How Gai Le Roy steered the IAB from spruiking digital to industry consensus

Le Roy’s IAB agenda: Setting standards, building investment confidence, creating communities (and directing a panto)Covering the shenanigans of the IAB’s digital metrics tender nearly 15 years ago, it was impossible to predict that the industry body would grow into the big tent it has since become.Much of the credit for that goes to Gai Le Roy, the CEO since 2018. Le Roy rose through media research roles including as research and insights director for Nine, VP of research at Nielsen and GM of audience insights at Fairfax Media.In today’s Unmade podcast, we explore how she has shifted the IAB to consensus building by spreading its wings across the whole digital ecosystem. That includes a series of ongoing working groups focused on specific topics such as gaming, digital out of home, sustainability, retail media, affiliate marketing, careers and search. And the IAB runs a series of member summits across Sydney and Melbourne including this month’s Audio Summit, April’s affiliate marketing and digital out of home events and September’s annual MeasureUp metrics conference.During the conversation, Le Roy offers a little detail on the financial state of the organisation, which she describes as healthy, with a turnover of around $2m.She also reveals why she doesn’t want to bring back the IAB Awards, how she ended up involved in the unlikely success story of last year’s UnLtd industry pantomime and she attempts to answer the question of what happens in her career after the IAB.The conversation also covers off the key issues coming up for 2024, including the loss of signal through cookie deprecation, forthcoming privacy legislation and where video ratings go next.Editing was courtesy of Abe’s Audio, the people to talk to about voiceovers, sound design and podcast production.Message us: [email protected] BurrowesPublisher - Unmade This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit unmade.substack.com