Integral Ad Science (IAS) is a global leader in digital media quality, ensuring that ads are viewable by real people in safe and suitable environments. Csaba Szabo, Managing Director, EMEA, tells us more about his job role and the importance of sustainability at IAS.
Can you describe your current job role?
I joined IAS at the beginning of this year as its Managing Director in EMEA to further expand growth across our priority markets. My main focus is on building on our industry-leading product, data and insights to deepen our relationships with clients and partners in the EMEA region.
I’m very excited about the growth IAS is experiencing. I believe that we have a winning formula in programmatic and am excited by the significant emphasis we’re putting on expanding with social platforms and doubling down on agency relationships. I believe we are very well positioned to win in CTV as well.
What first made you think of a career in technology?
Technology has always fascinated me and it’s amazing that I have been able to dedicate the last 15 years to some of the most iconic brands on the Internet. Now I get to bring all that experience to IAS and work to make digital media a more transparent and safer place.
What would you describe as your most memorable achievement?
It has been a busy 2022 for myself and IAS but, despite challenging circumstances, we are already delivering strong results. We have made strategic acquisitions such as European-based AI and video classification company, Context. We have also deepened partnerships and platforms, and truly maximised outcomes. It’s exciting to be at the company at such a fruitful time for innovation and business development.
What style of management philosophy do you employ in your current position?
I focus on values, attitude and competences over experience and hard skills. I believe that the right mindset, coupled with curiosity and determination can overcome most of the gaps in previous experiences. My job is to create an environment where our employees can thrive, develop and fulfil their potential.
Also, compassion and a strong moral compass have always been at my core, both as a person and a leader. These have always been my core beliefs as a person and as a leader, but of course during difficult times (such as a global pandemic or on-going social injustice) it is easy to forget about it.
Assuming positive intent and believing that we are all working together towards a good outcome are beneficial driving forces in my roles as a regional leader and as a commercial partner to many global brands.
What do you currently identify as the major areas of investment in your industry?
Geo-political conflicts, the rise in hate speech and polarisation of social issues have really put our work into a new perspective.
Digital media has fantastic potential to be a force for good. In order to realise this potential, we need to work relentlessly on reducing misinformation and creating a safer and more trusted experience on the Internet. We are facing a constant uphill battle against misinformation – there are titanic shifts happening in our society but still so much to do to address social injustice, and of course, we have a raging military conflict destroying lives on European soil.
The work we are doing at IAS is even more important for the industry and for society than ever before.
I am also a leader of our ESG task force at IAS, and I’m pleased to be working alongside a passionate and dedicated team on our ambitious goals of making IAS an even more diverse and inclusive company that makes positive contributions to our social and physical environment.
For example, sustainability is a global priority for IAS and we believe that it is our collective responsibility to make a lasting impact. There is significant computing power required to fuel the trillions of real time auctions taking place across the length and breadth of the programmatic ecosystem, resulting in carbon emission
To this effect, we announced a partnership with Good-Loop that will bring greater climate change transparency for advertisers and provide them with the tools they need to reduce their carbon emissions. The partnership is a major step forward to further decarbonise digital media.
Combatting disinformation and making progress on sustainability and diversity initiatives isn’t just an important ethical consideration for all involved. The goal, of course, is to direct spend towards ad space that doesn’t damage, but enhances a brand’s image, the outcome of which will fund quality journalism, protect users and defund bad actors.
If you could go back and change one career decision, what would it be?
When I was in high school in the mid 90s, this thing called the Internet just started to become mainstream. Little did we know what the future would hold for the technology and how it would alter culture and human history, but I was absolutely fascinated by it from the start. If I could go back, I would most certainly invest more time to learn coding at a higher level.
My only other advice to my teenage self would be to sort out my wardrobe. I was absolutely lost through the Grunge-era, and I am yet to find a photograph where I looked at least halfway presentable through the 90s.