Karen Eccles, chief commercial officer at The Telegraph and last year's winner of ExchangeWire's prestigious Ad Tech Personality of the Year award, reflects on 2024 so far. Looking ahead to 2025, she shares what she's most looking forward to as well as examining which challenges the industry will face.

What did winning The Wires Ad Tech Personality of the Year mean to you?

Winning Ad Tech Personality of the Year meant the world to me. I was surprised to win – there were so many smart and deserving people in the room. When I arrived onstage to accept the award I had to ask ‘are you sure it’s me?’ as I thought I’d misheard.

It was particularly special to win having entered the industry again after a seven year maternity break which I’d spent freelancing in Germany. So much had changed by the time I returned to London and began a commercial director role in ad tech. I felt overwhelmed by the gaps in my knowledge (I still do) so I was reading up as much as I could at night, and asking my poor colleagues incessant questions by day. I was told by one recruiter that I would never reintegrate. Since then I’ve actually enjoyed the challenge of learning and – I hope – contributing to our industry. Winning the award was a very special moment in which I felt accepted and truly knitted back into this industry.  

What have been some of your highlights of this year? 

At The Telegraph we’ve been working for several years to build a model for what good advertising looks like in a subs newsbrand, and to prove that what’s better for readers is better for advertisers too. In June TMG’s financial statement for last year highlighted our digital advertising revenue growth, and articulated company wide growth as a combination of both subscriptions and advertising success. That was a great moment after five years of developing ad products that work for advertisers and readers in a high quality environment.

Awards for our work are always appreciated, but team recognition means the most. My department has rebuilt and reinvented itself since the launch of The Telegraph’s subs strategy five years ago. They have been committed and purposeful – they bring so much integrity and innovation to the job. This year the team has been shortlisted for Campaign Commercial Team as well as Media Week Sales Team of the Year, and they hugely deserve the recognition. 

Looking ahead to 2025, what do you expect for the industry and what are you most looking forward to? 

I’m taking a deep breath as we enter the next phase of the internet. We’re at a pivot point where the next 10 years of publishing and ad tech may well be shaped by the technologies that emerge now and decisions that are made over the next 12 months. Next year will come with new opportunities and a tonne to learn for those who embrace it. It’s impossible to know what the industry will look like in five to ten years' time, but I hope we can contribute to crafting what it becomes. Transparency, measurement and fair value exchange will continue to be paramount. I’m looking forward to having new things to worry about and talk about on panels other than third party cookies. 

What challenges do you expect the industry to face next year?

As we move into next year, continuing to safeguard regulated quality journalism within the ever-changing tech landscape will continue to be both our main priority and challenge. I think we’re all going to have to get comfortable with being permanently out of our comfort zones, but it’s important to always keep evolving and learning. Looking ahead, making the right long term decisions without getting distracted by fleeting trends will be important.