic and omnichannel campaigns. Over the past 4.5 years at LiveRamp, Kate has partnered across the entire client portfolio, with a strong focus on retail and e-commerce, leading strategic and commercial partnerships. She has worked extensively across Australia and Southeast Asia, helping clients navigate data collaboration and leverage data-driven solutions to achieve sustainable, long-term business success.