Observed Signal · Mar 13, 2026 · Hiring · Source: Adzine · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Equativ Strengthens DACH Leadership for CTV Expansion
Equativ has expanded its DACH leadership with three senior hires to strengthen its CTV, addressable-TV and programmatic capabilities in the Germany‑Austria‑Switzerland region. Reza Najib joins as Director Strategic Partnerships DACH (based in Düsseldorf and Munich) after more than a decade at Yahoo/Verizon Media. Nils Rasmußen was appointed Director ATV Enterprise Partnerships DACH to advance Connected TV and Addressable TV efforts, joining from WPP Media with prior roles at Publicis Media and Adform. Lara Schmidt becomes Senior Manager Demand Partnerships DACH, bringing agency and platform experience from Teads, Publicis and Groupm. Equativ says the hires, alongside growth in Berlin and Düsseldorf, will help scale its premium CTV and programmatic offerings and better position its technology (including Maestro and Agentic AI).
Regional leadership hires strengthen Equativ's DACH CTV, addressable-TV and programmatic capabilities and expand presence in Berlin and Düsseldorf; relevant to advertisers, agencies and publisher partnerships but not industry-shifting.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Equativ appointed three senior leaders to its DACH team: Reza Najib, Nils Rasmußen, and Lara Schmidt.
- Reza Najib is Director Strategic Partnerships DACH, based in Düsseldorf and Munich; previously worked for over a decade at Yahoo (formerly Verizon Media / Oath).
- Nils Rasmußen is Director ATV Enterprise Partnerships DACH, focused on Connected TV and Addressable TV; he joins from WPP Media and previously worked at Publicis Media and Adform.
- Lara Schmidt joins as Senior Manager Demand Partnerships DACH, with prior experience at Teads, Publicis and Groupm.
- Equativ states the hires and personnel expansion in Berlin and Düsseldorf aim to scale its premium CTV and programmatic offerings and leverage technology including Maestro and Agentic AI.
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Adweek's Agents of Change: Leaders Reshaping Industry
This Adweek feature profiles the 2026 Agents of Change, a group of leaders in marketing, media, advertising, and tech recognized for combining commercial success with a commitment to a more responsible and forward-thinking industry. The honorees include executives from agencies, media companies, and brands, such as Rachel Apirian of The Female Quotient, Jared Belsky of Acadia Agency, Paris Hilton of 11:11 Media, and Ben Skinazi of Equativ. They are praised for initiatives in diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, ethical AI, sustainability, and transparency. The article highlights specific achievements, such as Acadia returning rebates to clients, Equativ scaling GreenPMPs, and various mentorship programs. The feature is presented in partnership with Empower, a platform by Propeller Group and WACL.
Former Utiq and Xandr/Microsoft Leader Joins illuma for AI Scaling
illuma, a London-based AI company specializing in contextual decision intelligence, has appointed Michel Guillon as head of solutions architecture. Guillon brings two decades of adtech leadership experience from Utiq and AppNexus/Xandr/Microsoft, where he worked closely with illuma's integrations. His role will help partners integrate illuma's contextual intelligence into their systems at enterprise scale, leveraging his deep knowledge of DSP and SSP architecture and data interoperability. illuma's AI technology is used by brands, agencies, publishers, and platforms to optimize advertising decisions in real time, and is available through major platforms including The Trade Desk, Equativ, Index Exchange, Amazon, DV360, Yahoo, OpenX, PubMatic, and Magnite. The appointment underscores illuma's expansion across leading advertising platforms.
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