Ever wonder what you'd tell your 16-year-old self? We asked ad tech experts what advice they wish they'd had before starting out in their careers...

There's a particular kind of ache in looking back, knowing what you know now, and wishing you could hand it to the person you used to be.

Ad tech is a strange industry to grow up in. It moves fast, reinvents itself constantly, and rarely gives anyone time to feel like they've truly arrived. Most of the people shaping it today didn't plan to end up here. At sixteen, there’s no childhood ambition to one day understand programmatic media buying or explain viewability to a client. And yet, ask enough people who've spent decades in this industry what they've learned with the benefit of hindsight, and what's left is startlingly human.

What they shared wasn't really about advertising technology at all. It was about curiosity, and the courage to keep showing up as yourself in an industry that doesn't always make that easy.

"Lean in and be part of the evolution"

I’d also remind myself that it’s okay to move on when you’ve stopped learning. Embracing change – including changing roles – can open up new possibilities and perspectives that you may not have otherwise found.

Looking ahead over the next five to ten years, I expect ad tech will continue to evolve significantly. It’s amazing that people can now study programmatic media buying alongside AI, and I expect AI to drive huge efficiency across our industry. My advice to anyone entering this space is to lean in and be part of the evolution. Many roles will transform and develop, but for those who remain inquisitive, adaptable and willing to learn, I think there will always be opportunities.

Lisa Kalyuzhny, Vice President of Sales, EMEA, Nexxen

"Build capabilities, not just a career path"

If I could speak to myself at 16, I would say: don’t focus on choosing the perfect career. Focus on building the ability to adapt.

Ad tech is an industry defined by constant reinvention. Platforms change, technologies evolve, and new business models emerge quickly. The people who thrive are not necessarily those who predict every shift, but those who stay curious, keep learning, and are comfortable operating at the intersection of technology, creativity and business.

Over the next five to ten years, AI and automation will transform many roles and remove a great deal of routine work. At the same time, they will make distinctly human skills more valuable: judgement, empathy, creativity and the ability to turn complexity into clear decisions.

So my advice would be simple: stay open, learn from people with different perspectives, and never become too attached to a job title. Build capabilities, not just a career path.

Alex Martínez, Chief Strategy Officer, EXTE

"Don't prepare for one specific job"

At 16, I would tell myself to stay curious, learn fast and don’t limit yourself to one direction in ad tech. Understand the technology but also understand why advertisers buy, what publishers need, and what consumers expect.

This industry was surprisingly small, even back then, so building a strong reputation and trust was extremely important. Technology should support that trust, not replace it. At the time, the industry lacked proper quality-checking technology, such as scanners. I would have prioritised this earlier: build trust with publishers while giving advertisers the quality and transparency they need.

Also, back then we had no idea what AI was or whether it would affect our work. Well, it turns out that no matter what I planned to become at 16, AI would still have been implemented into my life. Looking ahead, AI will automate more campaign setup, optimisation, reporting and creative production. But strategy, relationships, judgment and understanding the market will become more valuable.”

My advice is simple: don’t prepare for one specific job. Stay open, keep learning, and follow where the opportunities take you.

Emin Alpan, CEO, Aceex

"Don't optimise for certainty; optimise for range"

Don’t think you can plan your way into a great career. At 16, I certainly couldn’t have predicted ad tech, programmatic, agentic marketing, or what my role in the industry would eventually become.

What I did have was an instinct to ask why. Why do brands make certain choices? Why do people behave differently across markets? Why does one strategy work in one environment and fail in another?

Those questions became a career. They also took me across borders into unfamiliar markets, into messy problems and, often, into rooms where I was one of the few women.

If I could give my younger self one piece of advice, it would be this: don’t optimise for certainty; optimise for range. Travel widely. Work internationally. Get close to different cultures. Learn to move between data, creativity, and commercial thinking.

And when the problem is messy and the answer isn’t obvious, lean in. Because the ability to navigate ambiguity is becoming one of the most valuable leadership skills we have. The next decade will reward people who can connect the dots before they become obvious.

Marie-Lou Penin, CMO, DanAds

"Never forget the importance of client-centricity"

A salesperson’s best tools are their ears, not their mouth. At the start of my career, I would have told myself to bring the “Green Cross Code” to my career: Stop. Look. Listen. Meet people where they are and use the opportunities you have with them to listen and absorb what’s being said and shared. 

If I were 16 again, embarking on a career in ad tech, I’d tell myself to focus on what I can change and forget the rest. For those embarking on a sales career, whether in ad tech or elsewhere, never forget the importance of client-centricity. When you understand what motivates a person, it’s easier to orient yourself around that and come up with solutions that meet their needs.

Transactional selling will not survive and doesn’t bode well, even now. What has value is someone who can sit with a CMO, a CIO, Head of Strategy, or Head of Tech, whatever it might be, to understand their operational models and business ambitions, and show them ways to deliver their goals more efficiently. Sure, with AI, processes will be more automated and more efficient, but certain tasks will be eradicated to enable and encourage people’s social nature. Those who centre strategic thinking, listening, and the importance of human relationships will be the ones to succeed.

Nick Reid, SVP, Head of International Agency Partnerships, GumGum

"What makes you different makes you valuable"

Get comfortable being the only woman in the room, and don’t let that intimidate you. You belong there. Your ability to connect with people and nurture relationships will be your greatest strengths. Never dim your light to make others comfortable. You don’t have to be cutthroat to succeed in sales. Being kind, genuine, and empathetic will take you further than you realise.

Your experience within the LGBTQ+ space gives you a valuable perspective. Don’t be afraid to bring it into the room – what makes you different makes you valuable! You will experience rejection. A lot. Learn not to take it personally; a "no" is not a reflection of your worth or ability. Keep going.

Learn from everyone. Soak up knowledge, ask questions, and listen. You never know which lesson will stay with you. Most importantly, trust yourself. Some will try to make you feel smaller because your ambition makes them uncomfortable. Don’t let them. You don’t need to fit into someone else’s idea of success.

Let your light shine. You’ve got far more in you than you realise.

Liv Adams, Sales Director, Taptap Digital

"What lasts is curiosity"

At 16, I had no idea ad tech existed. Sometimes you don't start here on purpose, and that's fine. What I'd tell her: the technology intimidating you now will be obsolete within 5 years. What lasts is curiosity and the nerve to ask the questions everyone else in the room is too proud to ask. That one is normally the most valuable. 

I'd also tell her not to shrink. You'll often be the youngest in the room, and sometimes the only one. Take up the space anyway.

In the next decade, AI will absorb most of the executional work, but it won't absorb judgment. The people who thrive will be the ones who understand measurement, privacy, and incentives well enough to explain a decision to a client and defend it.

Chantel Nanton, Head of Marketing, EMEA, Silverpush