Despite the tech industry’s reputation for being predominantly male, adtech shows signs of a more balanced landscape. Yet, with women constituting half of the global population, there’s undeniable room for growth in achieving gender parity. At Ogury, women are at the forefront of innovation, embodying resilience and driving transformation across our global offices.
As we celebrate International Women’s Day, we’re proud to showcase some of the exceptional women on our teams, who are not just breaking barriers but are also redefining success in adtech. Join us as we celebrate their journeys, showcase how they’ve navigated challenges and contributed to the industry, and provide insights and advice to empower the next generation of women in adtech.
Eva Elbing | Associate Data Analyst | Paris
As a woman in adtech, what unique challenges have you faced in your career, and how have you overcome them?
In the first weeks after starting on Ogury’s product team (POD) I found myself surrounded by mostly French, male colleagues while also being the youngest member of the team. There were definitely moments where I asked myself “Do I really belong here?”
I think it is important to remind ourselves that if we are in a certain position, it is for a reason, and that sometimes what makes us different also helps us to make contributions no one else could.
What also helped me was not being afraid to ask questions and to take up space even if it felt uncomfortable. I am lucky to have colleagues that are super supportive and there is a strong notion of helping each other out, so it didn’t take long until I felt at ease.
What makes you passionate about the adtech space?
It feels like the adtech space never stops moving, especially now with an increased focus on audience addressability issues and companies shifting towards alternative targeting approaches. A lot of these changes are reflected in data which can help to observe and forecast trends. For me, this means that there are always new things to learn and to discover!
What advice do you have for women wanting to get into adtech or tech in general?
People in adtech love to use a lot of “insider” vocabulary, such as acronyms and industry specific terms, which can feel intimidating especially when starting out. I think familiarising yourself with adtech terminology will provide a great advantage and enables you to understand relevant conversations.
Michelle D’Alba | Senior Sales Director | NYC
What has it been like progressing into a Sales leadership position in adtech?
Overall it’s been extremely rewarding to see the value you bring to an organization recognized by the same people whose sales leadership skills you are often trying to emulate. Of course that’s not to say that the journey has been without its challenges and hurdles. Fortunately though, the adtech industry has evolved immensely since I embarked on my career back in 2008. There are more initiatives today than ever before to increase recognition of the value that women bring to leadership positions. Additionally, there are increasingly more networking opportunities and organizations built solely to support and empower women. I am very fortunate to work for a company like Ogury who has committed to increase the representation of women in leadership roles across all levels of the organization.
What advice do you have for women wanting to get into adtech or tech in general?
You have to constantly be advocating for yourself. This will require a lot of effort but no one will be a bigger advocate for you, than you! You will need to proactively and regularly discuss your achievements, career goals, and skills with your manager. And always approach these conversations with confidence and positivity in order to clearly communicate the value you bring to the table.
Is there anything you wish you had known earlier in your career?
That you will learn so much more from your failures than your achievements. So embrace those as lessons learned to enable your personal growth. Trust me, a stronger and more resilient version of YOU will come out of it on the other side.
Aida Coulibaly | Senior IT Analyst | Paris
How did you start your career in adtech?
My journey in the tech industry began as a beta tester and multilingual support analyst, marking the start of a diverse and enriching career journey. I progressively ascended to various significant roles including IT Manager, IT Support, and Project Manager across a spectrum of sectors such as Travel, Fintech, Pharma, and Retail, culminating in my latest venture into the adtech sphere with Ogury in 2022.
How do you stay informed and continue learning in an industry known for its rapid change?
I stay informed and continue learning in an industry known for its rapid change by reading industry publications, attending conferences and taking online classes.
What would you tell your younger self?
I would tell my younger self to be confident in my abilities and to not be afraid to take risks. And that every door that closes or doesn’t open is another better opportunity around the corner.
Samantha Saunders | Sales Director | NYC
Tell me more about your role:
Sales Director on the Consumer Packaged Goods team, working with enterprise businesses & agencies on their full-funnel media objectives.
What makes you passionate about the adtech space?
The span of my career has always involved partnering with brands & agencies on their marketing strategy and in bringing their objectives to life. Moving into the adtech sector 2 years ago when I joined Ogury has allowed me to advocate for those same partners, delivering what they truly hope to accomplish across their investment with precision, scale, efficiency and unparalleled performance.
Ogury’s digital media framework & pioneer thinking has made me incredibly excited about where adtech is headed and where true partnership expansion is possible within my role and time here.
Is there anything you wish you had known earlier in your career?
This is always an interesting question to me because, even if I had known ‘XYZ’ lesson earlier on in my career, I don’t know if it would have mattered until I experienced the journey for what it truly was in order to understand WHY putting those learnings into practice is important. That being said, I wish I had practiced better time management & ‘life’ prioritization skills. I was always trying to get ahead, outperform, and do as much as humanly possible within my career, to the detriment of other pillars of my life – health, friends / family relationships, etc.
While the lasting impacts were not immense, I think it’s important (especially for women) to recognize that while their hard work & effort is an important part of building one’s self-esteem, it’s not the only thing that can help us build those critical life components, and that the more you feed yourself first, the more your work output actually benefits (with less time needed).
We proudly celebrate these diverse female voices during International Women’s Month and year-round. We are committed to creating a workplace that fosters diversity and inclusion, and that’s why we continue to empower female colleagues who deliver innovative and groundbreaking advertising solutions. Watch this space as Ogury continues to spotlight female employees making a difference in the adtech industry.
