Agentic AI: What Is It and How Will It Change Advertising?

Mark Avnet is Senior Director of Learning and Development at IAB, bringing over 25 years of senior leadership, learning and development, talent management, thought leadership, and innovation experience to IAB, its members and partners.

Mark was Head of Learning and Development at 360i, founding and leading L&D and Thought Leadership at this large Dentsu-owned digital-first advertising and marketing agency. At 360i, Mark created and facilitated training and workshops for employees, as well as developing and delivering training programs for clients including Coca-Cola, Nestlé, Kraft, Mondelez, Mattel, and Oscar Mayer.

Other industry roles have included SVP and Director of Technology and Production at Ammirati Puris Lintas’ APL Digital, CTO and Head of Innovation at Lot21 Interactive, Head of New Media at @radicalmedia, and Executive Producer and Head of Production at Hearst New Media.

Mark’s academic credentials include Professor and founding Head of the Creative Technology program at VCU Virginia Commonwealth University’s Brandcenter, widely recognized as the nation’s top graduate school in advertising and marketing. Mark was Chair of Communications at Russell Sage College/Sage Colleges of Albany, Visiting Professor at Marist College, and Adjunct professor in both NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications.

Mark has been a professional musician, recording engineer/producer, and recording studio owner. He is a certified clinical hypnotherapist and, in an early career left-turn, briefly raised giant sea slugs for a living.

Chris Bruderle brings over 25 years of experience in Data/Web Analytics and Media Market Research at premium Digital and Muti-Platform web publishers including The Daily Beast, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Conde Nast Publications and This Old House Ventures.

Before working at IAB where he leads research-based thought leadership initiatives, Chris was most recently VP, Analytics & Research at The Daily Beast where he spent nearly 7 years and was responsible for the tracking, analysis and reporting of The Daily Beast’s O&O site and off-platform data/analytics for Senior/Corporate Management, Editorial, Advertising Sales, Product/Engineering, Audience/Business Development, Social Media and PR. He established the company-wide Editorial Analytics and Advertising Sales data and research stacks which included, among others, Google Analytics, Parse.ly, Krux DMP, Optimizely, comScore, Kantar, Samba, Newswhip, Crowd Tangle, Buzzsumo, and CrazyEgg.

Prior to The Daily Beast, Chris spent 5 years as Associate and Acting Director at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia where he directed the correspondence and development of all research-based strategies supporting the Advertising Sales and Marketing staffs of each of the MSLO media brands and platforms across digital, mobile/tablet, TV, print and radio. Chris has also held marketing and market research positions at Conde Nast and Time Inc.

Chris started his career at BBDO as an Assistant Media Planner where he most notably completed the “Media Training Program”.

Caroline Giegerich is the VP, AI at the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), where she leads efforts to shape how artificial intelligence is adopted, standardized, and scaled across the advertising ecosystem. In this role, she works with publishers, agencies, brands, and ad tech leaders to advance education, build thought leadership, and develop actionable frameworks around emerging AI technologies.

Caroline brings over 20 years of experience leading strategy, marketing, and innovation across media, entertainment, beauty, and consumer goods. She combines a scrappy entrepreneurial mindset, a passion for emerging technologies, and a knack for tackling no-blueprint challenges to grow loyal audiences and elevate brand experiences. From HBO and Netflix to Kia/Hyundai and Dr. Pepper, Caroline has bridged the gap between technology and storytelling, consistently delivering measurable business impact.

Previously, as VP, Head of Innovation at Warner Music Experience, she envisioned and executed inventive fan experiences using cutting-edge technologies to deepen engagement and unlock new revenue streams for artists. Her work included a first-to-market Snapchat AR shopping lens for Gorillaz; NFC-enabled merchandise for Nessa Barrett that bridged physical and exclusive digital content while capturing first-party data; and AI-generated concert visuals for Cobrah that preserved the artist’s design aesthetic while staying within budget.

Earlier in her career, Caroline held marketing and innovation roles at iconic brands like HBO, Showtime, and Smashbox Cosmetics. At HBO, she pioneered tech-driven storytelling, such as embedding an accelerometer into a boxing glove to measure punch speed and force, enhancing the narrative of HBO Boxing. On the agency side, she led the West Coast Innovations team at Initiative, helping clients like Hyundai/Kia and Lionsgate explore future-facing advertising solutions, including 3D projections and creator campaigns.

A recognized thought leader, Caroline has spoken at TEDx, SXSW, Advertising Week, and Digital Hollywood, and has contributed as a writer for Adweek, AdAge, Mashable, HuffPost Tech, and Livestrong. Named a 2024 Marketer that Matters in The Wall Street Journal and Women in Marketing Industry Innovator by Brand Innovators, she also serves as a judge for The Webby Awards and the Television Academy. Caroline holds advisory roles for HAND, digital identity in an AI age, and GoodZ, a company revolutionizing music distribution with NFC technology.

In addition to her professional work, Caroline is passionate about sharing knowledge. She supports AI, brand strategy, and product strategy classes at Section, a platform founded by NYU Stern Professor and Pivot podcast co-host, Scott Galloway. She has also guest lectured at the School of Visual Arts and the University of Oregon, inspiring the next generation of marketers and innovators